"I'd like to welcome everyone to the first-ever meeting of the Butt-kickers," U.S. Amy said a week later in the Holiday Inn conference room outside of Boston.
"We are not calling ourselves that," said the frightening man called Proscenium.
Sam sat there throughout the short meeting, trying to offer help where he could. It was no use, as Proscenium refused to offer any personal information, eventually disappearing in a cloud of smoke rather than trust any of them. Future Girl was next to leave. She acted supportive, but clearly had given up on the endeavor in favor of whatever was waiting for her at her school.
Sam stayed, hoping to show one last sign of support for Amy, but she too flew off, looking like she might be fighting back tears.
Alone, Sam left the conference room, not touching the table of complimentary coffee and tiny sandwiches. Walking through the hotel lobby made him aware of how much he stood out in his full Dreamsmith outfit. The top hat, black cloak, and white scarf made him a novelty in London, but in America he got too many uncomfortable stares.
He hurried outside and around to the building's side parking lot. The Ergosphere stood there, hands in his pockets.
"That was quick."
"Didn't go well," Sam said. "This Proscenium guy isn't a team player. Then the high school girl flew off, and then Amy right after. She seemed so disappointed."
"I'm not surprised."
"You could still help."
"Or I could do my own thing."
"Yeah, yeah. What happens next? Go back to London and pretend this never happened? What is the Temple? Is it related to the man who killed Friday, he kept going on about sin. What if that's not a coincidence?"
"This crisis you're facing is one out of countless billions of crises."
"But you keep popping up in London to check in on me."
"Friday was my friend, too. In all the universe, friendship matters."
"Then shouldn't your friend's world also matter?"
"Do you want a ride or don't you?"
"Yeah, yeah."
The Ergosphere turned his head upward again. On some unseen cue, green flame burst over their heads, and a flying craft appeared out of it, hovering several feet above ground. It was the size of a deluxe motorhome, but flat and circular, in sleek metallic black.
"I still can't believe you have your own flying saucer."
"Not a saucer, a disc," the Ergosphere said. "That's why I named it the Accretion. Like an accretion disc from..."
"From a black hole. I get it."
The craft lowered to the ground and a door opened on the middle section. Sam stepped inside into the same lounge-like area where the Ergosphere had him sit on the way to Boston. The Ergosphere told him there were other parts of the ship, such as a cockpit and engine room, only to insist that Sam not enter those areas.
Sam sat on one of the leather couches inside the windowless craft, taking off his top hat and setting it on his lap. The Ergosphere lounged on a similar couch across from him. The door to the outside was closed, and the interior was humming. Sam suspected the craft was already in flight, though he could not feel it.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Sam asked.
"These things happen," the Ergosphere said, keeping his sunglasses on, as always. "You'll be fine."
Sam imagined the Ergosphere's ship soaring through the air, taking him overthe ocean, all the way to London. He also imagined what it must be like for Amyto fly through the air with just a thought, not needing a machine of any kind.He wondered where she had flown off to, and if he should call her.
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END OF CHAPTER 10
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Next: A day in the life.