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He rolled his eyes, sighing. Don t you guys know anything? It s the energy that fills the world, the thing
that holds all the magic. He shook his head at Oscar in amazement. The Substance flows around the
Earth, through the Aitherplanes.
But we don t have Substance and Aither& things in Upper Earth, Erec said.
You have them, but you can t use them for magic.
Erec wondered how Jack knew about Upper Earth if he had never been there. So they don t do us any
good?
You need them to live.
But there isn t this awful feeling where I m from, like there is here.
The Substance is more messed up here. We know it s a problem, but nobody knows why, or how to fix
it.
So, Bethany said with a frown, when we get used to it, this will feel normal to us?
Usually. It still hits you every now and then. You feel that the Substance is wrong and trying to fix itself
but can t. We still know it s happening, but we try to forget about it.
A bright blue bus waited at the stop. Jack and Oscar s bags scooted into a trailer and the group
scrambled aboard. The bus driver s skin and clothing glowed hazy silver. The harder Erec looked, the
harder the guy was to see, as if he was only light, but when Erec turned away he snapped into focus. The
driver batted his eyes into the rearview mirror and played with his silver hair.
Bethany nudged Erec, putting two Bils in the slot for them. When she saw the driver she screeched and
leapt backward into Jack. The driver glared at her as she hurried by. The four plopped onto one of the
two roomy benches in front.
What is that guy? asked Bethany.
A silver ghost, said Jack, shrugging.
A real ghost?
Oscar frowned. You don t have ghosts in Upper Earth?
No. Are they safe?
Usually, said Jack. You can t trust em, though. They re pretty much out for themselves. Don t like
humans too much.
Silver ghosts? Are there other colors too? Erec asked.
Sure, Jack said. Golden ghosts are great if you can find one. But you don t want to run into a bronze
one. Then there are human ghosts, who stay on Upper Earth after they die. They look just like regular
people.
Two identical boys about Erec s age with black, windswept hair, pale skin, and steely blue eyes were
complaining to the bus driver. They wore long blue cloaks, and one sported a droopy gray hat.
I don t care. The boy had a petulant voice. Maybe this will help. He handed the ghost something that
glittered through his silver hand.
The driver stood, pointing at Erec, his friends, and the people on the bench across from them. Get in the
back. Now.
They froze at the order.
Now! The ghost roared so loud Erec s ears rang. Oscar stood, followed by Jack and the kids on the
other bench. Obviously the spoiled boys had paid off the driver so they could sit on the long benches in
the front. It rubbed Erec the wrong way.
Jack raised his eyebrows. C mon, Erec. You gotta get up.
The ghost growled, Last chance.
Bethany stepped away. The identical boys laughed.
Erec crossed his arms. He knew he should get up. This ghost thing could be dangerous. But these
laughing rich kids sending everyone else to the back of the bus lit a fire in him. You can t order us
around.
Oh, yes I can. The ghost s arm turned into a giant silver scoop. He swung it fast at Erec.
Erec winced, waiting to be flung at the door. Nothing happened. The ghost looked shocked. He swung
again, his arm stopping inches away from Erec s body.
It was as if a shell was protecting him. The ghost tried prodding Erec, but it could not touch him.
The passengers stared. Erec looked down at himself, not sure what had happened.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Seeing Eyeglasses
HE GHOST SNEERED. Something is shielding him. Maybe it s those glasses. He marched back
T
to the driver s seat. The identical boys sat on each side of Erec, staring hungrily at the glasses as the bus
pulled out.
I m Balor Stain, said one of the boys, and this is Damon. You can tell us apart because I have
this Balor pointed to a bronze whistle around his neck and Damon always wears that goofy hat.
How much you want for those? He touched the glasses.
Hands off. I m calling my friends back up here.
No, you re not, said Damon. He spoke much slower than Balor and poked Erec hard on the shoulder.
You can t. Balor smiled. They aren t allowed up when the bus is moving. Anyway, we re sorry, right,
Damon? That was obnoxious of us to want a whole bench each to stretch out on. Really, we re just tired.
Up late last night packing, then traveling all day. We thought it would be fun to come by lift and bus like
everyone else.
Erec glared, arms crossed.
You re still mad. We ll make it up, I promise. Big pizza party at the castle, on us.
Damon s face twisted into a crooked smile. Pizzaaa. He sang, Damon had a little pizza, little pizza,
little pizza& to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb.
You re twins?
Triplets. Our brother Dollick doesn t get out much.
The bus slowed. A huge wall of clouds blocked the street, shooting up fifty feet. The swirling vapors
reached far in both directions like a fortress. A bus ahead of them disappeared through an opening.
Balor grinned. Aah, the Citadel of Clouds surrounding Alypium.
Weren t we in Alypium?
Nah. That was the Outskirts.
Bright green light flashed under a rim of cloud and a small gap appeared. The bus drove through a long,
dark tunnel and then burst into a sunset streaked with yellow and rose hues. Twisty streets wound around
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