The others kids shared cautious looks around the table. Will had struck a chord in everyone but Brooke, who sat upright and rigid, alarmed.
“You mean we have to break the rules,” said Brooke.
OceanofPDF.com
#55: IF YOU FAIL TO PREPARE, YOU PREPARE TO FAIL.
“Whatever it takes,” said Will. “Unless you want to let Lyle and his jackals keep using you as a chew toy. But I’m not lying down for that and neither should you.”
“Old saying in my neighborhood,” said Nick. “Don’t show up for a knife fight with a Hostess Twinkie in your hand.”
“Professor Sangren said the same thing today,” said Will to Brooke. “The hell with morals and ethics that are supposed to be the basis of civilization. Life is just an iron cage death match and only the strong survive.”
“He’s right, and I’ll tell you why,” said Elise emphatically. “Do you know about the Dunning-Kruger effect?”
“Never heard of it,” said Will.
“Scientific fact,” said Elise. “Part one: Idiots and incompetents grossly overestimate their intelligence and abilities. In fact, they’re so stupid they’re unable to see what complete morons they really are. So they end up with a false sense of superiority, which in turn creates a false sense of confidence, which perpetuates the cycle that constantly reinforces their fake superiority. Part two: Genuinely smart and skillful people chronically underestimate their own abilities and end up suffering from equally false feelings of self-doubt and inferiority.”
No one responded for a moment.
“I think I can speak on behalf of everyone,” said Nick, “by saying … huh?”
“She’s saying ignorance encourages confidence,” said Ajay. “Intelligence creates insecurity. Therefore, the stupid act with blind assurance, while the smart are crippled by self-doubt.”
“And that’s how the lizard brains end up in charge,” said Elise. “How messed up is that?”
“Totally,” said Nick. “You can’t teach ‘stupid.’ ”
“No, it’s a gift,” said Elise, staring at Nick. “You’re just born with it.”
“It does help explain what we’re up against,” said Ajay thoughtfully.
“And we’re putting a stop to it,” said Will, banging a fist on the table. “Starting right now. Tonight.”
Brooke’s face flushed. “I’m sorry, this is too much for me to process.” She stood abruptly and headed to her room. “I just have to think about it.” She quietly closed her door.
“Damn,” said Will, kicking himself. “Should I say something?”
“Don’t you dare,” said Elise.
“That’s how she deals,” said Nick. “Coloring outside the lines makes her crazy.”
“She’ll come around,” said Ajay.
“Dream on,” said Elise. “We’re talking about insurrection? Ten bucks says she’s never even jaywalked.”
“Well, if she ever does,” said Nick, “look out, ’cause traffic’s coming to a screeching halt—”
Elise kicked him, hard, under the table.
“What?” protested Nick.
Will held out his fist, inviting the others to put their hands on top. “Let’s do this. Right here, right now.”
Nick and Ajay put their hands on top of Will’s. Elise raised an eyebrow.
“Really?” asked Elise.
“Come on, chick-a-boom,” said Nick. “Get with the program.”
“I’m not a big joiner,” she said, wincing.
“Oh, for God’s sake, get over yourself,” said Ajay. “Do you think you can break the vicious cycle of the Dunning-Kruger effect by sitting on your hands?”
“At last,” she said dryly, putting her hand on theirs, “a way to channel my inner fifteen-year-old.”
“You are fifteen,” said Nick.
Elise looked at Will and shook her head: You see what I have to put up with?
“Let’s open up a nine-pound can of extra-crazy,” said Nick.
“Nick, Ajay, get your coats,” said Will, getting up. “Ajay, we need flashlights and a map of the campus.”
“What are we looking for?” asked Ajay.
“Evidence that connects Lyle to the men who came after me,” said Will. Then to Nick he said, “We’ll start in that room you wanted to see.”
“Awesome,” said Nick.
Nick and Ajay scattered to their rooms. Will lowered his voice and turned to Elise: “How’m I doing? Like me better without my ‘game face’?”
Elise assessed him coolly. “I’ve seen worse.”
Will hurried to his room. Dave was sitting on the bed, poking at the mattress. At this point, Will would have been more surprised not to see him.
“You’re not planning on spending the night, are you?” asked Will.
“I’ve just been authorized to give you a bit more information,” said Dave.
“One second.” Will slid the desk to the side, removed the floorboard, pulled out his phone, and checked for messages. A text had just come in from Nando: Call me. Will speed-dialed him. Nando picked up immediately.
“Yo, Will,” he whispered. “That place you asked about, the National Scholastic Evaluation Agency? It’s in the Federal Building.”
Will stopped cold. “Really? You’re sure?”
“I’m looking at it, bro. Seventeenth floor, name on the door. I’m going in—”
“Wait a second—”
“An unemployed Latino walks into the wrong office in the Federal Building. What could go wrong?”
Will heard a door open. Will felt like hiding, as if people there could see him by looking at Nando’s phone.
“Can I help you?” he heard a woman say.
“My brother Frankie says I’m s’posed to meet him here?” Nando replied, thickening his accent, dumbing down. “This is the passport office, right? Oh, he musta got it wrong.” Nando spoke into the phone again. “Wrong floor, bro. Passport’s on seven.” Then, to the lady, “So what’s this place? The what?”
The woman answered, losing patience.
“National Scholastic Evaluation Agency,” Nando repeated. “Is that a federal program? ’Cause my niece, my sister’s kid Claudia, who’s like super, super smart, goes to one of those, wha’chu call ’em, magnetic schools?” Then, in the phone again, “Hey, Frankie, she says it’s a private company, but they get federal funding, and all they do is testing.”
“Ask if they have brochures,” said Will.
“He says to ask if you got any brochures,” said Nando to the woman. “Okay, thanks for your help, lady. Sorry to bother you.” Will heard Nando open the door and walk back into the hall. He used his normal voice again. “No brochures. Normal office, front counter, civil service types. And two Black Caps—”
Will gripped the phone. “Where?”
“In a back room … Whoa, they just came out in the hall. Gotta bounce.”
The call ended. Will slapped the phone shut and turned to Dave. “That’s it,” said Will, excited. “That’s how they knew to come looking for me. The Black Caps are hooked in with the agency that gave me the test!”
“Sounds reasonable,” said Dave, still testing the mattress.
“Now if I can tie Lyle and Todd to that hole in the basement, maybe we’ll figure out how this all fits together,” said Will as he plugged the phone into the charger and slid it under the mattress. When he turned around, Dave was by the door.
“You were spot on about ANZAC, by the by,” said Dave.
“Another time, okay?” said Will, grabbing his coat, scarf, and hat.
“Thought you wanted to know who I am,” said Dave.
“No, I’ve figured that out, too. You’re my ‘imaginary friend.’ A phantom or hallucination—a really convincing one, I’ll give you that—that my brain cooked up after it was shattered by a nervous collapse.”
“So you’re as mad as a meat ax and I’m just a bit of random gristle stuck to the blade,” said Dave.