The Beast by Ally Condie

Author:Ally Condie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

PART THREE

THING

17

NICO

Nico tiptoed into the houseboat’s showroom.

Opal and Emma were a few steps behind him, with Logan standing near the tattered velvet curtain. Tyler refused to come even that close—he was pacing the foyer, unable to face the floating creature in its glass jar.

The one that spoke inside my head.

Nico shivered.

He approached the pedestal as quietly as possible. It was early, no more than an hour after dawn. Halloween morning. How’s that for creepy? Nico had spent the night at Tyler’s house—his dad had agreed to a sleepover without much fuss, despite Nico texting to ask permission much later than usual. Logan had crashed there as well. They’d spent the whole time locked in Tyler’s room, endlessly debating what had gone wrong at the Rift. Emma had stayed over at Opal’s so they could all meet up at first light and pedal out to Still Cove.

They needed to see. To know.

And here they were. Nico had no idea why he was sneaking across the room like a cat burglar—no idea what he was doing, honestly—but he was a ball of frazzled nerves, and extreme caution seemed appropriate. Drawing level with the jar, he swallowed and peered inside.

Thing drooped in the viscous liquid, its body as placid as ever.

No movement. No sign of life.

Nico straightened. Frowned. He began to feel very, very stupid.

Logan, Opal, and Emma piled up behind him and peered over his shoulder. “Nothing,” Nico huffed, unsure whether he was relieved or disappointed. “Same as always in Jar Town.”

Thing opened its eyes.

Hello.

“Whaaaa!” Nico slammed back into Logan and Opal, knocking all three of them to the ground.

Only Emma was left standing. She gaped at Thing, who watched her calmly, wearing a small smile. Then it waved a skinny arm.

“Cool,” Emma whispered. She inched closer.

“Emma, get away from there!” Tyler called out, his head barely poking through the curtain.

“Why?” Emma’s gaze never left the pedestal. “Thing lives in a jar, Ty. What’s it going to do?”

“Don’t ask questions like that!” Tyler hissed. “That’s when the alien shows you what it can do. Like melt your face off!”

“It spoke in my mind,” Nico whispered, scrambling to his feet. “That’s by far the scariest thing a figment’s ever done.” Opal and Logan rose too, though Logan remained in a crouch, ready for fight or flight.

“Figment?” Opal tore her eyes from the pedestal to regard Nico curiously. “Why do you say that?”

Nico shrugged. “What else could it be?”

I’m not a figment, a voice echoed inside Nico’s skull.

He froze. “Anyone else hear that?”

“Yes,” Logan rasped, tugging at his shirt collar.

“I heard,” Opal said, a note of exhilaration in her voice.

The little green creature dipped its head. Yes, I expect you all did. I will speak to everyone at once, to make things easier. And please excuse me if I sound tired. I haven’t done this in years, and I’ve expended a tremendous amount of energy this week already.

Nico stared. Thing was hovering in the center of the jar, black eyes shining. The blob was

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