A Problematic Paradox by Eliot Sappingfield

Author:Eliot Sappingfield
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2018-01-23T00:00:00+00:00

Hypatia came just after the doctor left. “Hey there, hero,” she said.

“Hey,” I said. “You’re alive.”

“Me? Oh, I was barely scratched. I actually thought you were going to have some permanent damage. You should have seen what you looked like earlier. You were all filthy and bloody. It was really gross.”

“No need to worry. I’m very difficult to kill. They’re going to have to try a lot harder next time.”

“They?” she asked, looking genuinely confused.

“I think it was the Old Ones,” I said. “That’s twice they’ve tried to get me.”

Hypatia’s eyes went a light golden color I hadn’t seen before. “If someone wanted to get you, they would have pointed the cannon at you right away when we weren’t expecting it.” She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “That isn’t what the doctor said, was it?”

“No, Dr. Foster and Dr. Plaskington both said it was an accident—or maybe a prank gone wrong.”

Hypatia nodded succinctly, as if this settled the matter. “See, there you go.”

“Maybe it was a distraction,” I wondered, unconvinced.

“From what?” she asked.

“I don’t know. We were distracted.” This made sense to me, but it was clear nothing but actual evidence would work on Hypatia. Some people can be so irrational.

The good news was that once I got Hypatia talking, she was happy to trade conspiracy theories with me. I needed answers. If I was right and the Old Ones were involved, it could be related to my father’s abduction. Maybe I could learn something about where he was taken or at least learn a little more about how the Old Ones operated.

We talked about the buildings that had been hit most, in case that revealed some clue. Most of the damage had been to City Hall, but this didn’t help us, unless the saboteur wanted to destroy last semester’s grade records or a decade’s worth of teacher pay stubs.

After I basically ordered her to pretend to believe something foul was afoot, Hypatia’s theory was that the saboteur was Ultraviolet VanHorne. “It’s just a feeling I get. A premonition. Something isn’t right about that girl.”

I asked her if Ultraviolet would be as suspicious if she was dating someone other than Tom.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she wanted to know.

“Nothing,” I said.

But Hypatia was outraged. “I know you’re new here, but the implication is a little insensitive. I DO NOT have a thing for him. If I did, I would be trying to get rid of the thing I had for him as fast as possible.”

“Okay, okay, sorry,” I said. “But let me ask you one question, and you have to answer honestly. Just yes or no, okay?”

“Whatever, okay,” she said airily.

“Have you ever, at any point in your entire life, written down the name ‘Hypatia Gillman’?”

There was a long pause.

“Does typing count?”

This girl was hopeless. “No. Typing does not count.”

“Then no! Ha!” she crowed. “Shows what you know! Besides, I told you, he’s a human.”

“Yeah, I know, but the heart wants what it wants.”

She sighed a little wistfully.

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