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Anyone watching you would think you were talking to yourself. Are you home?
No. I went looking for you this morning. I had a cloudy thought. Now I m in a place called Alypium. I
got here from under Grand Central Station. Mom, people were flying. I thought I d never find you.
June seemed stunned. You re in Alypium, she murmured. I can t believe it.
Erec looked around the small, comfortable room. Where are you?
June turned toward where he should be. Erec, I don t want you to get upset, but you have to know.
I ve been& caught. Captured by people I ve avoided for a long time. I am fine. They can t hurt me. But
they can trap me here, I m afraid. I m in a dungeon Pluto s dungeons.
She swept her arm across the tidy room. I hoped if I kept moving we would stay hidden, but when they
got our money it was so hard. The funny thing, now that they have me, it seems they don t even know
who I am. They just know I lived in Alypium ten years ago and I have twins. Don t worry, she added,
I ll figure a way out of here.
Erec was shocked. What? You lived in Alypium?
June sighed. Yes. I lived there, and you were born there. Now the fates have brought you back. Thank
goodness you re okay.
Erec s head was spinning. Maybe this was a dream. You re telling me I m from this place? Why did we
leave?
It got dangerous. She leaned forward eagerly. Are the twins with you?
No.
Oh? June looked disappointed. They re not at home. My friend here has been checking. She found
Trevor, Nell, and Zoey a babysitter since I m stuck here. They re fine.
Mrs. Smith? She s terrible.
Who s Mrs. Smith? The sitter is Lynette Wool.
Mrs. Smith was the woman in the house when I woke up. She wouldn t let me go. I had to sneak out.
I don t know who that was, June said, worried. Lynette s there now. She s the one that my friend
here got in touch with. I m lucky there s someone here I can trust. She sighed. If only I knew where the
twins are. Maybe they went looking for us.
Maybe they re home now. Erec looked around. This doesn t look like a dungeon.
It is. June looked sad. I can make it look how I want.
That s pretty nice of whoever captured you.
Not really. June examined her fingernails. They just can t stop me.
I don t understand.
June hesitated. I know magic, Erec. That s why I can t be harmed, and I can make my cell look like
this. She tapped her finger on the table, muttering under her breath. A box of milk chocolates appeared,
and June popped one into her mouth.
Erec gasped. This could not be real. Do that again.
June shrugged and another box of chocolates sprang into the room. Erec was struck dumb. Nothing was
right. He was in Alypium; he was seeing his mother in a dungeon through magic glasses. This had to be a
dream.
Erec? Are you okay? June asked. I thought that with your magic alarm clock and toothbrush, this
wouldn t surprise you this much.
Yeah, right. I grew up with those things. I m used to them. But you& Why didn t you tell me? And
where did you get these glasses?
June smiled. An old friend had them made for me. They let you see the one you miss most. Don t tell
anybody about their power, Erec. Keep them safe, and don t let anyone see you using them. I m sorry I
didn t tell you all this sooner. The time just wasn t right.
Erec heard muffled footsteps and a key scrape into the lock. Someone is coming. He didn t want to
take the glasses off.
Erec, if you re okay, maybe you should stay in Alypium for now. Maybe you could help me get out of
here. But don t tell anyone who you are. Now take the glasses off before anyone sees you, but keep the
chain around your neck. Only put them on when you re alone. And if you see a guard in here questioning
me, don t say a word.
Can t I stay with you?
You re not really here. Go before someone there sees you.
Erec took the Seeing Eyeglasses off. Oscar stood before him, gawping with an open mouth. Are you
okay?
Uh, yeah. Thoughts were racing through Erec s muddled brain. His mother knew magic? She was a
hostage? He was born in Alypium?
Oscar stood before him, eyes narrowed. Who were you talking to?
I was just& daydreaming.
Oscar stabbed his finger at the glasses. Those are magic. Like the bus driver said. I could tell they were
important. Can I see them? Oscar tried to lift the glasses over Erec s head, but they stuck at the level of
his chin. No matter how hard he pulled, they would not budge.
They re nothing special. Really, Erec said.
Oscar scowled. Whatever. He grabbed a jacket and left the room.
Erec found Bethany, Jack, and Oscar in the cafeteria. I might stay in Alypium a while longer, Erec said.
Bethany grinned.
Great, Jack said. You can enter the contests.
Oscar narrowed his eyes. Aren t you looking for your mom?
Erec shrugged. She s probably fine. I ll call her tomorrow.
A huge salad bar was piled high with fruits and grains Erec had never heard of. Cold pureed red pepper
and carrot soups colored the ends. Multicolored bowls of some pasty fluff covered a table. What s
that? he asked a boy who scooped some onto his plate.
Cloud loaf. There s spinach, corn, strawberry, pumpkin, and plain. The boy wrinkled his nose.
Where s the beef? Erec felt sick to his stomach staring at the colored goo. For a moment he worried
he was getting another cloudy thought.
Bethany called from across the cafeteria. Hey, Erec. Real food s in the corner. She pointed to a table
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