"I was afraid I'd get caught," Fern related to April, "but fortunately it turned out to be Marina, Prunella's blind friend. I managed to get the stone back and sneak past her."

"And a good thing, too," said April. "I'd hate for you to have to explain to Mrs. Prufrock how you managed to enter the house unnoticed."

"I suppose you want the stone back now," said Fern, lifting the object in her palm. "I'm not very good at using it."

"No, hold on to it," said April, waving her hand. "You need the practice. So, what did you find out?"

"I read her diary," Fern replied. "She doesn't know where Alan is, but she wrote something about an object in her brain that showed up on the MRI images. There was an envelope on her desk—I think it contained the pictures, but I didn't get a chance to look."

"What kind of an object?" April asked her.

"I'm not sure. She thinks the aliens implanted it when they operated on her brain."

April fingered her chin. "Hmm…maybe that's why telepathy doesn't work on her."

"It could be a medical device," Fern theorized, "or perhaps a surveillance device."

"Surveillance?" April pondered. "You mean the aliens can see and hear everything Prunella does?"

"I can't imagine why they'd need to," said Fern.

"Maybe they want to monitor Prunella's health," said April thoughtfully.

"Or cheat on their homework," Fern added.

April gave her an earnest look. "If that's true—if it's possible to communicate with the aliens through Prunella—then we can use that to our advantage."

After consulting with April, Fern hurried back to her house for a late dinner. As was her habit, she sat down in front of the computer screen before taking care of any other business (including the bathroom). Here was something else the Tegan part of her had missed—the expectation of e-mail and chat messages from friends.

"Hi, Fern," said a message from Binky. "Sure wish you'd come back to the show. Wyatt stared at me the whole time while speaking his lines. Maybe it's my imagination, but I am a big muscular guy, and kinda handsome, so I don't know what to think."

Fern tapped out a sarcastic reply: IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD, ESPECIALLY THE PART ABOUT BEING HANDSOME.

"Hi, Fernie," said Mrs. Walters, poking her head over the kitchen counter. "I saved five pieces of ravioli for you, just like you asked."

"Thanks, Mom," said Fern with a smile.

"Make sure you eat it all this time," said her mother.

Fern nodded and turned her eyes back to the screen. "Guess what, Fern?" said an e-mail from Muffy. "My dad said he's gonna buy us a new limo on Saturday. I asked if he was gonna get a Lincoln Continental. He said he would get something just as nice, but more cost-effective. That means 'more for your money' in car salesman talk."

Opening the Instant Messenger window, she saw a note that excited her more than any other: HI FERN, IT'S GRETA. TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR NEW BOYFRIEND.

The poodle girl couldn't type fast enough. HI GRETA! BUSTER WASN"T IN TOWN LAST YEAR, SO YOU DIDN'T GET TO MEET HIM.

By the time she had nibbled down her fourth piece of ravioli, Greta had responded: I'D LIKE TO MEET BUSTER.

Fern's heart pounded with joy. ARE YOU SERIOUS? she typed.

She held her breath for ten seconds, and then the word appeared: YES.

The prospect of seeing Greta thrilled Fern beyond words. She had met the horse girl a year before, and they had forged a great friendship, which was cut short when Greta departed over paranoid fears about Mr. Baker, Fern's drama coach. Despite Fern's probing, she had never found the reasons for Greta's concern, or D.W.'s odd mutation into a horse girl exactly resembling her.

IS IT SAFE? was Greta's next typed message.

Fern tried to come up with some reassuring words. MR. BAKER MOVED AWAY AFTER LOSING HIS JOB, she entered. NO ONE ELSE HAS BOTHERED ME ABOUT YOU.

An answer shortly came. I'LL COME TO YOUR HOUSE TOMORROW.

She's coming here, thought Fern gladly.

As she imagined the preparations she would make, a startling thought occurred to her. Mr. Baker thought Greta was a unicorn. I didn't believe in unicorns and ghosts and fairies before, but now that I've learned about the Brainchildren, and shared my mind with one of them, anything seems possible. Why is Greta so secretive? How was she able to change D.W.'s appearance? Did Mr. Baker really stand before a Unicorn Council with Arthur and Francine?

Could Greta be a Brainchild in hiding?

to be continued