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His outfit made him look like an old-time schoolboy dressed for fall instead of summer.
    â€œWhy’d you do that?” Teddy said, rubbing his head where he’d been struck by the sycamore ball.
    â€œI didn’t,” the boy replied. “The tree dropped it.”
    â€œIt’s a pretty odd coincidence,” Teddy said, “seeing as you were sitting directly above me when it fell straight down and hit me directly in the middle of the head.”
    â€œA wiseacre, eh?” the boy said. “I like that.”
    Before Teddy could reply, he heard a long, low groan, like the creaking timbers of a massive wooden ship. He whirled around to find the source, but it seemed to come from all around him, even up from the ground.
    â€œAre you making that sound?” he asked.
    The kid chuckled. “Do I look like I could make a sound that grand?”
    As Teddy stood trying to figure out what might make such a grand sound, he spotted a large branch above his head swaying in the breeze. Only it wasn’t just moving back and forth—it was also moving down toward him, creaking and groaning as it came. The branch descended to within arm’s reach of Teddy and stopped directly in front of him.
    Teddy leaped back. “Did you see that?” he gasped. “That branch just moved!”
    The kid nodded and slid from his own branch onto the base of the moving branch, perching himself so that his legs dangled over the side. “Sure. The wind blows. They make noise. They go up. They come down. They move side to side. It’s no big deal.”
    Teddy eyed the tree suspiciously, unconvinced that it was just the wind.
    â€œSwell, huh?” the boy said. “It’s the biggest tree on the block.” He waved a foot toward the smaller birch, willow, and fruit trees lining the long street.
    â€œYou live near here?”
    â€œYeah,” Teddy said. “I just moved in next door.”
    â€œI’m Eugene,” the boy announced, “but everyone just calls me Sloot. I’m pretty much in charge around here, because I’ve been here the longest.”
    Teddy had a sudden brainstorm. “Hey, since you’ve lived here so long, do you know Walter or Albert?”
    â€œOf course,” Sloot said.
    â€œReally?” Teddy asked, excited and a little surprised that someone finally knew what he was talking about. “I just met them, but they both kind of disappeared.”
    â€œNonsense,” Sloot said. “I saw them this morning.”

CHAPTER 10
    Teddy let out a deep breath as relief washed over him. Somehow Walter hadn’t been buried and Albert had gotten away.
    â€œThat’s so great . . . !” he exclaimed, the words pouring out of him now. “Whoa. You wouldn’t believe what I thought happened to them. I mean, Walter must have totally fooled me, because it seemed so real when he—”
    â€œThey’re fine!” Sloot interrupted angrily. “Walter’s as weird as ever, and Albert’s still a lard-butt. Do we really need to blather on about them?”
    â€œUh, no, I guess not,” Teddy mumbled, taken aback by Sloot’s change in tone.
    â€œSo, do you like this place?” Sloot asked quickly, changing the subject.
    â€œNo offense, but I think it’s a little weird.”
    Sloot laughed. “Boy howdy, you got that right. The G-men built this town from nuthin’ right up out of the desert a few years ago.”
    â€œG-men?”
    â€œGovernment men. Do your folks work at the nuke-u-lar project? You can tell me. I’ll keep it under my hat.”
    â€œMy mom does, yeah,” Teddy said. “But I don’t think it’s a secret.”
    Sloot shrugged. “Well, loose lips sink ships, as they say. My dad works there too, but if he knew I said something about it he’d give me a knuckle sandwich, so don’t you go tellin’ anybody.” Sloot made a fist and gave Teddy a