This phenomenon—”
“Yeah, yeah, we know about it,” the boys interrupted in unison. “Einstein called it ‘spooky action at a distance.’”
“Very good,” the professor said, impressed. “But Einstein lacked the courage to go all the way. Only
I
have dared to imagine what might occur if the two joined objects were not just particles but human beings! Two bodies, two locations, but
one shared mind
…”
The twins didn’t like where this was going.
“Quantum entanglement applies only to subatomic particles, not people,” Allan said.
“Except in the rarest of cases,” the professor countered.
“The odds against such a thing would be trillions to one,” Edgar observed.
The professor nodded. “And that’s why you two boys are so valuable. That’s why you
must
be put to scientific use. That’s why I must have you.”
Allan and Edgar couldn’t help but be impressed by the boldness of the professor’s theory—of course, his character and motives were an entirely different matter.
“If we’re so valuable, why would you want to shoot us?”
“Oh, I plan on shooting only one of you.” The professor’s chair wheeled closer. “Imagine one of you dead, relocated to the ‘next world.’ Now imagine the other my lifelong prisoner, still receiving and transmitting communications to and from his deceased brother, to and from the ‘great beyond,’ the ‘hereafter,’ ‘Heaven,’ ‘the underworld,’ whatever you want to call it. Yes, a direct line to the land of the dead. Imagine what one could do with the knowledge. Rule the world! Rule
both
worlds!”
The boys’ hearts began to race.
Pushing a button on the arm of his chair, the professor activated the overhead lights. The fluorescence burned for a moment in the boys’ eyes. But now they could see the whole room. It was crowded with stage props, some of which seemed to have nothing to do with
The Wizard of Oz
. An old-fashioned, wind-up phonograph sat atop a pirate’s treasure chest beside a six-foot-tall hat rack and a scattering of tables, chairs, and accessories.They didn’t actually notice the boy-sized coffin standing upright against a far wall until the professor pointed it out to them.
“That coffin’s not a theatrical prop,” he said. “It’s real. It has fine brass hinges and a lovely satin lining. And it’s for one of you.”
The boys had to admit: it
was
a nice coffin.
Still, neither was ready to claim it for his own.
“You can’t shoot us,” Edgar said confidently. “The people outside will hear the shot and come running.”
The professor shook his head and smiled again. “This is a well-built theater. We’re soundproofed down here.”
Edgar looked at Allan. Allan looked at Edgar.
It didn’t look good.
The professor aimed his gun first at one boy, then the other. “Let’s see,” he mused. “Which will it be? I suppose in the end it doesn’t matter.”
Desperate, the boys glanced up to the ceiling, which was actually the underside of the stage. There hung the web of ropes, pulleys, heavy sandbags, and counterweights that operated the trapdoors in the stage and controlled the monkeys’ flying mechanisms high up in the theater’s invisible rafters. The twin minds worked at lightning speed: What if the
right
rope was to break, particularly now that the professor had wheeled himself directly beneath one of the heavy counterweights?
“Would one of you like to volunteer for the ‘next world’?” the professor taunted, turning his gun on Edgar, then Allan, and then back again. “Or shall
I
decide?”
The boys said nothing.
Instead, they began whistling “Ring Around the Rosy.”
Roderick poked his head out from behind the props, out of the professor’s line of vision. He had cleverly slipped his collar and leash.
The man smiled. “Ah, whistling in the face of death. I give you both points for style, boys.”
Being a well-trained cat, Roderick leaped to thetaut web of ropes beneath the
“Yeah, yeah, we know about it,” the boys interrupted in unison. “Einstein called it ‘spooky action at a distance.’”
“Very good,” the professor said, impressed. “But Einstein lacked the courage to go all the way. Only
I
have dared to imagine what might occur if the two joined objects were not just particles but human beings! Two bodies, two locations, but
one shared mind
…”
The twins didn’t like where this was going.
“Quantum entanglement applies only to subatomic particles, not people,” Allan said.
“Except in the rarest of cases,” the professor countered.
“The odds against such a thing would be trillions to one,” Edgar observed.
The professor nodded. “And that’s why you two boys are so valuable. That’s why you
must
be put to scientific use. That’s why I must have you.”
Allan and Edgar couldn’t help but be impressed by the boldness of the professor’s theory—of course, his character and motives were an entirely different matter.
“If we’re so valuable, why would you want to shoot us?”
“Oh, I plan on shooting only one of you.” The professor’s chair wheeled closer. “Imagine one of you dead, relocated to the ‘next world.’ Now imagine the other my lifelong prisoner, still receiving and transmitting communications to and from his deceased brother, to and from the ‘great beyond,’ the ‘hereafter,’ ‘Heaven,’ ‘the underworld,’ whatever you want to call it. Yes, a direct line to the land of the dead. Imagine what one could do with the knowledge. Rule the world! Rule
both
worlds!”
The boys’ hearts began to race.
Pushing a button on the arm of his chair, the professor activated the overhead lights. The fluorescence burned for a moment in the boys’ eyes. But now they could see the whole room. It was crowded with stage props, some of which seemed to have nothing to do with
The Wizard of Oz
. An old-fashioned, wind-up phonograph sat atop a pirate’s treasure chest beside a six-foot-tall hat rack and a scattering of tables, chairs, and accessories.They didn’t actually notice the boy-sized coffin standing upright against a far wall until the professor pointed it out to them.
“That coffin’s not a theatrical prop,” he said. “It’s real. It has fine brass hinges and a lovely satin lining. And it’s for one of you.”
The boys had to admit: it
was
a nice coffin.
Still, neither was ready to claim it for his own.
“You can’t shoot us,” Edgar said confidently. “The people outside will hear the shot and come running.”
The professor shook his head and smiled again. “This is a well-built theater. We’re soundproofed down here.”
Edgar looked at Allan. Allan looked at Edgar.
It didn’t look good.
The professor aimed his gun first at one boy, then the other. “Let’s see,” he mused. “Which will it be? I suppose in the end it doesn’t matter.”
Desperate, the boys glanced up to the ceiling, which was actually the underside of the stage. There hung the web of ropes, pulleys, heavy sandbags, and counterweights that operated the trapdoors in the stage and controlled the monkeys’ flying mechanisms high up in the theater’s invisible rafters. The twin minds worked at lightning speed: What if the
right
rope was to break, particularly now that the professor had wheeled himself directly beneath one of the heavy counterweights?
“Would one of you like to volunteer for the ‘next world’?” the professor taunted, turning his gun on Edgar, then Allan, and then back again. “Or shall
I
decide?”
The boys said nothing.
Instead, they began whistling “Ring Around the Rosy.”
Roderick poked his head out from behind the props, out of the professor’s line of vision. He had cleverly slipped his collar and leash.
The man smiled. “Ah, whistling in the face of death. I give you both points for style, boys.”
Being a well-trained cat, Roderick leaped to thetaut web of ropes beneath the
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