Part 10 (1/2)
”And that's the third thing,” said Danny. ”I have never, not for one second, been invisible.”
”I know what I saw.”
”You did not see an invisible kid,” said Danny.
Eric was about to say something scornful when Danny held up three fingers and began the count again.
”What were you if you weren't invisible?” demanded Eric.
”Not what, but where, where,” said Danny.
”Oh,” said Eric. ”You weren't there-but-invisible, you were visible-but-not-there.”
”And as for telling you,” said Danny, ”would you have believed me? And what if somebody overheard me as I told you? We were always around people.”
”So if you can just go away, why didn't you split when I surprised you here?”
”I thought about it,” said Danny. ”But I decided that even though you ditched me me just because I wanted to see all the tourist stuff on the Mall, I wasn't the kind of guy who ditches a friend.” just because I wanted to see all the tourist stuff on the Mall, I wasn't the kind of guy who ditches a friend.”
Eric rolled his eyes at first, then closed them, nodded, and stuck out his hand. ”Okay, man. Friends.”
”Well, I know I'm I'm a good friend. But you just got through threatening to turn me over to the cops or the government. How do I know I can count on a good friend. But you just got through threatening to turn me over to the cops or the government. How do I know I can count on you you?”
”I didn't have to bring you with me in the first place,” said Eric. ”And I also didn't have to follow you up and down the Mall, Lincoln to Was.h.i.+ngton to the Capitol.”
”Why didn't you just come walk with me instead of stalking me?” asked Danny.
”Can we just drop it?” said Eric. ”I was worried about you.”
”Yeah, that's what I thought.”
”What did you think?”
”That you care care about me.” about me.”
”Okay, now's when I puke,” said Eric.
”So you aren't going to try to boss me around?” asked Danny.
”Of course I am,” said Eric. ”It's just not going to work.”
”As long as you know that.”
”We decide stuff together,” said Eric.
”Works for me,” said Danny.
”But first you have to tell me how this thing works, this thing you do.”
”And there we are, back to 'have to.'”
”How can I figure out how to turn it to our advantage if I don't know how it works?”
”Our advantage?” asked Danny. advantage?” asked Danny.
”Friends and partners, aren't we?” said Eric. ”You didn't mind using the stuff I I knew how to do. Can you teach me to do that? Disappear and reappear somewhere else?” knew how to do. Can you teach me to do that? Disappear and reappear somewhere else?”
”In a word-no.”
”Can't or won't?” asked Eric.
”I'm still trying to figure it out myself,” said Danny.
”So when you disappeared from here, and then came back, where did you go?”
”Into the library,” said Danny.
”What, you were having a library emergency? Jonesing for a book?”
”Needed the restroom,” said Danny.
”So that's really where you went?” asked Eric.
”Really.”
Eric studied his face. Seemed satisfied. ”Well, there you are. You can go through walls.”
”Of course I can,” said Danny.
”Why 'of course'?” said Eric. ”Why would I know you could go through walls?”
”Okay, not not of course. But yes, I can go inside buildings and leave buildings the same way. Without doors.” of course. But yes, I can go inside buildings and leave buildings the same way. Without doors.”
”Do you make holes in the walls?”
”No,” said Danny. ”It's a gate. gate.”
”Please stop talking like you think this is stuff any idiot would know,” said Eric.
”Sorry,” said Danny.
”How far does it work? How far can you go?”
”I don't know,” said Danny. ”Most I've ever done is a couple of miles, maybe.”
”But you can go anywhere?”
”Anywhere I wanted to, so far,” said Danny.
”Can it be a place you've never been before?”