More Than Magic by Kathryn Lasky

Author:Kathryn Lasky
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2016-09-27T04:00:00+00:00

It’s midmorning the day after the party, and I’m at Starlight Studios with my owl drawings. I don’t want anyone in the studio to see them. I used to think the place where they “Make Magic Happen” was the coolest. Not anymore.

I like my sketches, but to make Constance into a fully animated character takes a lot of code, a lot of programming. Since the owl was on-screen only briefly in that one episode, not much code exists for her. Eli cannot get here soon enough.

“Ryder.” Cassie looks up at me from a layout for a new show about dinosaurs. “I have to go to a meeting, so I hope you don’t mind being here on your own. It should only be about a half hour. You can go back to the texture files I showed you earlier and fiddle around with the T. rex skin.”

You bet I’m going to fiddle around, I think. But not with any dinosaur skin. Feathers. My barn owl needs plumage. “Oh, cool!” I say. I’m becoming a terrific pretender, or maybe a liar. Strange, I pretend more in the real world than in the make-believe world.

Earlier, Cassie showed me how they made the textures for the dinosaurs’ skins. The digital programming has certainly advanced since I sat on Mom’s lap as a five-year-old. But Eli must know all about this.

“I can pick up some lunch for us,” Cassie says. “What would you like?”

“Pizza!” I say quickly. “And remember, Eli is coming.”

“I left a pass for him at the desk. You know, the commissary is pretty slow with the pizza.”

I almost blurt out, I know, that’s why I want it! Instead I say, “That’s fine, I’m not hungry yet.” I need to buy all the time I can. TD said time is slower in Ecalpon, but I’m nervous. What if our plan doesn’t work? And I keep wondering if I should’ve told Constance what I have planned for Constance the owl in Ecalpon. No—I need to get the barn owl fully rendered. Dad seemed pleased when he came into the kitchen this morning and found me and Constance talking. He invited her to stay for a few days until things “blow over.” So she’s going to be around.

Cassie stops at the door and composes her face into an imitation of jolliness. “Have a good time with that texturing program.”

“Oh, that’ll be fun.” Lies, lies, lies, I think. I’m doomed to die in a cesspool of lies. But Starlight Studios is murdering my virtual self and it feels as if the dagger is plunging directly into my very real heart. That heart is thudding away at the moment so loudly I’m afraid Cassie will hear it.

“I’ll set it up for you before I go.” She comes back to the computer. This could be a real break! I might not have to wait for Eli to come with the codes.

My eyes are glued to the keyboard as she types. Ryder, if you ever used your brain, use it now.

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