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In the end, Maurecia whummphraaaapped on an easy one, two plus three.
She was probably just tired. She had been jumping for almost an hour and had earned 211 points.
Joy didn’t see her fall. She had quit watching long before.
26
The Ultimate, Ultimate Test
Yes, that’s two ultimates.
The word ultimate has two meanings. It could mean final, or it could mean most important.
The Stairway Quiz was both. It was the final event of the third day, and it counted double.
The students were worn out before they started. They’d already had the science crawl, right and left handwriting, animal imitations, upside-down singing, and blindfolded smelling.
The Stairway Quiz would require knowledge, stamina, and most important, speed.
This was Deedee’s special talent.
Deedee was a pretty fast runner on flat ground, but she was even faster going up and down stairs. That was because her left leg was a little bit shorter than her right leg. Or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, it gave her an obvious advantage.
Louis, the yard teacher, stood next to the bottom step. “On your mark!” he called out. “Get set!”
Louis blew his whistle.
The children rushed past him, knees pumping and elbows flailing.
Deedee started way back in the pack, but besides her uneven legs, she had another advantage. She was skinny and short. She could squeeze past the slower kids ahead of her.
And they were all slower than Deedee.
As she neared the third floor, only Dameon remained ahead of her.
A man with a black mustache was waiting on the landing.
“How many quarts in a gallon?” he asked Dameon.
“Eight,” said Dameon.
Dameon was sent back down to the first floor.
“Name a city in England,” he said to Deedee.
“London!” Deedee shouted, then continued on up.
Dr. Pickle was waiting on the fourth floor. “Are dreams real?” he asked.
Deedee was stumped. She could hear other kids charging up the stairs behind her. She hated to have to go back down.
“They’re real dreams,” she said.
Dr. Pickle rubbed his beard. “Very interesting answer,” he said, and let her pass.
By the time she reached the ninth floor, she could only hear distant footsteps behind her.
