Chapter by Chapter features me reading one chapter of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.
I don’t know if they’ve mastered their new power yet, but at least Crede, Zucker, and Hal know how it works. Will that be enough to halt the invasion? Is Morris Green really Hoylt, and what is his plan either way? Well, considering this week’s chapter title, I think we’re about to find out.
Chapter 12: Hoylt
With a crossbones flag. Maybe Hoylt is a pirate? No, it’s missing the skull part.
I was hoping Susan was going to get Crede to ask her to the parade mentioned last chapter, but no such luck. Instead she drafted him and Zucker, as well as Paul (everyone thinks Hal is just a dog) to help build a float for the parade because she told her boss that she knew how to build one…but really doesn’t. You really need to stop doing that, girl. I hope she’s going to take cooking lessons at college at least.
It’s at the auditorium that the plot rams right in. Morris Green shows up for photo ops without the key. Seeing an opportunity, Crede and Hal sneak off and use their teleportation trick to get into Green’s apartment and search. But that’s when Crede (while Hal is in another room) meets up with Hoylt in his natural non-corporeal state. He tells Crede that the key isn’t here but at the parade he might see it, and then leaves. Later, our heroes compare notes. Green left soon after Crede and Hal, then Paul left to get some food for everyone, so Zucker couldn’t help. Also, they deduce that the storm they assume will herald the invasion will not happen on the Sunday of the parade so they have time. Can they overpower the corrupted villain?
So what is Hoylt’s game? Is it an invasion as they assume? If he is waiting for the rain storm (because we know how well they can predict rain months out, from where Hal and Zucker found Morris’ chart a few chapters back), then what is he planning? I have to wonder how accurate our heroes’ theory is. Usually in these stories they figure it out pretty fast, but could Broderick being attempting a surprise? Well, everybody loves a parade so maybe we’ll find out next time. We’re getting closer to the end.
Next Time: Anticipation
I think that’s a cherry bomb at the top of the chapter. That can’t be good.
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