The Gravity Keeper

by Michael Reisman

  CHAPTER 17

  WEAPONS OF WAR

  Simon, Owen, and Alysha stared at the shards of wood that had flown from the ruined, smoking tree trunk.

  The silence was broken by Alysha, who cleared her throat loudly. “Okay, we’re sorry, please hold on!” she said politely. She held up her hands above her head. “Simon, friction!” she hissed.

  Simon faked a cough. “But we’ll have to get to the trail first,” he muttered, with his hands covering his mouth.

  He forced himself to calm down and think. He’d read countless books about heroes facing terrible danger. They always made it seem so easy, like the answers just dropped from the sky—

  His eyes widened. “I’ve got it; just get ready to do what I do,” he whispered urgently.

  Sirabetta stared at them from the edge of the clearing; her beautiful features were twisted into an angry frown. “I give you a chance to live and you use it to whisper with one another?” She shook her head. “Veenie, would you like to turn one of them into charcoal? Perhaps the smallest?”

  “That’s me!” Owen whimpered.

  “Okay, okay,” Simon shouted. “We’ll come out; don’t shoot. Er, whatever.”

  Sirabetta snapped her fingers. “Then get over here right now!”

  Simon deliberately made his voice whiny. “First, keep that scary guy away!”

  Sirabetta rolled her eyes so well, she made Alysha look like an amateur. “Veenie, step back from the bushes.”

  “You, too,” Simon shouted.

  Sirabetta arched an eyebrow. “Fine, but don’t try anything stupid. You can’t outrun a bolt of lightning.”

  Sirabetta and Veenie backed away across the clearing without taking their eyes off the kids. Simon, Alysha, and Owen walked through the barren shrubs.

  “Now, start talking,” Sirabetta said. “Tell me what you know about the Teacher’s Edition of Physics.”

  Simon couldn’t help but smile. That was the perfect setup for a heroic line. “Tell you? I’ll show you.” Then he pointed at Veenie and Sirabetta while he spoke the gravity formula. Mermon and Sirabetta looked at each other, baffled.

  Before they could react, Simon ducked down and grabbed two handfuls of rocks from the forest floor; Owen and Alysha did the same. Simon threw his rocks at Sirabetta’s and Veenie’s feet, and Alysha and Owen followed his lead. Sirabetta and Veenie jumped back to avoid being hit by the rocks, just as Simon hoped they would.

  When they pushed off the ground, they kept floating upward. Mermon waved his arms and legs, yelping, but Sirabetta caught on instantly. “He’s made us weightless—they have the Book!”

  Simon then spoke a different version of the gravity formula, and the villains were hurled back at a thick tree behind them. Thanks to Simon’s words, they were falling toward the tree as if it were the ground.

  Mermon slammed into the trunk and was pinned several feet above the dirt floor. He didn’t move; the impact had stunned him.

  Sirabetta, however, quickly pulled up the other sleeve of her long black coat as she soared back. There were several more formula tattoos on that arm; she immediately found and read a blue formula on her forearm. She stopped in midair, just inches from the tree.

  Simon rephrased his formula so the gravitational pull on her became ten times more than normal. Sirabetta thudded into the tree for a second but, with obvious strain, pulled slowly away from the trunk. She was able to resist Simon’s formula!

  Simon saw this and gulped. “We’ve got to go!” he yelled to Alysha and Owen. “Brace yourselves; you’ve got to keep your balance.”

  Simon spoke another formula and altered the friction of their feet, giving their toes enough resistance to let them push off and control their speed. “Remember, this is like ice-skating.”

  “I don’t know how to ice-skate,” Owen said, moaning.

  Alysha grabbed his arm. “You’re about to learn.” The three pushed off and started sliding through the clearing and back along the path toward Van Silas Way. The Breeze blew again, this time pushing Simon and his friends along and flooding them with energy to help them escape. They needed it.

  Simon risked a look backward and saw Sirabetta, still somehow fighting the pull of ten g’s. She was slowly lowering herself toward the ground.

  He focused on keeping his balance as he and his friends zoomed off the curb onto Van Silas Way. He heard an angry scream and several loud explosions ring out from the woods.

  Simon saw Alysha start to turn her head. “Don’t look back!” he shouted. “Just get to my house!”

  The kids slid up Jerome Street, pausing to help Owen each time he slipped and fell. They whooshed to Simon’s doorway, and Simon reversed the friction formula so they could walk normally. They rushed inside, and he double-bolted the door behind them.

  It was only a temporary fix, though. If Sirabetta and Mermon Veenie figured out where they were, no doors could protect them.

  CHAPTER 18

  THE SPY REVEALED

  Simon, Alysha, and Owen gasped for breath. “Simon, get your parents,” Alysha said. “The cops’ll be more likely to listen to them than to three kids.”

  “They’re not home,” Simon said. “Besides, what would we say? If I told them some evil, tattooed witch was after us, they’d probably put me on medication.”

  “What-do-we-do? We-have-to-call-someone-the-copsor-the-marines-or-something,” Owen whimpered.

  Simon shook his head. “Nobody would believe us.” He looked back at the door. “Come on, let’s hide out in the basement.”

  He led them down the carpeted stairs, taking care to shut the door very quietly behind them. They pushed a wooden bench to the far wall and stood on it so they could peek out through a window. The window was just above ground level and behind a row of bushes; the kids could see as far as the street, but somebody outside wouldn’t be likely to notice them.

  After a few minutes, Owen groaned. “My feet are starting to hurt.”

  “This is stupid,” Alysha said. “She’s probably still searching the woods.”

  Simon shook his head. “Sirabetta saw us running toward the street; she’ll know we left. Just hope she doesn’t figure out where I live.”

  Alysha suddenly cupped a hand over her mouth to stifle a shriek. There, a few feet away from the window, were two black boots poking out beneath a long, black coat: Sirabetta’s. Fortunately, the boots were on the other side of the bushes, pointing away from the window. She was looking out onto the street.

  Sirabetta made a gesture, and the kids saw Mermon Veenie coming toward her. Then the two walked back toward Van Silas Way.

  Minutes later, they saw Mermon behind the wheel of a shiny red car that he must have parked on Van Silas before going to the woods earlier. He drove slowly, searching out the window. Sirabetta, sitting in the backseat, did the same, but apparently neither noticed three pairs of eyes watching from the basement window. After a moment, the car turned onto the next street.

  Simon exhaled with relief. “Now what?”

  “Now we get rid of the Book and give up on the woods,” Owen squeaked.

  “Are you nuts?” Alysha demanded. “Why?”

  “Why? Why?” Owen’s voice rose with every word. “Because some crazy tattooed sorceress and her growling wizard pal want to kill us.” He took a breath, his voice hoarse. “Kill as in dead as in corpse as in NO WAY!”

  “Stop shouting at me!” Alysha shouted back.

  “Easy, guys. Relax,” Simon said.

  “Yeah, listen to Simon,” Alysha said. “We’re fine. We got away; they don’t know who we are or where we live. Plus, we beat them once. We can do it again.”

  “We didn’t do anything!” Owen sputtered. “Simon did it and just barely! I’m sorry, Simon, but this isn’t like the books you love or the alien wizard stuff you were joking about in the woods! This is real and it’s awful and it’s not a game.” He took a deep breath. “One of them threw lightning. Real lightning. I’m scared of thunder, and that’s ju
st sound; I mean, how are you supposed to fight lightning? If we get rid of the Book, they won’t have any reason to want us.”

  Alysha shook her head. “We can’t get rid of the Book. What if we give it to them and they come after us for revenge? Or because they don’t want to leave any witnesses? Or just because they’re bad people? That Book gives us a chance. Without it, we’re toast. Burnt toast.”

  Owen hopped off the bench and walked to the middle of the basement. “What do you even care? It’s not like you’re our friend; why are you even here?”

  “I could be your friend,” she said. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “People like you aren’t friends with kids like us,” Owen said. “You’re popular and cool.” He tugged at his plain T-shirt. “This is me; nothing special. Why would you want to be my friend? And you’ve had the locker next to Simon for how long? Why are you suddenly his friend now? You followed us because he pulled some trick in the hall and you wanted to know how. Now you know. What’s keeping you here?”

  Simon raised his eyebrows; he wondered that, too.

  Alysha looked away and then turned back angrily. “Fine, I’ll tell you. Because you’re not like Marcus and Rachelle and all those others. I like that I have a lot of friends and yeah, they can be fun, but sometimes I don’t think I belong with them. Owen, I didn’t know you before yesterday, and you can be…different sometimes. But you’re nice and funny. And Simon…well, we used to have fun, didn’t we? You were always more interesting than Marcus and those guys.”

  She frowned and went on. “And yeah, seeing Simon using his gravity formula in the hall made me want to follow him. But it’s more. You both have a whole thing about you.” She waved her hands in the air. “Maybe it’s the woods. Maybe it changes you. Like the Book—it’s magic. Real magic. Something unique, something more special than anything I’ve ever seen or heard of in real life.”

  Before Simon or Owen could respond, a sharp tapping on the window made all three of them jump. It was the small brown bird with a horizontal stripe across its belly.

  Simon pointed. “It’s the spy!” he gasped. “He’s been following me practically all week!”

  “A bird spy?” Owen looked shocked.

  “Let him in and see what he wants,” Alysha said. She stretched up on the bench to unlatch the window.

  Owen grabbed her arm. “Let him in? Are you nuts?” At her warning look, he quickly let go but said, “What-if-he-is-a-spy-or-some-kind-of-killer-bird!” He took a breath. “Haven’t you seen that Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds?”

  The bird looked skyward, shaking its head as if in exasperation.

  Before Simon or Owen could say anything, Alysha opened the window. The bird hopped onto the windowsill and, with a quick flurry of its wings, landed on the basement floor.

  It chirped loudly at Owen, who ran to the other side of the basement and hid behind one of the many file cabinets that lined the wall. Simon reached over and flicked on a light switch, giving them a good look at the tiny creature.

  The bird flapped its wings once, twice. Then its whole body shimmered, shook, and blurred. Simon, Alysha, and Owen (watching with his fingers spread over his eyes) gawked as the tiny bird transformed into a tall, skinny man with short brown hair. He appeared to be in his midtwenties and was dressed in brown pants and a long-sleeved brown-and-gray shirt with a horizontal white stripe in the middle.

  The man nodded politely at Simon and Alysha, then turned to Owen and shook his head. “The Birds? Stick to watching cartoons, Courageous Cat.”

  His voice was smooth and fast, like he was on the verge of breaking into song.

  Simon and Alysha stepped down from the bench. “Who are you?” Simon asked, his voice tinged with awe. “And how did you do that?”

  “You can call me Flangelo Squicconi, little Newton,” the bird man said. “I’ve come from the Order of Biology, and you’ve got some explaining to do.”

  CHAPTER 19

  FROM THE MOUTHS OF BIRDS

  Simon blinked. “Wait…the Order of what? Flannel who?”

  “Oh, you’re a special boy, aren’t you?” Flangelo said. “Listen carefully.” He pointed at himself. “My name is Flan-jell-oh Skwi-cho-knee. I can write it for you if it’ll help. And I’m here from the Order of Bye-ahl-oh-jee.” He paused. “It’s a science.” He paused again while the trio just stared at him. “Study of living things.” He sighed. “This is going to be one of those days, isn’t it?”

  Alysha put her hands on her hips. “Yeah, we know what biology is, and we understand what you want, but we have our own questions. Like what is the Order of Biology and how did you turn from Tweety Bird into a real live boy?”

  “Ooooh, sassy.” Flangelo clapped. “The Order of Biology is just like your Order of Physics, only we practice biology, not physics, get it? I saw what just happened in your Dunkerhook Woods, and I want to know just what you junior scientists are up to, pronto.” He snapped his fingers several times.

  Alysha stomped her foot. “Are you threatening us? You saw how we handled those two back in the woods.”

  Flangelo sneered. “Yes, that was very energetic running you did. Bravo.”

  “That’s it,” Alysha said. “Simon, use the fireball and flame-broil him.”

  Flangelo’s face went pale. “Okay, okay, no need to get pushy. I’m not here for trouble, just information.”

  “You are a spy!” Owen gasped.

  Flangelo waved him away. “Hush, field mouse. I’m no spy, just an emissary.”

  “Emi-what?” Alysha asked.

  Flangelo looked up at the sky in exasperation. “I’ll bet you all rule at Scrabble. Emissary. It means ‘messenger.’”

  Alysha gestured for him to continue.

  Flangelo cleared his throat. “I’m a messenger for Gilio Skidowsa, Keeper of the Biology’s Teacher’s Edition and head of the Order of Biology.”

  “Who?” all three kids asked at the same time.

  Flangelo dramatically dropped his head into his hands and then looked up with a frown. “My boss. Leader of Biology. He has a Book just like Ralfagon Wintrofline’s, only it says Biology on the cover.”

  Simon pulled the Book out of his backpack. “You mean like this?”

  Owen gasped. “Simon-don’t-let-him-see-it-he’ll-attack-us-too!”

  “Who, Robin the Bird Wonder?” Alysha laughed. “What’s he going to do, chirp us to death?”

  Flangelo folded his arms. “Well, there’s no need to be so rude about it. I mean, Robin? Green shorts? Tights? Please. Besides, I’ve already seen you with the Book. My question is, why do you have it? Where’s Ralfagon?”

  “That was the name in the Book!” Simon said. “Who is he?”

  Flangelo made a trilling noise. “Who is—? Are you sure that lightning missed you?” Under his breath, he muttered, “That would explain a lot, actually.”

  “Watch it, feathers,” Alysha said.

  “Let’s start simply,” Flangelo said. “What are your names?”

  “I’m Simon; this is Alysha and Owen.”

  Flangelo trilled again. “Those are completely normal names! You—” He gasped. “You’re not in the Order, are you?”

  Simon shrugged. “Which Order, exactly?”

  “Oh no,” Flangelo warbled. “I’ve been afraid of this since I started watching you. You’re not even in the Knowledge Union. You’re Outsiders!”

  “Please, just tell us what’s going on,” Simon said.

  Flangelo sighed. “I’ll bet you can’t throw fireballs, can you?” When Simon shook his head, Flangelo glared at Alysha. “Flame-broiled, huh? Big faker.”

  “I don’t know why the Book came to me, but it calls me Keeper,” Simon said.

  “This makes no sense,” Flangelo said. “You see, Gilio sent me to check on Ralfagon and his Order.”

  “How is that not spying?” Alysha demanded.

  “Gilio and Ralfagon are friends,” Flangelo said. “It’s different when you watch over friends.
Gilio wanted me to find out what the Order of Physics did after the Council was forced to disband.” He raised a finger to stop Alysha from asking. “The Council of Sciences is all the Keepers—the leaders—of the Science Orders. Which are the folks with science-related Books. Like yours.”

  “So what did you find out?” Simon asked.

  “I’ve been flying around the town and the woods all week. I saw you and Squeaky Boy coming out of the woods with the Teacher’s Edition on Tuesday, which made no sense. I checked on Ralfagon that same night, and he was perfectly healthy, so I started following you.” He chirped nervously. “But now that crazy duo says they put Ralfagon in the hospital. They’re blowing things up and are oh, so very unhappy with you three. I just don’t know what to do.”

  “Can I ask you some questions?” Alysha asked.

  Flangelo sighed. “Like saying no would work?”

  Alysha scrunched her brow in concentration. “So there’s a big group of people—the Knowledge Union—and some of them have Books, like Simon’s Teacher’s Edition. And they can all control different sciences?”

  Flangelo nodded. “There are all sorts of groups, actually. The Orders deal with Sciences, the Guilds make things, and so on. Everything that makes the universe tick has a group, and it’s all watched over by the Board of Administration. They’re the ultimate bureaucracy.” He saw their confused expressions. “Think about all the headaches your parents have with waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles or filing taxes. Picture that, only the BOA is in charge of people who can control existence. They’re experts at putting the squeeze on, I tell you.” He chuckled, and then noticed the kids’ blank faces. “Never mind.”

  “You mean there’s all this stuff going on right around us? All the time?” Simon asked.

  “Since the dawn of humanity, there’s been a Knowledge Union,” Flangelo explained. “Maybe even before, with the dolphins or something.” He stood proudly. “Biology deals with evolution, you know.” Seeing the kids’ blank looks again, he sighed. “Can you even walk and chew gum at the same time?”