Snow dropped Todd to the ground, allowing Todd to get back on his feet and point his cardboard tube at John Tyler and Chester Arthur.
-I have a lot of questions for you, Snow, said Seph.
With a bursting energy wave shooting from the cardboard staff, Todd de-animated both presidents back into their original, wax, life-size, forms. Mitch poked Arthur in the eye just to be sure. Yep. They’re statues.
-Okay, continued Seph with a sigh. I have a few less questions now.
-Great, screamed Emmit in a panic. That crazy guy wearing a bathrobe brought the presidents to life and he can send them back! We need to find the other presidents!
-Who are you, asked Seph to Todd.
-Now! Screamed Emmit. The universe is going to explode!
-Yeah Seph, we can ask questions later!
-Where the hell are the others?
-How much time do we have left?
-Seph!
-Everybody shut up! I made all that up so that we could get those presidents here faster.
-WHAT!?!
Blair and Emmit jumped back started swinging their fists in the air in a mutual blind fury of terror and full-hearted attempt to punch away their adrenaline. Lily walked over to a bench and sat down to catch her breath. Mitch laughed.
Todd the Wizard introduced himself and admitted he was very much responsible for bringing the presidents back to life. Snow had figured out this much herself moments earlier when she went outside to smoke her first cigarette since quitting two days ago and overheard Todd bragging to other bums about how he got revenge on the museum employees. Snow had seen Todd before but this was the first time was he wasn’t waving his staff or doodle at people. She finished her cigarette, grabbed the wizard and pulled him inside the museum to learn more. This is when the others showed up.
At hearing Todd’s confession, everybody turned to Mitch and Seph, who defended they had done nothing; which was exactly what the accusation was. Todd had been in trouble last week and Mitch and Seph had done nothing. Mitch pled ignorance and Seph said he didn’t think Todd really needed help, or at least not the help Seph could offer. But even the boys realized these were weak points.
The two guys were told they don’t notice or care about people they don’t know--a harshly accurate observation. Mitch felt alone but Seph didn’t and asked if they could go in a back room and not have to hold this conversation with everybody else around. Todd denied them the privilege of privacy.
Lily thought about the dunce hats she heard public schools used to humiliate students. She was also aware of their similarly to hats worn by the KKK but didn’t know if those hats were related. But she did realize Seph couldn’t be punished more than being thrown into an unwanted spotlight. Conversely, she thought, Mitch probably wouldn’t have cared, or doesn’t care now. Perhaps he was even too smart to know what a dunce hat was. Maybe.
Emmit was still reeling from the fear of the universe collapsing moments earlier. He was happy that this didn’t seem to be a fear anymore, but was annoyed that Seph hadn’t told him the truth earlier. Yes, the presidents were tricked, but so was everybody else, including Emmit. He wondered about how long Seph would have kept up the lie had something gone wrong, if people had gotten lost or broke a foot. Seph might have lied for the greater good, but what if the greater good was worse? Emmit didn’t like the idea that the world could move too fast for him to make a decision.
Snow poked Todd in the chest and demanded more answers, to which Todd made a book on wizardry history rules appear. But Snow wasn’t going to read some book. Her ass was on the line because the museum could only be closed a couple of days before people would start asking questions--questions she didn’t want to answer with, “A wizard did it.” So Todd made a DVD documentary appear that would explain the wizard rules on history.
Oh no, countered Blair. Nobody was going to watch a stupid educational film about wizards or history.
-Are you really a wizard, asked Mitch.
-Yes.
-So you could make a hundred dollars appear?
-Yes.
-So why do you have duct tape wrapped around your boots?
-Yes, most wizards become billionaires; that is, most billionaires are wizards, but not me.
-Obviously. So why?
-I just keep it real, son.
Lily then asked Todd if there was anything he wanted. He was a wizard, but wizards are people, too. Or at least close enough to people. Lily didn’t really know the rules on wizards. Yes, Todd confirmed, wizards are people. And there was something he wanted. He wanted friends. And a sandwich. He made a sandwich appear then, but said he couldn’t do the same for friends. Wrong, corrected Lily. It just takes time to see them. Todd smiled and Lily would have hugged him but Todd the Wizard still smelled like raccoon pee.
Only lightly touched by the sentiments, Seph decided to move things along. True or false, you made all twelve presidents come back to life: True. You, Todd the Wizard, know where they all are: False. The presidents are human and can die: True. If they die in our time, they die in their time: True. You can send them back to their right time right now: False. You have to be within eyesight of them: True. Anybody can use your staff to send them back in time: False. This is all bad news, thought Seph. True.
Just then, Mitch had a moment of clarity. Well, he said, lets go get a drink.
-What?
-What-what? Let’s get a drink. This is only a problem for the museum.
Dammit Mitch, muttered Snow, who then offered the jobs back to the two guys less than an hour after firing them. Todd asked for a job, too, but Snow said no. However, Todd needed to stay close to her so he could send the presidents back in time as timely as possible. If they came back to work for the museum, Seph and Mitch would be sent off to find the damn presidents and bring them back ASAP.
The half-brothers looked at each other. For the first time in either of their lives, a sense of duty entered their minds--however each still very much needed the other. They accepted the jobs, with pay raises. Stupid presidents better get found quickly, reiterated Snow.
Blair knew this was Seph and Mitch’s responsibility. Their mess. She also knew they knew this and they couldn’t ask for help. That’s why she volunteered to help them. Seph was weary and reminded Blair that searching for several missing people in a big city could be dangerous work. Completely understanding, Blair then also volunteered Lily and Emmit to help.
The five friends headed to the exit, each forming a plan, when Mitch stopped and turned back to Todd the Wizard. Mitch admitted he had never personally time traveled but had seen a number of movies on the matter. Are we in any danger of changing history, he asked. Like, where everybody in the future--I mean the present--starts wearing underpants on the outside because we accidentally kill a president?
-Son, said the thousand-year old Todd, the only history you know is the history you create.
Damn wizards.
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