The Blade of Shattered Hope Read online

“What?” Lisa asked, moving closer to get a better look. “What is it?”

  Her mom pulled out a long, golden tube with dials and switches running down its sides, then held it up. “It’s a Barrier Wand, sweetie. It’s gonna help us find my boy.”

  ~

  A Glossary of People, Places, and All Things

  Important

  Atticus Higginbottom—A Realitant from the state of Washington in Reality Prime.

  Alterant—Different versions of the same person existing in different Realities. It is extremely dangerous for Alterants to meet one another.

  Annika—A spy for the Realitants who was killed by a pack of fangen.

  Barf Scarf—The red-and-black scarf that Tick used to wear at all times to hide the ugly birthmark on his neck.

  Barrier Wand—The device used to wink people and things between Realities and between heavily concentrated places of Chi’karda within the same Reality. Works very easily with inanimate objects, and can place them almost anywhere. To transport humans, they must be in a place concentrated with Chi’karda (like a cemetery) and have a nanolocator that transmits their location to the Wand. The wand is useless without the Chi’karda Drive, which channels and magnifies the mysterious power.

  Barrier Staff—A special Barrier Wand created by Mistress Jane.

  Benson—A servant of Reginald Chu in the Fourth Reality.

  Bermuda Triangle—The most concentrated area of Chi’karda in each Reality. Still unknown as to why.

  Billy “The Goat” Cooper—Tick’s biggest nemesis at Jackson Middle School.

  Blade of Shattered Hope—A weapon created by Mistress Jane that allows her to harness the power of dark matter and utilize the linking of her Alterants to sever a Reality from existence.

  Bryan Cannon—A fisherman in Reality Prime.

  Bugaboo Soldiers—The nemeses of the Fifth Reality, these assassins are bent on taking over their world. Often dressed as clowns, they are very unstable.

  Chi’karda—The mysterious force that controls Quantum Physics. It is the scientific embodiment of conviction and choice, which in reality rules the universe. Responsible for creating the different Realities.

  Chi’karda Drive—The invention that revolutionized the universe by harnessing, magnifying, and controling Chi’karda. It has long been believed that travel between Realities is impossible without it.

  Chu Industries—The company that practically rules the world of the Fourth Reality. Known for countless

  inventions and technologies, including many that are malicious in nature.

  Command Center—Master George’s headquarters in the Bermuda Triangle, where Chi’karda levels are monitored and to where his many nanolocators report various types of information.

  Darkin (Dark Infinity) Project—A menacing, giant device created by Reginald Chu of the Fourth Reality to manipulate others’ minds. Destroyed by Tick.

  Earwig Transponder—An insect-like device inserted into the ear that can scramble listening devices and help track its host.

  Edgar Higginbottom—Tick’s father.

  Entropy—The law of nature that states all things move toward destruction. Related to fragmentation.

  Factory, The—Located in the Thirteenth Reality, it is where Mistress Jane “manufactures” her abominable creations.

  Fangen—A creature created by Mistress Jane utilizing the twisted and mutated version of Chi’karda found in the Thirteenth Reality. Formed from a variety of no fewer than twelve different animals, the short and stocky creatures are bred to kill first and ask questions later. They can also fly.

  Fifth Army, The—Sato’s fighting unit, made up of people from the Fifth Reality.

  Firekelt—Creation of Mistress Jane. A monster covered in hundreds of cloth-like strips that ignite on demand.

  Fragmentation—When a Reality begins losing Chi’karda levels on a vast scale, it can no longer maintain itself as a major alternate version of the world and will eventually disintegrate into nothing. Its cause is related to entropy.

  Frazier Gunn—A loyal servant of Mistress Jane.

  Frupey—Nickname for Fruppenschneiger, Sofia’s butler.

  Gnat Rat—A malicious invention of Chu Industries in the Fourth Reality. Releases dozens of mechanical hornets that are programmed to attack a certain individual based on a nanolocator, DNA, or blood type.

  Grand Canyon—A satellite location of the Realitants. Second only to the Bermuda Triangle in Chi’karda

  levels. Still unknown as to why.

  Grand Minister—Supreme ruler of the Fifth Reality.

  Grinder Beast—An enormous, rhinoceros-like creature with dozens of legs in the Tenth Reality.

  Halters—A weapon that shoots out tiny darts laced with a paralyzing serum.

  Hans Schtiggenschlubberheimer—The man who started the Scientific Revolution in the Fourth Reality in the early nineteen-hundreds. In a matter of decades, he helped catapult the Fourth far beyond the other Realities in terms of technology.

  Haunce, The—A mysterious, ghostly, powerful being made up of billions upon billions of soulikens.

  Henry—A boy from the Industrial Barrens in the Seventh Reality.

  Hillenstat—A Realitant doctor from the Second Reality.

  Jimmy “The Voice” Porter—A Realitant from the Twelfth Reality. Has no tongue.

  Katrina Kay—A Realitant from the Ninth Reality.

  Kayla Higginbottom—Tick’s youngest sister.

  Klink—Guard of the Execution Exit at the End of the Road Insane Asylum.

  Kyoopy—Nickname used by the Realitants for Quantum Physics.

  Ladies of Blood and Sorrow—A mysterious society of women loyal to Mistress Jane.

  Lemon Fortress—Mistress Jane’s castle in the Thirteenth Reality.

  Lisa Higginbottom—Tick’s older sister.

  Lorena Higginbottom—Tick’s mother.

  Mabel Fredrickson—Tick’s great-aunt. Lives in Alaska.

  Master George—The current leader of the Realitants.

  Metaspide—A vicious robotic creature from the Fourth Reality that resembles a spider.

  Mistress Jane—A former Realitant and ruler of the Thirteenth Reality, she wields an uncanny power over Chi’karda. Since the accident in which she was “melded” with fragments of the Dark Infinity weapons, her power has increased tenfold.

  Mothball—A Realitant from the Fifth Reality.

  Ms. Sears—Tick’s favorite librarian.

  Muffintops—Master George’s cat.

  Multiverse—An old term used by Reality Prime scientists to explain the theory that Quantum Physics has created multiple versions of the universe.

  Nancy Zeppelin—A Realitant from Wisconsin in Reality Prime.

  Nanolocator—A microscopic electronic device that can crawl into a person’s skin and forever provide information on their whereabouts, Chi’karda levels, etc.

  Nonex—When Alterants meet, one disappears and enters the Nonex. A complete mystery to the Realitants.

  Norbert McGillicuddy—A post office worker in Alaska who helped Tick and his dad escape an attack by Frazier Gunn.

  Paul Rogers—A Realitant from Florida in Reality Prime.

  Phillip—Owner and operator of the Stroke of Midnight Inn in the Sixth Reality.

  Pick—Master George’s nickname for a major decision in which Chi’karda levels spike considerably. Some Picks have been known to create or destroy entire Realities.

  Priscilla Persiphone—A Realitant from the Seventh Reality.

  Quantum Physics—The science that studies the physical world of the extremely small. Most scholars are baffled by its properties and at a loss to explain them. Theories abound. Only a few know the truth: that a completely different power rules this realm, which in turn rules the universe: Chi’karda.

  Quinton Hallenhaffer—A Realitant from the Second Reality.

  Ragers—An advanced weapon that harnesses extreme amounts of static electricity. When unleashed, it collects matter in a vio
lent, earthen ball that can shatter whatever gets in its way.

  Realitants—An organization sworn to discover and chart all known Realities. Founded in the 1970s by a group of scientists from the Fourth Reality, who then used Barrier Wands to recruit other quantum physicists from other Realities.

  Reality—A separate and complete version of the world, of which there may be an infinite number. The most stable and strongest is called Reality Prime. So far, thirteen major branches off of Prime have been discovered. Realities are created and destroyed by enormous fluctuations in Chi’karda levels. Examples:

  Fourth—Much more advanced technologically than the other Realities due to the remarkable vision and work of Hans Schtiggenschlubberheimer.

  Fifth—Quirks in evolution led to a very tall human race.

  Eighth—The world is covered in water due to much higher temperatures that were caused by a star fusion anomaly triggered in another galaxy by an alien race.

  Eleventh—Quirks in evolution and diet led to a short and robust human race.

  Thirteenth—Somehow a mutated and very powerful version of Chi’karda exists here.

  Reality Echo—An object that literally exists in two Realities at once, making the object indestructible.

  Reginald Chu—Tick’s science teacher in Reality Prime. Also the person in the Fourth Reality who founded Chu Industries and turned it into a worldwide empire. They are Alterants of each other.

  Renee—An inmate at the End of the Road Insane Asylum.

  Ripple Quake—A violent geological disaster caused by a massive disturbance in Chi’karda.

  Rutger—A Realitant from the Eleventh Reality.

  Sally T. Jones—A Realitant from the Tenth Reality.

  Sato—A Realitant from Japan in Reality Prime.

  Sato Tadashi—Former Grand Minister of the Fifth Reality, killed by the Bugaboo soldiers. An Alterant of the Realitant Sato.

  Shockpulse—An injection of highly concentrated electromagnetic nanobots that seek out and destroy the tiny components of a nanolocator, rendering it useless.

  Shurric—Short for Sonic Hurricaner, this weapon is the more powerful version of the Sound Slicer. Shoots out a heavily concentrated force of sound waves, almost too low for the human ear to register but powerful enough to destroy just about anything in its direct path.

  Sleeks—Creations of Mistress Jane. Wispy and strong, lightning fast. They guard the forest that surrounds the Factory.

  Slinkbeast—A vicious creature that lives in the Mountains of Sorrow in the Twelfth Reality.

  Snooper Bug—A hideous cross-breed of birds and insects created by the mutated power of the Chi’karda in the Thirteenth Reality. Can detect any known weapon or poison and can kill with one quick strike of its needle-nosed beak. Pets of Mistress Jane.

  Sofia Pacini—A Realitant from Italy in Reality Prime.

  Soulikens—An imprint or stamp on reality, created by natural energy and Chi’karda, that becomes a lingering piece of one’s self that will never cease to exist.

  Sound Slicer—A small weapon outdated by the much more powerful Shurric.

  Spinner—A special device that shoots out a circular plane of laser light, displaying video images on its surface.

  Squeezers—A grenade that shoots out strong wires that contract and curl up.

  Tick—Nickname for Atticus Higginbottom.

  Tingle Wraith—A collection of microscopic animals from the Second Reality, called spilphens, that can form together into a cloud while rubbing against each other to make a horrible sound called the Death Siren.

  Tollaseat—Mothball’s father, from the Fifth Reality.

  Waterkelt—Creation of Mistress Jane. A monster made completely out of water.

  William Schmidt—A Realitant from the Third Reality.

  Windasill—Mothball’s mother, from the Fifth Reality.

  Windbike—An invention of Chu Industries, this vehicle is a motorcycle that can fly, consuming hydrogen out of the air for its fuel. Based on an extremely complex gravity-manipulation theorem first proposed by Reginald Chu.

  Winking—The act of traveling between or within Realities by use of a Barrier Wand. Causes a slight tingle to the skin on one’s shoulders and back.

  ~

  Discussion Questions

  1. Tick has to deal with a lot of bad things happening to his family. Often he must weigh their safety against much bigger dangers that could result in enormous loss of life. What would you do in such a situation?

  2. How do you feel about Mistress Jane after reading this book? Do you think she’s purely evil? Is there any truth to her feeling that the ends justify the means? In other words, if the end result is her perfect Utopian Reality, is it okay for her to do anything, no matter how bad, to reach that point?

  3. We learn a little more about Sofia and why she doesn’t feel very welcome at home. How does that make you feel?

  4. We find out that Tick is the only version of himself still alive throughout the known Realities. He has no surviving Alterants. What’s your theory as to what this means? Do you think it has anything to do with his odd powers over Chi’karda?

  5. What do you think of the Haunce? It seems distant and unwilling to interfere with human life until the entire universe is in jeopardy. And yet it obviously has strong powers. Should it help out more?

  6. How do you feel about the progress Tick has made in controlling his powers? Is his power something you would wish for, or would it be too much pressure and too dangerous?

  7. Sato is devastated that he wasn’t able to save every child from the Factory before being winked out by Master George. Put yourself in that situation. How would you feel? Would you be able to focus on the ones you saved instead of being haunted by the ones you didn’t?

  8. Were you surprised that Tick ended up reunited with Mr. Chu and Mistress Jane in the Nonex? What do you think is in store for them in Book 4?