The Book of Masks (Abridged)

The Replacements

YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE IT ALONE. If Walberg did take the book out of the capsule, you really don't want to put your suspicions about it down on paper. Hell, even if he didn't, you don't want to give him a paper in which you describe finding an ancient book of occult magic.

You decide to take a cue from Caleb, and write a paper describing some other item. Of course, Walberg will certainly remember that you contributed a book--seeing as how you delivered it to him under such highly memorable circumstances--so the next day (a Wednesday) you make another trip out to Arnholm's, to see if you can find another book that's superficially similar: It'll make writing a fake report much easier. But though you spend nearly an hour carefully combing through all the promising stacks--the rare book collection; the occult section; the literary hardback shelves; the foreign language room--you can't find anything that remotely resembles your earlier find.

Eventually, you decide to make a virtue of necessity by baiting a trap for Walberg. You purchase (for fifteen dollars) a terrifying technical manual--Problems of Hydroelectric Development at Existing Dams--so you can write a paper about putting it in the capsule. If Walberg stole your book, he'll know that you didn't give him something like that. And if he challenges you, you can challenge him back, daring him to describe the book you did give him. And then you can challenge him to open up the capsule--

Hmm. You're going to have to dig the capsule up again.

"Let's get together tonight," you say to Caleb as you drop down next to him Thursday afternoon at lunch. You nod vacantly at Carson and Paul and Yumi Saito as you continue talking to Caleb. "Like, at one o'clock again."

His face falls. "What the fuck for? I'm planning on being in bed then."

"Well, leave a dummy behind and come with me."

"Why are you guys suddenly hanging around with us so much?" Carson demands.

"Don't you like us, Ioeger?" you retort, and he shrugs noncommittally.

"Tilley's been attracting assholes, so we've been avoiding him," Caleb replies while still looking hard at you. "What're you wanting to do, Will?"

"Put something in the capsule," you reply. "Like you did."

"What are you guys talking about?" Paul asks.

"Javits has been paying special attention to Tilley lately," Caleb says in a loud voice while holding your eye. "And since no one likes being nearby when Javits is feeling frisky--"

You ignore the hint. "We dug up that capsule the other night," you interrupt, and dodge backward as Caleb grabs at you. "Yeah," you grin. "Caleb had second thoughts about his contribution to the future. He figured they'll already have enough porn."

"I'm gonna fuck you up," Caleb growls.

"You put porn in the time capsule?" Carson chortles. "Oh, that takes balls. What did Walberg say?"

"That's how come he changed his mind," you reply, grinning at Caleb. "Afterward, Walberg told us he wanted a report on what we put in the capsule, and Caleb just about shat himself. Anyway, I helped you, so I want you to help me. Let's go dig it up again."

"Did you put porn in the time capsule?" Yumi gasps.

"No, Prescott contributed some bullshit magic book," Caleb says. You've embarrassed him, so he embarrasses you by telling them all about what you told him about the book.

"God, why would you get rid of a book like that," Carson gasps through his laughter when Caleb is done. "That sounds wicked. Magic disguises! Some people would find them pretty useful." He grins at Yumi.

She frowns. "What do you mean by that?"

He laughs. "If Jenny did herself up like you, you could hang out with us while she got all her cheerleader gossip directly. Davis wouldn't mind seeing two of you either. Would you, Davis?" Paul turns red.

Yumi pauses in mid chew. "Where's Jenny?" she asks darkly. Carson just laughs again.

You kick at Caleb. "Come on, man. I wanna do that thing."

"You've got nothing to be worried about," he retorts. "Just write your damn report."

"I'm gonna sting Walberg," you reply. "Like, if he did take that book--" You explain your plan, which leaves Caleb looking very tired and exasperated. "And if he doesn't call bullshit on my paper, I'll know he has a guilty conscience and he did take it."

"Like it matters," Caleb groans.

"Why are you guys suddenly hanging around with us?" James Lamont asks as he plops down next to you. Unlike Carson, he doesn't wait for an answer. "Where's Jenny?"

"Off giving Kendra the business," Carson grins as he takes a bite from his sandwich.

"Oh, God!" Yumi exclaims, and hastily gathers her stuff. "She isn't! I can't be seen with you guys! I'll kill her!" She scampers off.

"Like I said--" Carson shakes his head with silent laughter. "There would be certain advantages to being able to be in two places at once. Deniability being one of them."

* * * * *

Caleb refuses point blank to help you--some friend!--and you wind up stalking off in white-faced anger. That evening you finish writing up your new paper, and sneak out to put the new book into the capsule. It's ugly work, and you're so mad that you don't talk to Caleb on Friday, and when Saturday comes you call Carson instead. "What am I, your backup Johansson?" he grouses. "You call me when something goes wrong with the original?"

"Well, if you don't want--"

"I'm just giving you shit. Pick you up in thirty minutes."

But he asks about Caleb again after you've slid into his car. "I'm pissed at him," you explain, and tell about digging the capsule back up again.

"Serves you right," he says. "You should've held on to that grimoire, buried something else to start with. It sounds like it would've been fun."

"You believe in magic?"

"Hell, no. But what's belief got to do with it? I'da bought it off you. I coulda used it in a campaign, gotten some ideas for, like, evil twins and shit. How about some tennis? James and Paul are off sucking each other's cocks since Jenny and Yumi are--"

"How come they haven't killed you yet? The way you keep going off on--"

"How's Lisa these days?"

You shove a middle finger against his cheek. "You're a prick, Ioeger."

"Yeah," he drawls. "But I'm actually curious. Weren't you two together all summer?"

You glare out your window.

It had begun at the end of your junior year, when in a fit of madness you had one day asked Lisa if she'd like to hang out. You never would have expected her to say yes, but she had, and what had started as just relaxed and friendly "hanging out" had almost invisibly progressed to light touching and holding hands and putting arms around each other. Over the summer--warm, open-ended, commitment-free summer days--the two of you would go to the movies or to the park and talk easily and carelessly about this and that. You'd sit with your arm around her, and she'd put her arm around you and rest her head on your shoulder, and once, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, you'd kissed her on the top of her hair, and she'd lifted her head to smile at you. You didn't dare jinx it by actually pushing things in a definite direction, and you never openly broached the subject of what the two of you meant to each other.

And then came that horrible day, not long after school had started again, when you'd gone up and put your arm around her. She'd wriggled free, and with a cool smile had reminded you that you and she were not "dating." And she'd left you there with a shocked look on your face as she went off with Kelsey and Amanda Ferguson.

And then fucking Geoff Mansfield had started appearing at her side.

"Fuck you if you're not gonna talk," Carson says.

"Tennis is fine," you grumble. "No, fuck it. I'm not paying for a court."

"We'll go up to the school."

"I don't wanna run into Kirk and them."

"They pay for courts on weekends. Country club and shit."

"How do you know that?"

"It's Kirk and Kelsey and Amanda and Brooke and them," he acidly replies. "Where do you think they hang out on weekends? Mansfield, too," he can't help adding. "Though I guess he's got someplace new to hang out."

"You know, if you're going to--"

"Settle down, squirt, I'm just-- You know, that's another reason you shoulda held onto that book. You coulda used it to disguise yourself as Geoff," he laughs.

You glare at him. "Yeah, I actually did think about that," you grumble quietly.

"No shit," he chortles. "Of course, that'd be aiming low. Why settle for Lisa--" He snickers as you hit him. "Do yourself up like someone who could get close to Gloria or Kendra or one of them." He laughs nastily. "That'd be fun to see, watching you try to act like some smooth-talking asshole or jock. And then getting caught when the real guy showed up."

You slump in your seat.

* * * * *

You and Carson do wind up at the high school. Westside traditionally fields lots of championship teams, and it's one of the administration's many concessions to its athletes that it keeps its fields open on weekends. But as Carson has noted, it's a concession that the tennis players don't take advantage of, so you're expecting to have the courts to yourselves. Imagine your surprise, then, when you arrive to find one court occupied by three people: Kim Walsh, Dane Matthias, and--

"Oh, crap," Carson chortles. "It's Kendra, and she's got her clothes on for once."

You stop cold, for the scene bothers you.