the towering trees. âI guess I just never noticed it before.â
âItâs hidden. Wait, how did you get in? Owen never notices it until I bring him in.â
Alysha told them about that hint of wind sheâd felt and how sheâd tripped.
Simon looked around, breathing in the energy-filled air of the woods. âWind? That Breeze. It must be that. Thatâs what called me here, and thatâs what let you in, too. The Breeze must be part of the placeâs magic.â
Alysha pounced. âMagic? What?â
âItâs the place,â Simon said. âItâs special somehow. Canât you feel it?â
Alysha took a step back. âI donât know. Maybe.â
Simon made up his mind. âOkay. Hereâs the truth.â He gestured with his backpack. âI found a Book that lets me control the laws of physics.â
Alysha stared at him for a minute, glanced over at Owen (who looked away), then rolled her eyes. âYeah, right.â
âItâs true!â Owen shouted. âIâve seen it!â
âSimon, your games were fun when we were seven, but thatâs old now.â
âDo you want me to prove it?â Simon asked.
âOkay, show me what you got,â she said.
Simon nodded. âI looked up a new formula: friction. Itâs the resistance between two objects when they rub against each other. Itâs what makes things stick together, and without it, things are all slippery. So thereâs a lot of friction when you rub against sandpaper but very little when you slide along a freshly waxed floor.â
Alysha faked a yawn. âOkay, so letâs go, Merlin. Dazzle me.â
Simon pulled out the Book and opened it. He said, âFriction,â and smiled proudly at Alysha and Owen as the pages flipped right to the section on friction.
Alysha folded her arms. âNice gimmick.â
âYouâre not a very open-minded person, are you?â Simon asked.
âI promise I wonât tell anyone else about this, fine,â Alysha said. âBut if you want me to believe you can do magic, Iâll need to see real proof. To do otherwiseââshe looked at Owenââwould be ignorant.â
âItâs not really magic, I donât think,â Simon said. âItâs science. This Book tells me how science really works, and I can command it. It only looks like magic if you donât understand.â Seeing her doubt, he nodded. âJust wait.â
âGood, show her what you can do!â Owen said. âYou did read carefully and practice, right?â he asked quietly.
âYeah, yeah, sure,â Simon said. âDonât worry.â He glanced at Alysha. âThese symbols are like a language. I just have to make sure Iâm saying the right thing.â He spoke a handful of nonsensical words. âDone.â
Alysha looked around. âSorry, Science Boy. Nothingâs changed.â
âOh no?â Simon said. âWalk that way.â He pointed toward the clearing.
Alysha took one step, and her feet slid out from under her as if sheâd stepped on the biggest, slipperiest banana peel ever made. She fell on her butt and started sliding forward along the dirt path.
She let out a piercing scream. âSiiiiiiimmmoooooonnn! What did you do?â
âI took away your bodyâs kinetic friction,â Simon yelled. âBelieve me now?â
She was speeding down the trail, her hands clawing uselessly at the dirt. Without any friction, everything was slicker than even the smoothest ice. âYes! Now make it stop!â
Simon smiled wickedly. âIâve got a better idea. Oh, Owen?â
Owen was looking at Alysha with a triumphant smile on his face; he turned to Simon and his eyes widened. He only had time to say, âNo, waitââ
Simon directed the formula at Owen, who was already starting to move away. As the formula kicked in, he