Read Online The Phantom Limb by William Sleator, Ann Monticone - Free Book Online

determination. “We need to get Vera out of there—fast!”
    Isaac felt immediate relief at Grandpa’s reaction. “Yes, we
have
to,” he agreed. “There’s an order to amputate Mom’s arm. No one told me, but I saw it on the hospital computer.”
    â€œHow did you get into the hospital computer?” Grandpa said, actually sounding proud of Isaac.
    â€œThe phantom limb in the mirror box told me the password, and it was right. Maybe now you’ll believe me about that box.”
    â€œAmazing,” Grandpa said.
    It was also amazing to be having a normal conversation with him. Could Grandpa possibly help him? He
had
been a scientist, after all. “I think the dead boy didn’t show you his hand because he doesn’t want to communicate with anyone but me,” Isaac said. “He’s also … vague. He can’t communicate directly. Everything he says is a sign, a puzzle.”
    He told Grandpa about the Fitzpatrick twins and how they did volunteer work at the hospital. “If I could get them on my side somehow, maybe they could help me.”
    â€œYou can’t control who people like and who theydon’t like,” Grandpa said. “But you can persuade them.”
    Isaac knew he was grasping at straws when it came to the twins—they were just too mean, especially Destiny. But maybe there was hope with DCynthia.
    â€œWell, one of them did help me by finding out who lived in this house before us, which is how I found out who the mirror box originally belonged to. And maybe he had the same doctor as Mom, but at a different hospital.”
    â€œWhat about that collection of optical illusions I helped you start a few years ago?” Grandpa asked him. “When was the last time you looked at them? I can’t even remember if … you moved them here or not.” Grandpa seemed embarrassed to admit that.
    â€œI look at them all the time,” Isaac said. “Especially the Menger sponge.”
    â€œI seem to remember … Well, there might be something in that collection that you could use to help you.”
    Was that really true? Could he trust Grandpa’s memory?
    If he could, it would be a huge help.
    But it was too late to check his collection tonight. He went to sleep instead.

 
    T LUNCH THE NEXT DAY, MATT KRAVETZ actually sat with Isaac instead of with his usual group of friends. It was pretty amazing.
    â€œI can’t believe you said that to the twins,” he whispered, grinning at Isaac. He was still impressed with what Isaac had said. Clearly, the twins were wrong to think he liked them so much. “Where did you go to school before you came here?” he asked Isaac.
    â€œWe used to live in Centerville. Then we moved here.” He didn’t say that his mother was in the hospital; he didn’t want it to sound as if he was asking for sympathy. Instead, he said, “And I found this real cool thing in our new house: a mirror box.”
    â€œWhat’s that?” Kravetz asked.
    Isaac described the box to him and what you could do with it.
    â€œHey, man, I’d like to see that sometime,” Kravetz said.
    â€œSure,” Isaac said. He didn’t say anything about the phantom limb—that would be too unbelievable at this point. But he could tell that Kravetz was fascinated by the idea of the mirror box itself. Isaac decided to work at getting him on his side, so that
maybe
he could help him get the twins on his side too.
    And now Isaac felt that he really needed a friend. Not just to help him, but for the companionship.
    After school let out, Isaac checked his brakes, just to be sure, and then rode his bike directly home instead of going to the hospital. He knew something strange was going on, but Vera had seemed OK yesterday. And he had to look at his collection of optical illusions again, in case Grandpa was right and there really
was
something he might be able to use to stop