This chapter introduces Drake McBride, president of Red Diamond Energy, and his right-hand man, Jimmy Lee Bayliss. Red Diamond set the forest fire in order to keep the kids from stumbling on their drilling operation—and the piercing scream the students heard in the woods actually was a Florida panther, scared away with a gunshot because “[i]f some overeager wildlife officer decided that Red Diamond’s drilling activities were disturbing panther habitat, the whole project could be delayed or even shut down” (92). 

At the Truman School on Monday, Nick shows up with his right arm immobilized in a bandage and sling because, as he explains, “‘I want to go through the same thing as Dad’” (93). He struggles to do everything left-handed. Dr. Dressler has finally hired a substitute for Mrs. Starch, the “legendary wacko” (97) Wendell Waxmo. Wendell Waxmo makes the students sing nursery rhymes and designs his lesson plans by page number: “‘On Mondays I always teach page 117—and only page 117—regardless of the subject matter’” (101). As the students are grappling with their insane new teacher, Duane Jr. suddenly walks in, and the class is astonished to see him acting respectfully, with neat clothes and hair.