That’s me. It’s growing my double.
After he’d showered and dressed, Will reached down to pick up the tablet and take it with him, but a harsh tone sounded and a warning appeared on-screen:
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THIS DEVICE UNTIL ACTIVATION IS COMPLETE.
“The ancestor of every action … is a thought.”
Will jolted awake, instantly guilty. Thirty minutes into his first class with Dan McBride, the one teacher whose opinion of him mattered more to Will than any other, and he was fighting to keep his eyes open. He glanced around at the twenty other students in the amphitheater. No one seemed to notice his struggles.
“This is Emerson’s central idea,” said McBride at his lectern. “That everything starts in the mind. Everything you perceive, everything you create, everything you experience or believe … begins here. Inside of you.”
Will squirmed in his seat. A swampy mass swirled in his head. Sinister masked faces swam toward him as he struggled to stay awake.
A group that calls itself the Knights of Charlemagne. Named after the original Paladins from the Middle Ages. Members of a secret society within the school. Connected to the Black Caps and the Never-Was.
What’s their purpose? How long have they been here? It can’t just be coincidence that the Center’s mascot is a paladin, but how does this all fit together?
“You have to trust yourself,” said McBride. “Learn to trust your instincts when the world is telling you not to. ‘Trust your self beyond the reach of reason, or the opinions of others.’ That’s how Emerson insisted we live. Because your lives must first and foremost make sense to you.”
McBride’s words sounded as if they were meant just for him. One of Dad’s primary rules: #11: TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS.
That snapped Will back awake. He gazed over at Brooke, seated in the corner and watching McBride, listening intently. Looking so effortlessly beautiful it made Will’s chest ache. Then he felt a pair of eyes drill into him from behind.
Stop gawking. Show some restraint, you nimrod.
He turned and saw Elise staring at him. Busted. God, are my feelings so ridiculously transparent now?
Elise used her fingers to prop her eyes open, mocking him in his efforts to stay awake. He also noticed something else in Elise’s eyes—some unresolved pain behind the attitude—that made him feel like he was seeing her for the first time.
“Here’s what I believe Emerson wants us to do,” said McBride, moving away from the lectern, as sincere as if he were saying this for the first time. “He wants us to think for ourselves, without fear of ridicule or judgment. He wants us to make up our minds and ignore what the rest of the world is saying. Pay no attention to fads or fashions, and listen, always, to the voice of your innermost self. Learning who you are is your primary task. There are no mistakes in life, as far as Emerson’s concerned, only lessons. Once you master one lesson, you move on to the next. And the only place you can learn is right now. In the everlasting present.”
All we have is right now. McBride was really channeling Dad today. Will felt his spirits lift. When the class ended, McBride waved Will over to the lectern.
“Will, great to have you in class. Hope you didn’t have too much trouble staying awake.” McBride winked as he packed up his briefcase.
“Sorry, sir,” said Will. “Still adjusting to the time zone. Couldn’t sleep.”
“No worries. That reminds me, Dr. Robbins asked if you’ve connected with your parents. About your medical records and those additional tests.”
“Yes,” said Will, scrambling internally. “We spoke last night. They’ll mail them out right away. And they’re fine with more tests.”
“Splendid,” said McBride.
As they walked out together, Will decided to trust McBride with this question: “Sir, do you know anything about the … possible existence of any secret clubs or societies here at the school?”
McBride stopped in the hall, curious. “What prompted your asking, Will?”
“I heard a rumor. About some group called the Knights of Charlemagne.”
McBride nodded. “Well, I don’t recall one by that name specifically, but you could try the Archer Library. They keep an extensive archive on school history.”
“Thanks, that’s a good idea,” said Will.
“Check in over the weekend,” said McBride, putting a hand on his shoulder. “And try to catch up on your sleep.” McBride winked again. Will watched him hobble off, gamely battling his brittle knees.
Damn. Forgot all about the medical records. That was a problem. But there was one place he could look.
* * *
“Hey, Nando, Will. Is this a good time?”
“Hey, Wills, yeah, it’s good.”
Will was locked in his bathroom, whispering into his cell. “Got worried when I didn’t hear back from you yesterday. The Black Caps were headed your way.”
“I’m cool, my brotha. Me and Freddie gave ’em the slip. Made the run to Ojai last night. Back to the grind, doing my cab thang. Whassup?”
“They need some medical records for my dad and we think they’re at our house. Any chance you could swing by and pick ’em up if the coast is clear?”
“Happy to.”
“We’ve got a key stashed by the back door. Let’s get on the phone when you go in and I’ll tell you where to look.”
Will pictured their house in Ojai. It had been only three days since he’d been there, but it seemed like months ago already. That version of him—Will West 1.0—felt shockingly out of date.
“If you can receive it, I’ll figure a way to stream you some video,” said Nando.
“Great idea,” said Will. “I’ll work on that from my end, too.”
Will ended the call and went back to his bedroom to prepare for his last class of the day. The figure on his tablet had continued to grow, like a sculpture emerging from rock. Hair had appeared—the right color and length—and muscles gained definition with every passing second.
Another few hours and this little homunculus will be me.
Will moved the desk and opened the hiding place. As he set the phone inside, he noticed that the hole extended a few inches under the floor toward the wall. Will stuck his hand inside and probed around. He felt nothing until he turned his wrist to check under the floorboards and found an angular lump under a strip of duct tape. He eased the tape away and brought the object up into the light.
It was a small strip of silver metal, the length and about half the width of a domino. He replaced the floorboard and slid the desk into place. At that moment the black phone rang, startling him. He answered on the second ring.
“Will, it’s Dr. Robbins,” she said, crisp and efficient. “Mr. McBride tells me you got permission from your parents for the tests.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Excellent. Dr. Kujawa’s scheduled you for tomorrow morning. It’s Saturday, so you won’t miss any classes. Meet us at the medical center at eight o’clock?”
“I guess so, sure.”
“Good. We’ll see you then,” she said, and hung up.
Will didn’t know how he felt about that. He’d learned a lot from their first tests, but what would they reveal this time?
Heading out for his next class, Will stopped to knock on Ajay’s door. “Ajay, it’s Will.”
He heard locks thrown, the door opened a crack, and Ajay stuck his head out. “Yes, Will?”
Will held up the strip of metal. “Can you tell me what this is?” Ajay eyed it suspiciously. “Where did it come from?”
“I’ll tell you later. Just take a look and tell me what you find?”
“All right.” Ajay took the metal object. “Anything else?”