“Oh, his name is Herbie. When he gets up here, he’ll tell you all about himself.”
“Pass.” Nico descended in the other direction, avoiding the prancing North Pole spy, who spun to face them as they climbed down. “I don’t like how they watch us now.”
Tyler snorted at his side. “That dead-eyed creep factoryisn’t the worst. There was a giant chicken nugget earlier that just rolled around in circles, and a dozen ballerina pixies flying in attack formation. It’s been quite an afternoon.”
They reached the grassy field. Nico dodged a troop of Minions carrying saxophones but reared back as the pond’s surface spluttered beside him. Out came a frogman in a tuxedo.
“You’re my bud! I’m your pal! We’re a team and play we shall!” The figment kicked up its feet and began to dance as Nico retreated, shaking his head and mumbling, “Nope nope nope.” The frogman closed the distance, shouting, “Friends are for caring and sharing!”
Nico whispered harshly to Tyler. “Let’s get out of here!”
“No argument here.” They broke into a sprint for the stepping-stones.
“Friends are fun, and you’re a fun friend!” the frogman shouted, swinging its arms as if marching in a parade.
Seconds later Emma emerged from the water in her bathing suit, lips blue, her body shaking from cold. “Nico! Did you see? The figments talk now! They last longer, too!”
“Inside the houseboat,” Nico demanded. “We havegotto talk, Emma.”
Emma made a disappointed face but nodded. “Just keep an eye out for a centaur. I always wanted to ride one, but I hear they can be prickly.”
“You’ve got toslooooowdown.” Tyler paced up and down the showroom aisle, waving his hands as he spoke. “It’s like a riot out there, and some of these figments are getting weird around people.”
“They’re harmless.” Emma sat on a full-size wooden carousel horse she’d found under a tarp. She seemed unconcerned by Tyler’s histrionics. “We agreed to test the Darkdeep, right? Well, how else are we supposed to do it? I’m happy taking turns, but you go in once and then quit.”
“A pair of Minecraft skeletons tied my shoelaces together,” Tyler shot back. “I’m not leaving this room again until every last one of those things is gone.”
“They’re so much stronger now.” Nico leaned against a bulky cabinet. Beside him, the green thing was slowly rotating in its jar. Nico wasn’t sure, but it seemed even more solid. The center mass now had lumpy appendages. And was it shinier than before?
Emma’s voice pulled him back. “The figments get stronger every dive we make. That’s why we should keep going. Who knows what they’ll be able to do soon?”
Tyler stared at her. “That’s exactly why we shouldstop.”
Nico found himself nodding. Something about what Emma had said made his skin crawl. But before he could explore that feeling, the curtain parted and Opal walked in.
Tyler stopped dead. “Okay, how’d you get here? Do you have another boat?”
“I told you, I have my ways.” Opal winked, then crossedthe room to give Emma’s fake horse a pat on the nose, but her smirk only lasted a moment. “Have you seen the centaur outside? It bowed to me and declared me its champion.” Her voice dropped. “I touched its head, you guys. It felt … soft. So real.”
“Ah, dangit.That was supposed to bemychampion.” Emma dropped to the floor. “Let’s go say hi.”
“Wait!” Nico pushed off the cabinet. “We need to decide how to manage these figments. They last longer, which means there could be dozens out there at a time if we’re not careful.”
“Making this island a magical paradise,” Emma supplied, her blue eyes glowing with excitement. “I’m still waiting to hear the problem.”
“You’rebeingthe problem!” Nico exploded. “You’re seriously overdoing it, Emma.”
Emma’s face reddened. She crossed her arms but didn’t respond.
“I have other news, too,” Opal said quietly. Her gaze flicked to Nico. “It’s not good.”
Nico’s hands found his pockets. “Well?”
Opal cleared her throat. “Logan has started asking questions.”
Nico felt his blood pressure rise, but Opal continued before he could speak. “I ran into him at the radish pageant meeting, and he started badgering me about where I’ve been lately. That’s hard to play off, guys. Suddenly I’m gone every afternoon, and anyone paying attention can see me biking into the hills.”
“Logan’s entering the pageant?” Tyler asked in disbelief. “I’m hearing that right?”
