The Void of Mist and Thunder (The 13th Reality #4) by James Dashner Page B
Authors: James Dashner
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safe and whole and sound!”
George sucked in a gulp of air. “You’re certain? No doubt?”
“Really? You really have to ask that?” Rutger’s round face showed mock offense at first, but then he grinned.
“No, my good man, no, I don’t. So, where is he then? Why haven’t you winked him here straightaway? I want to see the boy!”
Rutger’s smile vanished. “I tried. Something’s blocking me. I think Jane must be keeping him in the Thirteenth Reality as a prisoner.”
Master George’s hands squeezed into fists at his sides. “Not this time. Jane is not going to interfere with us this time. Contact Sato. He and his army are already in that Reality.”
Rutger turned to move, but George stopped him with his hand. “And get the others, too. We need to be together. Master Atticus could provide us just the lift we need. Finally, things are looking up.”
Rutger smiled, then hurried off to follow his orders, his frantic waddle down the hall making Master George very proud indeed.
Tick, his mom, and Lisa had grown quiet, all talked out about the craziness of pulling Tick back from the Nonex. Now they sat with their backs against the black rock of the wall, the Great Hall empty and dark. A tray of dirty dishes and crumpled napkins sat on the floor next to the wall. Mordell had kept her promise to bring them something to eat. As well as her promise to keep them prisoner. Occasionally a fangen or another creature would pass by the opening to the chamber, just to make sure they knew leaving wasn’t an option unless they wanted to be ripped to shreds or eaten.
Tick had been feeling guiltier by the minute. What had he done? How could he have been so selfish? He knew he needed all the Chi’karda he could summon to break free from the Nonex, so he’d used Chu and Jane. But he hadn’t thought ahead to the fact that he’d be bringing the two worst enemies of the Realities back to their realms and giving them the opportunity to wreak havoc once again.
How could he be so stupid! He should have sacrificed himself and stayed in the Nonex, knowing those two monsters would be prisoners for the rest of their existence. He’d broken them free—or, at least helped it get started—just so he could come back, live his life, see his family again. The guilt ate away at his insides and made his stomach feel full of acid. And, of course, his mom could tell. She was a mom, after all.
“Atticus Higginbottom,” she said, breaking the silence that had grown like a living entity, filling the room with something even darker than the air. “I know what you’re thinking over there, and I want you to stop immediately. Do you understand me?”
Tick looked at her and tried to hide the despair that crawled inside of him. “What? I’m fine.”
“You’re fine, huh? And I’ve got bananas growing out of my ears. Nonsense, son. I know it’s hitting you that Jane and Chu are freed from the Nonex. But it’s not your fault. Who knows? Maybe they would’ve figured out a way to escape on their own eventually. It’s what they do, how they got to where they are. They are masterminds, deceivers, manipulators, schemers. And they would’ve left you behind. The choices they make in life are not yours to bear. You did the right thing saving them. Maybe . . . maybe they’ll change. Realize their mistakes and make them right.”
Tick laughed, shocking himself just as much as the others. “Mom, now I know you’re just trying to make me feel better. You heard for yourself what Chu said before they winked his power-hungry behind out of here. And Jane had her chance to become good. I ruined that when I melded her body to several pounds of metal. For somebody who was recruited to help the Realitants, I’ve sure done a great job of messing it all up.”
His mom’s eyes had welled up with tears, and she came over to sit next to him. She tried to pull him into her arms, and at first he resisted, but then he figured he could use some good
George sucked in a gulp of air. “You’re certain? No doubt?”
“Really? You really have to ask that?” Rutger’s round face showed mock offense at first, but then he grinned.
“No, my good man, no, I don’t. So, where is he then? Why haven’t you winked him here straightaway? I want to see the boy!”
Rutger’s smile vanished. “I tried. Something’s blocking me. I think Jane must be keeping him in the Thirteenth Reality as a prisoner.”
Master George’s hands squeezed into fists at his sides. “Not this time. Jane is not going to interfere with us this time. Contact Sato. He and his army are already in that Reality.”
Rutger turned to move, but George stopped him with his hand. “And get the others, too. We need to be together. Master Atticus could provide us just the lift we need. Finally, things are looking up.”
Rutger smiled, then hurried off to follow his orders, his frantic waddle down the hall making Master George very proud indeed.
Tick, his mom, and Lisa had grown quiet, all talked out about the craziness of pulling Tick back from the Nonex. Now they sat with their backs against the black rock of the wall, the Great Hall empty and dark. A tray of dirty dishes and crumpled napkins sat on the floor next to the wall. Mordell had kept her promise to bring them something to eat. As well as her promise to keep them prisoner. Occasionally a fangen or another creature would pass by the opening to the chamber, just to make sure they knew leaving wasn’t an option unless they wanted to be ripped to shreds or eaten.
Tick had been feeling guiltier by the minute. What had he done? How could he have been so selfish? He knew he needed all the Chi’karda he could summon to break free from the Nonex, so he’d used Chu and Jane. But he hadn’t thought ahead to the fact that he’d be bringing the two worst enemies of the Realities back to their realms and giving them the opportunity to wreak havoc once again.
How could he be so stupid! He should have sacrificed himself and stayed in the Nonex, knowing those two monsters would be prisoners for the rest of their existence. He’d broken them free—or, at least helped it get started—just so he could come back, live his life, see his family again. The guilt ate away at his insides and made his stomach feel full of acid. And, of course, his mom could tell. She was a mom, after all.
“Atticus Higginbottom,” she said, breaking the silence that had grown like a living entity, filling the room with something even darker than the air. “I know what you’re thinking over there, and I want you to stop immediately. Do you understand me?”
Tick looked at her and tried to hide the despair that crawled inside of him. “What? I’m fine.”
“You’re fine, huh? And I’ve got bananas growing out of my ears. Nonsense, son. I know it’s hitting you that Jane and Chu are freed from the Nonex. But it’s not your fault. Who knows? Maybe they would’ve figured out a way to escape on their own eventually. It’s what they do, how they got to where they are. They are masterminds, deceivers, manipulators, schemers. And they would’ve left you behind. The choices they make in life are not yours to bear. You did the right thing saving them. Maybe . . . maybe they’ll change. Realize their mistakes and make them right.”
Tick laughed, shocking himself just as much as the others. “Mom, now I know you’re just trying to make me feel better. You heard for yourself what Chu said before they winked his power-hungry behind out of here. And Jane had her chance to become good. I ruined that when I melded her body to several pounds of metal. For somebody who was recruited to help the Realitants, I’ve sure done a great job of messing it all up.”
His mom’s eyes had welled up with tears, and she came over to sit next to him. She tried to pull him into her arms, and at first he resisted, but then he figured he could use some good
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