Flora and Ulysses Chapter 18 Summary

A Scientific Adventure

  • Tootie suggests they just take the squirrel back to "the wild" (a.k.a. the backyard), and thinks this is a bit of a scientific adventure. 
  • William isn't so sure this qualifies as science, however. 
  • Flora's mom tells Tootie to grab some gloves before touching the rodent so she doesn't get sick, and so she goes to get some. 
  • Meanwhile, Flora asks William what caused him to go blind in the first place, but he'd rather not say. 
  • She thinks he's being "unnecessarily cryptic" and says so. She also tells William not to worry because she a cynic; not much can throw her. 
  • Then Flora shows Tootie what the squirrel typed: "Squirtel! I am. Ulysses. Born anew." See—this is proof that they are not suffering from an extended hallucination. 
  • It's also proof that Ulysses is a superhero, Flora thinks. 
  • Wait a minute… William points out that Flora—a self-labeled cynic—actually believes in something highly unlikely: a superhero squirrel. 
  • He wants the squirrel to prove it by typing something again.