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Welcome to A Bedtime Story. I'm Matthew Mitchell, and tonight's story is titled The Canopy of Inverted Rain, Part 2 of this week's series: The Audit of Anomalous Artifacts.

Juniper was the kind of agent who could walk through a laser-grid security system while drinking a cup of coffee and not spill a single drop. She was currently standing on the roof of a hundred-story skyscraper, looking at an umbrella that was causing a very specific meteorological crisis. Leo joined her, his tuxedo feeling far too tight. They were at a party hosted by Penelope, a woman who had more money than sense and a collection of art that defied several foundational laws of physics.

"Is that it?" Leo asked, looking at the crimson silk umbrella standing in a stone fountain.

"That is the Inverse Canopy," Juniper said, tapping her communication earpiece. "Penelope thinks it is a sculpture called The Ascending Soul. She has no idea that if the wind hits it at the right angle, it will start pulling the ocean into the sky. Look at the water in the fountain."

Leo leaned over the marble edge. Instead of splashing down, the water was rising in thin, elegant ribbons, hitting the underside of the umbrella and disappearing into a tiny, localized wormhole. The guests were standing around, applauding the beautiful effect, unaware that their shoes were starting to feel very light.

"We have to swap it," Juniper said. "I have the replica in the violin case. You provide the distraction. Use the department's standard protocol for socialite engagement."

Leo sighed and straightened his bow tie. He walked over to Penelope, who was holding a glass of something blue and glowing. "Excuse me, ma'am," he said, putting on his most charming agent voice. "I couldn't help but notice your exquisite taste in emeralds. They remind me of the rare stones found in the mountains of Veridia."

Penelope turned, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of a new admirer. "Oh, do you really think so? These were a gift from a very famous explorer who said they were mined by people who live underground."

While Leo kept Penelope occupied with a fictional history of subterranean jewelers, Juniper moved toward the fountain. She was a shadow among the guests, her movements calculated and silent. She reached out and grasped the mahogany handle of the umbrella. As soon as she touched it, the gravity on the roof shifted. A tray of appetizers floated off a waiter's hand, drifting slowly toward the moon. A woman's hat flew upward, trailing a long silk ribbon. The guests gasped, thinking it was all part of the performance.

Juniper quickly pulled the real umbrella from the stand and jammed the replica into its place. The ribbons of water suddenly collapsed, splashing back into the fountain with a loud thud. The appetizer tray fell back to the deck, scattering tiny shrimp everywhere.

"What happened to the soul?" Penelope cried, looking at the now-normal fountain. "My ascending soul has descended!"

Leo grabbed Juniper's hand as she hurried past. "I think that is our cue to leave," he whispered.

They ran for the elevator, the Inverse Canopy vibrating in Juniper's grip. Because it was no longer anchored to a fountain, its power was becoming unstable. Every time the elevator dipped, Leo felt like his stomach was going to come out of his mouth.

"Why do these things always act up when we move them?" Leo asked, leaning against the mirrored wall of the elevator.

"Because they are pieces of a broken whole," Juniper replied. "Uncle Arthur kept them in a containment field for decades. Now that they are out in the wild, they are trying to find their way back to the main inventory. This umbrella wants to be near the kettle, and they both want to be near the third piece."

They reached the lobby and burst out onto the street. The air was thick with the scent of rain, but not a single drop was falling. Instead, the puddles on the sidewalk were shivering, their surfaces rising into the air in tiny misty spikes.

"Where is the third piece?" Leo asked, looking at the shivering puddles.

"It is on a delivery truck heading for the airport," Juniper said, pointing toward the highway. "If that briefcase gets on a plane, the cabin pressure will turn the passengers into two-dimensional drawings. We need to catch that truck before it reaches the gate."

Leo looked at the crimson umbrella, then at the sky. "This job was supposed to be about filing reports," he thought. "Nobody mentioned the high-speed chases."

"Hurry up, Leo!" Juniper shouted, already halfway to the van. "The gravity in this zip code is starting to lose its grip!"