Carver dropped the volume to a normal level. "Funkelsnort miscalculated how long it would take to get my new [i]accessory[/i] built and properly working." He gestured to the tracking device, its little red light casting warped, blinking shadows against the wall behind the ladder. "And I had to wait for Jewel to walk down here with me."

He wrapped an arm around the rungs of the ladder, halting his descent about halfway to the floor. "Which is why I was hollering. They need to know [i]exactly[/i] when practice is going to end tonight, so they know when to come retrieve me. I'm not allowed out of the tower at all anymore, except to practice or for supervised Halloween-prep errands."