The Broken

stuck inside that picture, Panch's spirit will remain there as well. Release the Skia, and you will release your friend."

  "Why didn't you just tell me that from the start?"

  "Would you have listened to me if I had? The question is not whether you can release him, but whether you should."

  "Come off it. How can you even ask that? He's my friend. Even if he wasn't, I wouldn't leave him floating around in some Neverworld forever."

  "Think about what you're saying, Lincoln. Do you honestly believe it is a good idea to let a Skia, such as the one in that picture, loose upon the world just so that you can free your friend?"

  "The Skia would only be free for a second or two. I'd release it just long enough to free Panch. Then I'd take another picture and trap it inside again. What's so hard about that?"

  "Millions of lives could be ruined if you're wrong. Millions. Are you willing to shoulder the burden should you fail?"

  "Well, I may not be the best choice, but certainly someone should do it. What about you? You seem to know an awful lot about this stuff. Why can't you do it?"

  "Lincoln, you are one of the Chosen, not me."

  "Just because I found some stupid camera? I don't think so."

  "No. You are not a Chosen because you found the camera. The camera found you because you are one of the Chosen." Mrs. Kidacki shook her head. "Believe what you like. Belief is irrelevant when it comes to the truth. If something is true, it remains true whether you believe it or not."

  36

  Reality Check

  Celia entered the living room with a look of exhaustion, but Ayden's mood seemed to have improved considerably. "Does this kid ever lose a board game?" To Mrs. Kidacki she said, "So, is he up to speed?"

  Mrs. Kidacki only smiled. "Each of us only listens to what we are ready to hear, Celia. Be patient. He'll understand when the time comes." Her face tightened. "At least, we'd better hope he does. All of our lives depend on it."

  "So then what are we waiting for?" Link said.

  The doorbell chimed. He glanced around at the others and said, "Don't suppose someone ordered pizza when I was out?"

  "I called Tom and told him to come over," Mrs. Kidacki said. "I hope that's okay. I think we may need his help."

  "Who?" Celia asked, just as Watcher walked through the front door.

  "Are you kidding me?" Link exclaimed, "All this time, and none of you ever thought to lock the front door! Seriously?"

  Celia ignored Link's outburst and greeted Tom warmly. "Watcher, thanks for coming."

  "No problem, Celia. Please, call me Tom."

  "Huh?"

  Tom examined the shattered back door then turned to the group of grim faces. Addressing Mrs. Kidacki, he said, "So they've already been here? How many? Were they Rogues, or were they sent?"

  "I believe they were sent," Mrs. Kidacki said. "I didn't know they were on to him yet, but I guess it was only a matter of time. Fortunately there was only one, but you know what that means."

  "Who was here already?" Celia asked.

  "What do you mean by 'you know what that means'? What does that mean?" Link asked.

  "The Broken," responded Tom. "The Skias could never manage this sort of mess." He walked through the room, marveling at the destruction. "Man," he said as he shook his head, "good thing no one was standing by that door." He knelt down and picked up a particularly large shard of glass. A clot of grey fur clung to the tip, and tiny rivulets of blood had congealed near the base.

  "You know about the Broken?" Link asked, astonished. Until recently, Link had always considered himself to be rather intellectual. He was beginning to question that assertion now. How could he have failed to spot a bunch of evil shadows and spirits that stole the bodies of dead people? Especially when all these other people seemed to know about them.

  Link detested feeling stupid and avoided situations that produced this feeling whenever possible. Today, however, he had a sneaking suspicion that his latest display of ignorance was only the beginning.

  "Mrs. Kidacki has been teaching me for years." Tom smiled affectionately at Mrs. Kidacki and gave her a wink.

  "You two know each other?" Celia asked.

  "Sure do. I wouldn't be a very good grandmother if I didn't know my own grandson."

  "You're her grandson?" Link asked Tom in bewilderment. He replayed the words in his head and cringed. Maybe stating the obvious was also one of his not-so-superpowers.

  Tom dropped the shard of glass on a pile of rubble off to the side and rose to his full height. Link had never before realized how big he was. This was probably because Watcher always seemed to be hunched over, scribbling away in a notebook.

  Tom turned to Celia and said, "Nana told me that something attacked you. Any idea what it was?"

  Celia shrugged. "Not really. We didn't get a good look at it. The lights were out, so it was hard to tell. But it sounded like some sort of giant monster. And then, when Link started taking pictures, I caught glimpses of something that resembled a dog."

  "Chomper," Tom muttered. He shook his head in disgust. "I was hunting people who might have been turned into vessels, not animals. Ironic. I sprung that dog to save Link, and one of them nearly wound up killing him." He hung his head in dejection. "Sorry I let you down, Nana."

  "Don't blame yourself, sweetie. You couldn't have known. We had no idea they would take the bodies of animals." Mrs. Kidacki's face was lined with worry.

  A loud clap of thunder overhead made Link jump. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed and saw Watcher smirk in his direction.

  "Are you telling me the monster in my room was nothing more than a mangy mutt? You've got to be joking. That thing was ten times the size of a dog and twice as pissed."

  "That's not at all what I'm saying. Chomper may have started out as a dog, but it was a Broken that tried to kill you. Didn't Nana already cover all this?"

  Mrs. Kidacki patted Link on the knee. "It's okay, Tom. Have patience. Link has a lot to think about. Give him a chance. I recall a time when you used to think I was crazy, too."

  Addressing nobody in particular, Link said, "So is there anything else in this horrible town that is trying to kill me?"

  "Lincoln, dear. Now that the Broken know where to find you and are aware of the power you possess, you'll face much nastier things than a lost puppy dog."

  "Wonderful." Link tried to force out a laugh, but it wound up sounding more like a strange coughing noise. "Let me see if I can sum up the situation. Something 'much nastier' than an angry demon-dog is hunting me down so that it can reclaim some stupid camera. Meanwhile, Panch, my friend, is suspended in Neverworld and will die if we don't find a way to pull him out without also releasing a very dangerous Skia. And for some completely unknown reason, I'm the unlucky idiot who is supposed to save the world solely because I was dumb enough to look inside an old hatch? Seriously?"

  "You got the idiot part right at least," Tom said.

  "Look at it this way. At least you're no longer the sidekick. You finally get to be the hero. Isn't that what you've always wanted?" Celia said. "You should be happy."

  Link mulled over the implications of her words before reaching a resolute conclusion. Never again would he complain about a boring life. "Remind me why we can't hand the camera over? There's got to be a way to make another, right? I mean what if the one I have breaks? What then?"

  Watcher's face revealed his disbelief. "Link, just how hard did you hit your head?"

  Taken aback by Watcher's blunt rebuke, Link grew defensive. "For your information, Watcher, or Tom, or whatever your name is these days, it's not like I'm qualified for this sort of thing. You keep acting as though my stupidity is surprising. Why? Does anyone here think I'm the best candidate for the job? Hmmm? Anyone?"

  Ayden's hand shot into the air as he gazed at his big brother with the sort of blind faith that only a younger sibling could have.

  Link's tone softened. "Thanks, Bug, but trust me. I'm not as great as you think I am."
r />   Celia spoke up. "You saved both Ayden and me."

  "Luck," Link admitted. "Besides, it was Ayden's idea, and I needed you to explain it to me. Plus, I didn't exactly help Panch. If I were smart enough to figure anything out myself, none of you would even be in this situation. I'm like the plague. All of you would do best to steer as clear of me as possible."

  Link held up his hand and began ticking away each new fun fact with another finger. "First my mother dies. Then I lose all my friends. My family moves. Fade and his friends want to use me as a pi?ata. A crazy demon-dog wants to eat me and winds up killing, but not actually killing, Panch. I still haven't come close to figuring that one out yet. Mystery e-mailers want me dead. The cabinets in my house enjoy assaulting me. Then, if everything else fails to put an end to my miserable existence, my clueless father is going to kill me when he sees the mess I've made of this living room."

  "The trees don't seem to like you much either," Celia said.

  "Oh, how could I forget? Thanks for reminding me." Link tried to storm off but found Mrs. Kidacki to be suddenly in his way. She reached a hand to his face and looked deep into his eyes. "Lincoln, it's okay. We all must face our own disbelief. But maybe I can help you on your way. Please keep one thing in mind: real heroes seldom ask to be heroes. Usually, the honor is more a curse than a blessing, which is why only a fool goes looking to be one. Being a hero is the result of a choice to continue on in the face of unavoidable danger. Nothing more."

  Link tried to squirm free from her grasp but found it impossible. She was remarkably