"Deep in the Pennsylvania woods, the Carrigan family engages in a battle of wits with a creature of wood and leaf from a parallel world—a sentient plant whose intention is to exterminate humanity to prevent a manmade climate disaster. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game of subtle half-truths, unstable alliances, and intricate puzzles that will either destroy Earth or transform it forever."
The creature cocked its head as though needing to see her from another angle. “Do you like the flowers?”
“She can’t see them,” Liam said. “She’s visually impaired. She can only see patches of light and dark.”
Whipstitch approached and stretched out a hand toward her.
Liam pulled Millie back.
Whipstitch hesitated. “I will not harm her.” He touched her forehead with a twiglike digit then withdrew.
She blinked. “I see them!”
“What do you see?” Liam asked.
“The flowers—I see the flowers!”
“That’s impossible.”
“I see them!” she insisted. “All the colors—they’re so lovely!”
“Advanced phytochrome cells have restored her sight,” Whipstitch said.
“But they are incompatible with animal physiology. Soon, they will fade, and she will revert to the way she was.”
“What do you want?” Cara asked.
“To know you,” Whipstitch replied. “I have never met an intelligent animal before.”
“Where are you from?”
“A world much like this one. Only your world is different. Warped.
Things are opposite to the way they should be.” Whipstitch knelt, touched a dogtooth violet, and breathed a light mist. The flower pulled itself up by the roots and walked onto his hand. He stroked the petals.
“Wh-What are you?” Liam asked, trying to still the tremor in his voice.
“I am from the other side of the great divide, the schism between the kingdom of animals and the kingdom of plants.”
“You’re a plant?”
“Yes, but unlike any you know. In your world, plants have not developed their true potential. As a result, animals have grown dominant, threatening your world’s very existence. They choke your air, f air, foul your waters, and enflame the vegetation on which all life depends. I have been sent to correct the balance.”
He held out a hand, and the violet scuttled across his fingers to open its yellow flower and snap at Liam and the girls.
Liam swept Millie into his arms, grabbed Cara by the wrist, turned, and ran.
The creature cocked its head as though needing to see her from another angle. “Do you like the flowers?”
“She can’t see them,” Liam said. “She’s visually impaired. She can only see patches of light and dark.”
Whipstitch approached and stretched out a hand toward her.
Liam pulled Millie back.
Whipstitch hesitated. “I will not harm her.” He touched her forehead with a twiglike digit then withdrew.
She blinked. “I see them!”
“What do you see?” Liam asked.
“The flowers—I see the flowers!”
“That’s impossible.”
“I see them!” she insisted. “All the colors—they’re so lovely!”
“Advanced phytochrome cells have restored her sight,” Whipstitch said.
“But they are incompatible with animal physiology. Soon, they will fade, and she will revert to the way she was.”
“What do you want?” Cara asked.
“To know you,” Whipstitch replied. “I have never met an intelligent animal before.”
“Where are you from?”
“A world much like this one. Only your world is different. Warped.
Things are opposite to the way they should be.” Whipstitch knelt, touched a dogtooth violet, and breathed a light mist. The flower pulled itself up by the roots and walked onto his hand. He stroked the petals.
“Wh-What are you?” Liam asked, trying to still the tremor in his voice.
“I am from the other side of the great divide, the schism between the kingdom of animals and the kingdom of plants.”
“You’re a plant?”
“Yes, but unlike any you know. In your world, plants have not developed their true potential. As a result, animals have grown dominant, threatening your world’s very existence. They choke your air, f air, foul your waters, and enflame the vegetation on which all life depends. I have been sent to correct the balance.”
He held out a hand, and the violet scuttled across his fingers to open its yellow flower and snap at Liam and the girls.
Liam swept Millie into his arms, grabbed Cara by the wrist, turned, and ran.