The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)

When Second Thoughts Come Too Late

Previously: "The Boys' Choices" 

You mull the names that Joe has given you. You have no idea who Lucy Gibbon and Bradley White are, or what they're like. You barely know Melanie Heath—who is at least friends with Bhodi's group—for she actually attends Eastman.

But you know Lindsay Cho, who Joe didn't even mention. Boy, do you feel like you know her.

She would not be your first choice for an impersonation. She's not an attractive girl. She's dumpy and frowny and slumps on her feet, and she doesn't bother to dress up nice. And she doesn't like you.

Of course, why should she, considering that you kidnapped two of her friends and tried to impersonate them?

No, she would not be your first or second or even your fifty-second choice. But she's got the grimoire; she's seems like the paranoid type; and if she ever finds out what her friends are up to ... Well, she probably won't kill them. But she'd probably kill you for helping them out.

So the safest way to prevent that from happening ... is to become her?

You realize that Joe and Caleb are watching you very closely, with worried expressions. You shake your head clear.

"Okay, I'll have to think about it," you tell Joe, "and look up this, uh, Lucy girl and Bradley guy."

"What do I tell the other guys?" he asks.

"Tell them to hang loose for a little while. Keep thinking of other people they might be, in case I can't, or don't, uh—" You lift your cap and rake your fingers through the tangle of your hair, for your scalp is suddenly afire with itches. "Besides, we've still got Dane and his mom to take care of. That could complicate things."

Joe's face shows disappointment.

"Also, um, don't mention Melanie to them," you add. "I don't think she's, uh, going to be the one I pick. Besides, remember, she was your idea."

Joe turns very white, and his head jerks awkwardly as he nods. Such a ginormous, round head, you find yourself thinking for about the ninety-third time since meeting him. Like an over-inflated beach ball.

You and Caleb walk Joe back to the Orrs' back porch, telling him you'll try to have news for him and his friends tomorrow morning. Then you walk around the side of the house to clamber into Caleb's car. You're both silent until you're a few blocks from Justin's house, when Caleb finally speaks.

"You're totally going to turn yourself into Melanie, aren't you?" he says.

"No, I'm totally going to turn myself into Lindsay," you reply.

The car jerks and heaves as Caleb's foot slips off the gas. "Jesus," he mutters. "Is that a joke?"

"No. Do you think it sounds like one?"

He's gone pale, and he gives you a couple of sidelong looks. "Okay," he says, "explain it to me."

You shrug. "Like I was telling Joe. Lindsay and them need watching. She's got the book and she's got a bad attitude. And the best way to watch her is by being her."

Caleb doesn't reply for long time, except to ask and confirm that you want to return to the Donna. When next he speaks of the matter, his voice is very tight and controlled. "You know, if you're telling me the truth about this, you really are going above and beyond the call of duty for those guys back there."

"Why would I lie?" you shoot back.

"I don't know why you would. I just mean, if those really are your reasons—" He shifts in his seat. "Why are you knocking yourself out for Joe and them? I mean, turning yourself into Lindsay? That's really taking one for the team. And it's not even your team," he adds almost under his breath.

"You saw how they were back at Justin's house," you retort. "They're gonna fuck things up, and Lindsay's gonna catch on, and then she really will take a blowtorch to my nutsack. She threatened to do that when she first got Bhodi's mask off me, you know! And she was legit serious!"

"Well, that's the problem, those guys back there. We shouldn't be giving them masks."

You turn to give him a direct stare. "What?" he asks you.

"Why are you only saying this now?"

"I thought I said it couple of times back there!"

"I thought you were—! You mean to say you seriously want to give all those masks to Lindsay?"

"No! I'm just saying we shouldn't be helping Grant and them with this thing!"

"I thought you really wanted to help them out with that!"

"And I thought you did! Christ, Will! You made up masks for them, you showed them how they worked and you left the book with them when you left town!"

"'Cos they asked me to! And they had me locked up in that basement! And you helped them while I was gone!"

So you and Caleb yell at each for a couple of blocks, each trying to pin the blame on the other, before collapsing into a mutual, moody silence. "Well, it's too late now," he grumbles as he turns into the Donna parking lot.

"It's both our faults," you reply, and he shrugs. Peace, if not happiness, is thereby somewhat restored between you.

* * * * *

At the Donna you gather up all your stuff: masks and mask supplies, and the thousands of dollars that you'd collected from The Warehouse. The mood between you and Caleb continues brusque and business-like. "Do you think as Lindsay you can help Joe and them get to those guys?" he asks as he sweeps the masks into a smelly cardboard box that he rescued from the motel dumpster.

"I don't know. Probably have to wait until I, uh, know what she knows, who she knows."

"There's that guy she's supposedly got a crush on."

"Yeah, well, we'll have to see."

"So what are you going to tell Joe and them? About what you're doing, who you're being?"

"I'm gonna tell them I'm gonna be Dane." It's an improvised reply, but it feels totally right as soon as you say it.

"So how is Dane going to be able to help them?"

"I don't know." It sounds like Caleb is trying to get a rise out of you, but you keep your temper. "I might need your help with that."

"Me? I don't know Brad or Evan or Megan or whoever it is they—"

"I mean, maybe we'll have to put you somewhere you can help."

Caleb straightens up and gives you a look. But he doesn't argue.

"And I guess I kind of am going to be Dane," you continue. Your thoughts are moving like quicksilver, and they haven't run into an obstacle yet. "We've got that mask of him, right? Where is it?"

"At my place."

"Well, it hasn't got a brain band to go with it. So we'll make a brain band of me and slap it into the mask. Then we'll put that golem paint into it and slap it onto Lindsay, turn her into one of those golem things." You affect to ignore the way Caleb's lips disappear as you say all this. "Then that'll turn her into a guy who looks like Dane and acts like me, won't it?"

"Yes, and what a nightmare that's going to be."

You continue to ignore him. "So we'll tell them that's me. He'll take over being Dane, and I'll be Lindsay." Your heart gives a couple of wild beats.

"What'll we tell Dane's mother?"

"Same thing, that I'm being him. Oh, and that we're tracking down a new identity for her. Which reminds me, you should text Joe, tell him that him and the others should be thinking of a hot girl for Mrs. Matthias to become."

"Jesus," Caleb mutters, but he takes out his phone. "And how are we going to get to Lindsay?"

"We'll invite her out to Dane's trailer, to talk about Dane and what to do about him." Yes, this is all fitting neatly together. "And you should be the one to text her."

"You know, I'd say it sounds like I'm doing all the work," Caleb retorts. "But then I remember how all this is going to end up for you."

* * * * *

After checking out of the Donna you drive out to the Matthias's trailer. It's dark, and Mrs. Matthias isn't in, but you remember where the spare key is, and let yourselves in. You're surprised to see that it's a lot cleaner than when you last saw it. It even looks (and smells) like it's been vacuumed.

But Dane's room is still a mess. You stretch yourself out on the bed and let Caleb drop a newly minted brain band onto your forehead. Then, while he negotiates by text with Lindsay—and goes out to fetch some burgers for supper—you finish carving up a second band and polish another mask. As you work, you talk some more with Caleb, and he fields text messages, including one from Joe telling you that he and the others are meeting with Mrs. Matthias to pick out a new identity for her.

By eight o'clock, everything is in readiness: You have a brain band and blank mask to copy Lindsay, and a mask of Dane (with your own personality and memories inside it) to put onto her; you have also made up a small batch of the golem paint that will put her under your control. Caleb leaves to pick her up and bring her back to the trailer.

And yet, only now does it occur to you that you don't actually have to become Lindsay. Maybe you could make a mask of her, put that golem paint into it, set her own mask onto her, and turn her into a golem of herself that you could control. That's all you really need to neutralize the threat from her, right? Then you could find another identity for yourself.

Except ... what if it doesn't work that way? And what if you're only able to control one golem at a time? It's always a bad idea to gamble with magic. It would be especially dangerous to gamble with it when you're trying to take out a threat like Lindsay Cho.

* To become Lindsay: "The Choice for a Cho" 
* To turn her into a golem: "The Taming of a Shrew" 

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"Table of Contents (Vol. 2)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)"