“A bear,” Trevor said.

“Correct,” Mr. Stott replied. “If you eat it, you will transform into a Kodiak bear, the largest of the brown bears.”

“Awesome,” Trevor approved.

Mr. Stott placed the bear cracker back inside the box. “Your bond to the simulacrum Jonas White produced corresponds directly to your physical form. While you remain in an altered shape, your simulacrum should prove useless. The transformation will only last for about half an hour. When you revert to your actual shape, you will become vulnerable again.”

“What other animals do you have?” Trevor asked.

“I’ve cooked up a mountain gorilla, a golden eagle, a great white shark, a Siberian tiger, a gray wolf, and the Kodiak bear. I made two of each. The effort stretched me to my limits. I want to retain one set for whoever loses the next competition.”

“So I get to go with Victor?” Trevor verified.

“It won’t be a picnic,” Victor warned.

“I bet,” Trevor said. “You guys don’t usually go after magicians in their lairs.”

“Not ideally,” Victor said. “However, this lair is more vulnerable than some. By taking prisoners and holding them in his lair, Jonas White has reduced his claim on the space, weakening his entitlement to protective magic. The more prisoners he holds, the more fragile his barriers become. Parts of Arcadeland are open to the public, which further weakens the lair. Plus, a Simulcrist needs to leave certain barriers down in order for his simulacra to stay connected with their targets.”

“Still, Jonas White is an old magician with plenty of skill,” Ziggy said. “He has help from several engineered apprentices, and we can count on him to have a number of other tricks up his sleeve.”

“That means Victor will need help,” Trevor said. “I’m coming. I have to help my friends.”

“They could use all the help they can get,” Ziggy said. “We haven’t confronted a threat like Jonas White in quite some time. The world is in big trouble.”

“Your clothes will be absorbed into the animal you become,” Mr. Stott explained. “Small items on your person as well. After you spend half an hour as a tiger, for example, you’ll revert to your true form, fully dressed with all of your gear.”

“Definitely beats having to streak across town looking for clothes,” Trevor said gratefully. “So I can keep extra crackers with me, and eat another as soon as I become human again?”

“That is exactly what I would suggest,” Mr. Stott approved. “The longer you spend in your human form, the more opportunity you’ll give Jonas to attack you with your simulacrum. Keep the Bestial Biscuits handy.”

“Are we ready to go?” Trevor asked.

“I believe so,” Mr. Stott said, looking to Victor.

Ziggy began to age, shrink, and droop. Victor swelled with new muscle, gaining several inches of stature. His face became more youthful and chiseled. His suit coat looked ready to burst. He rolled his head on his thick neck, producing snaps and pops.

“I’m ready now,” Victor said.

Ziggy sagged into a chair, wiping sweat from his brow.

“You all right?” Victor asked.

Ziggy nodded sluggishly. “I figured you could use all that I could spare. I’ll be fine. You’re the one heading into the thick of it.”

“You’ll probably want to start as an animal that can ride in a car,” Mr. Stott advised Trevor. “Victor can have a second biscuit ready for when you storm Arcadeland.”

“Will I still feel like myself?” Trevor asked.

“Losing yourself in your new form is an inherent risk of shape-shifting,” Mr. Stott said. “I’ve taken some measures to limit the risks. I modified the animals so that their senses will feel closer to what you’re used to experiencing. The minds of the animals will react as if under the influence of Brain Feed, which should allow your mental processes to remain unclouded. The limited time you’ll spend as each creature will also help you retain your self-possession.”

“Okay, let’s do it,” Trevor said. “I guess I’ll start as a wolf.”

Mr. Stott rummaged in the box. “Let me find the right biscuit.”

“Why call them biscuits?” Trevor wondered.

“Here in America, biscuits are fluffy,” Mr. Stott said. “In Britain, biscuits are like cookies or crackers.”

“Are you British?”

“Not particularly.” He held out a cracker to Trevor. “I guess I liked the alliteration—Bestial Biscuits.”

Trevor accepted the biscuit. “You want to give Victor the box?”

“I’ll give you the box,” Mr. Stott said. “It should disappear along with your clothes and remain with you. But let’s give Victor the biscuit you want to use inside Arcadeland. Eat it the moment you change out of your wolf form.”

“What should I use?” Trevor asked Victor.

“I’m no animal expert,” Victor said. “Gorilla, bear, or tiger all sound good.”

“I guess bear,” Trevor said. “It seems big and heavy and strong. A tiger seems better outside. A bear could bulldoze through those halls. Hopefully I’ll be able to help you knock down doors and intimidate the bad guys.”

“I like it,” Victor said, accepting the bear cracker from Mr. Stott. “Let’s get rolling.”

Trevor put the wolf biscuit in his mouth. It tasted like cinnamon shortbread, but it was a little too chalky for him to call it delicious. When he swallowed, his entire body burned and tingled. His arms and legs shortened as he fell forward. His nose and mouth elongated into a muzzle, his ears shifted higher up his head, a tail sprouted from his rear, and fur emerged all over his body.

By the time his front paws hit the ground, the rapid transformation felt complete. Trevor could feel new strength in his jaws. His eyesight seemed pretty much unchanged. He sensed a new spectrum of aromas rising from the carpet, as well as distinct odors coming from Mr. Stott and the Battiatos. Faint sounds that he hadn’t noticed before came to him clearly, like the news on the TV in the family room. Trevor stretched his back and lifted his paws. The new form felt surprisingly natural.

“Quick change,” Ziggy said.

“How do you feel?” Mr. Stott asked.

“Great,” Trevor said. “My hearing is sharper. I’m picking up new smells. I want to run.”