PROLOGUE
Let's recap.
Hmm ... what's that? You say you don't know what recap means?
Oh, dear. First the book is talking to you, and now you're talking to the book. My, but I think you are in trouble. Is there perhaps a doctor you should be seeing about that? You know, there are special doctors who can help with all sorts of things.
While you're thinking that over, let me explain that recap, which is what I'm about to do, is when a person repeats the main points of something, turning a complicated something into a much clearer something. There are many reasons you might want to do a recap: (1) you might worry your listeners have fallen asleep at some point; (2) you might worry no one was ever really paying attention in the first place; or (3) you might need to remind yourself of all the important points because the story's gotten so confusing, you don't remember where you are anymore, plus you have a feeling something even more important is going to happen soon and you need to know where you've been in order to know where you're going.
I'd ask which reason you think applies here, but you're off seeing that doctor about your little problem, aren't you? So I'll just do my recap now, even if I'm the only one listening. Deep breath. Here goes:
• Eight sisters, octuplets, almost eight, will be eight on August 8, 2008. Named, from oldest to youngest: Annie, Durinda, Georgia, Jackie, Marcia, Petal, Rebecca, Zinnia. Last name: Huit. All with brown hair, brown eyes. Each is one minute older than the next. Each is one inch taller than the next.
• Eight cats, all gray and white puffballs: Anthrax, Dandruff, Greatorex, Jaguar, Minx, Precious, Rambunctious, Zither.
• Magnificent stone home that looks like a castle, crazy rooms, inventions—too bad they don't all work as they ought to.
• New Year's Eve in 2007: Mom (Lucy) goes to kitchen for eggnog, Dad (Robert) goes out for more firewood, neither one comes back. Oh no. This can't be good.
• Note found behind loose stone in drawing room says each sister must find her power and gift in order to find out what happened to Mommy and Daddy. By the way, Mommy is a scientist and Daddy is a model, so you'd think they'd be able to get out of any jam, but who knows this time.
• Eight little girls, home all alone—that can't be good either.
• Annie's power: can be smart as an adult; Annie's gift: purple ring.
• Durinda's power: can freeze anyone, except Zinnia, by tapping her leg three times rapidly and then pointing sharply at a person; Durinda's gift: green earrings.
• Georgia's power: can make herself invisible by twitching her nose twice; Georgia's gift: a golden compact, which she sent back the first time the carrier pigeon tried to bring it. (Note: Carrier pigeons visit the Eights often. This could be important at some point.)
• Each cat has the same power as the Eight that it belongs to.
• Zinnia thinks that the animals understand her and that she understands them. Everyone else has doubts about this.
• Pete the mechanic, good; Mrs. Pete, good; the Wicket, evil; Crazy Serena, crazy; the McG, better than she was.
• The Eights still love Will Simms, and they like Mandy Stenko better than before.
• Carl the talking refrigerator in love with robot Betty. Well, who wouldn't be?
• Location: Could be the States, could be England, could be somewhere no one has ever heard of. All we do know is that the address is 888 Middle Way.
• The Eights find their powers and gifts at a rate of one sister per month, so Annie found hers in January, Durinda found hers in February, Georgia found hers in March, Jackie—
Oh, look. Fancy that: the calendar page is about to turn, and when it does...
Look out, everyone! There's a story coming your way!
Jackie, look out! Your month is about to—
CHAPTER ONE
—Start.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008, approximately five thirty in the morning.
"Annie, Durinda, Georgia, Jackie, Petal, Rebecca, Zinnia—come quick!" Marcia
Let's recap.
Hmm ... what's that? You say you don't know what recap means?
Oh, dear. First the book is talking to you, and now you're talking to the book. My, but I think you are in trouble. Is there perhaps a doctor you should be seeing about that? You know, there are special doctors who can help with all sorts of things.
While you're thinking that over, let me explain that recap, which is what I'm about to do, is when a person repeats the main points of something, turning a complicated something into a much clearer something. There are many reasons you might want to do a recap: (1) you might worry your listeners have fallen asleep at some point; (2) you might worry no one was ever really paying attention in the first place; or (3) you might need to remind yourself of all the important points because the story's gotten so confusing, you don't remember where you are anymore, plus you have a feeling something even more important is going to happen soon and you need to know where you've been in order to know where you're going.
I'd ask which reason you think applies here, but you're off seeing that doctor about your little problem, aren't you? So I'll just do my recap now, even if I'm the only one listening. Deep breath. Here goes:
• Eight sisters, octuplets, almost eight, will be eight on August 8, 2008. Named, from oldest to youngest: Annie, Durinda, Georgia, Jackie, Marcia, Petal, Rebecca, Zinnia. Last name: Huit. All with brown hair, brown eyes. Each is one minute older than the next. Each is one inch taller than the next.
• Eight cats, all gray and white puffballs: Anthrax, Dandruff, Greatorex, Jaguar, Minx, Precious, Rambunctious, Zither.
• Magnificent stone home that looks like a castle, crazy rooms, inventions—too bad they don't all work as they ought to.
• New Year's Eve in 2007: Mom (Lucy) goes to kitchen for eggnog, Dad (Robert) goes out for more firewood, neither one comes back. Oh no. This can't be good.
• Note found behind loose stone in drawing room says each sister must find her power and gift in order to find out what happened to Mommy and Daddy. By the way, Mommy is a scientist and Daddy is a model, so you'd think they'd be able to get out of any jam, but who knows this time.
• Eight little girls, home all alone—that can't be good either.
• Annie's power: can be smart as an adult; Annie's gift: purple ring.
• Durinda's power: can freeze anyone, except Zinnia, by tapping her leg three times rapidly and then pointing sharply at a person; Durinda's gift: green earrings.
• Georgia's power: can make herself invisible by twitching her nose twice; Georgia's gift: a golden compact, which she sent back the first time the carrier pigeon tried to bring it. (Note: Carrier pigeons visit the Eights often. This could be important at some point.)
• Each cat has the same power as the Eight that it belongs to.
• Zinnia thinks that the animals understand her and that she understands them. Everyone else has doubts about this.
• Pete the mechanic, good; Mrs. Pete, good; the Wicket, evil; Crazy Serena, crazy; the McG, better than she was.
• The Eights still love Will Simms, and they like Mandy Stenko better than before.
• Carl the talking refrigerator in love with robot Betty. Well, who wouldn't be?
• Location: Could be the States, could be England, could be somewhere no one has ever heard of. All we do know is that the address is 888 Middle Way.
• The Eights find their powers and gifts at a rate of one sister per month, so Annie found hers in January, Durinda found hers in February, Georgia found hers in March, Jackie—
Oh, look. Fancy that: the calendar page is about to turn, and when it does...
Look out, everyone! There's a story coming your way!
Jackie, look out! Your month is about to—
CHAPTER ONE
—Start.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008, approximately five thirty in the morning.
"Annie, Durinda, Georgia, Jackie, Petal, Rebecca, Zinnia—come quick!" Marcia
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