Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

82

Standing next to me, Ari had gone rigid, his eyes locked on the Max clone. I remembered that they had been an anti-real Max team and felt my stomach tighten. My vigilance about Ari cranked up a couple notches.

While I pondered this revolting development, Nudge elbowed me in the ribs.

"Oh, my God!" she whispered. "Do you see that?"

"Yep," I said, watching Max II grimly. "We meet again."

"What do you mean? We've never seen her before," said Nudge.

I turned and looked at Nudge. "Hello? You don't remember that topsy-turvy day when 'I' tried to cook and offered to fix your hair?"

Nudge frowned. "Yeah. That was Max Two. That's not what I'm talking about! Look, four rows behind her!"

I looked. Then I saw what Nudge meant.

There was a Nudge II-marching along with an un-Nudge-like solemnity. Other than that, she looked exactly like her.

"Holy moly," I breathed, hardly able to believe it.

"Uh-oh," said Angel quietly, then pointed. I swallowed a groan and dropped my head into my hands for a second. Excellent. Just what the world needed: another Angel. Because God knows, one six-year-old mind-controlling flying child just isn't enough.

"I don't believe it," said Nudge. "There's another me!"

"And another me," said Angel.

Was everyone here a clone? Maybe not, but they were all mutants of some kind, I was willing to bet.

"What, I'm not important enough to have a double?" Total sounded completely offended. "'No, let's not clone the dog. He's just a dog, after all.'"

I rubbed his head behind his ears, but he huffed and flopped over on the grass.

"I don't have a double either," said Ari. So Jeb hadn't cloned his son. How sentimental of him.

"Are they going to try to replace us, like they did with you?" Nudge asked.

"Yes," I said. "But we'll catch on immediately when the new Nudge is silent and mopey, and the new Angel acts like an actual six-year-old."

They smiled, and I congratulated myself on my ability to keep their spirits up even in the face of this new atrocity.

"Actually," I went on, "let's come up with a code word or phrase to use with one another when we need to make absolutely sure we're the right ones. Okay?"

"Okay," said Nudge.

"Ooh, I've got one," said Angel, and we put our heads together as she whispered it.

"Perfect!" said Nudge, breaking into a smile.

I laughed silently and slapped her a very quiet high five.

Ari grinned and nodded.

Even Total's furry black face seemed to smile.

So what was the secret word?

Yeah, like I'm gonna tell you.