Chapter 32

Sorry, boy, but this is strictly a nondog event. You’ll just have to keep yourself busy for a couple hours. We’ll play ball when I get back, though. I promise.”

Wow, that’s the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen—if you don’t count Bula’s entry into the art fair. “Okay, Lightyear, you can come along,” I tell him, against my better judgment. “But you better not eat anything.”

I grab hold of Lightyear’s leash and we head out the door. The hallway is empty. Good. If anybody does see me, I just need to play it cool, like everything is perfectly normal.

We’re halfway to the end of the hallway when one of the other LIV-space doors opens. It’s Mrs. Forzork, one of the cafeteria lunch ladies.

“Oh, hello, Kelvin. I thought I heard someone out here.”

“Hi, Mrs. F. I… uh… I was just taking my new dog for a walk. A perfectly normal walk. Down this perfectly normal hallway. In a perfectly normal way. Nothing odd going on here at all. No sirree. And when I’m done, I’m heading straight back to my LIV space, without sneaking around or anything.”

Nailed it!

“I see. Well, enjoy your perfectly normal walk, then. Oh, and make sure you get to the cafeteria early tomorrow—I’m whipping up a batch of my famous creamed blarf tongue, and it’s sure to go fast.”

“Will do, Mrs. F. And thanks for the heads-up!”

Yikes, that was a close one. This whole idea is getting worse by the minute. Well, at least I proved I can react well under pressure. Plus, I picked up a sweet tip on the blarf tongue. I’ll make sure to pack my own lunch tomorrow.

Lightyear and I make our way around a few more turns, down a few more hallways, and finally reach the elevator.

“About time, Kelvin. What took you so long?”

“I ran into a little problem on the way here. Nothing I couldn’t handle, though. It’s really just a matter of staying cool, calm, and collected in the face of danger. I guess I just have a knack for it.”

Oops. That won’t go over well. Looks like it’s time for some damage control.

“And that is an example of how not to stay cool, calm, and collected. I just wanted to demonstrate how not to react in case we run into any trouble on the way to the lab.”

Hey! I think they’re buying it!

“Thanks, Kelv. Man, it’s awesome having a genius in our group!”

“What about Brian?”

“Oh—sorry, Brian. I meant someone who’s always a genius.”

Looks like I’m not the only one who’s stressed out about this. Everybody’s here, so we take the elevator down to the laboratory level. Fortunately, no one is working late and the hallways are empty. As we make our way toward my parents’ lab, we pass the room that I remember seeing Lightyear in during our field trip visit. Looks like he remembers it, too.

So that’s what he was licking up. I guess it all makes sense now. Well, at least as much sense as a space dog with a matter-duplicating stomach can make. We continue on to the large door at the end of the corridor… and the moment of truth.

It worked!