The Never War

FIRST EARTH

When I walked through the front doors of the Manhattan Tower Hotel, Gunny was the first person I saw. He was at his Bell Captain post, dressed in his spiffy uniform, acting as if nothing had happened. The lobby was buzzing with people, all reading special-edition newspapers that had accounts of theHindenburgdisaster. It seemed like everybody had their own theory as to what had caused the explosion and crash.

None of them were right, of course.

Gunny and I took the elevator up to my room on the sixth floor so we could talk in private.

“Everything’s cool,” I said to Gunny as we entered the room. “Third Earth is exactly the way we left it.”

Gunny let out a relieved breath. “Where’s Spader?”

“Back home on Cloral,” I said. “He needs some time to get his head around what happened.”

“Does he understand?” Gunny asked.

“About theHindenburg, yeah,” I answered. “The big question is, can we count on him in the future?”

“And?”

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “I hope so.” I sat down on the couch, sinking into the soft cushions. I was suddenly very tired. I think I could have fallen asleep for a week. The tension was finally gone. We had been in overdrive for a long time, and now that we were done, I was ready to crash. But my mind wouldn’t let me.

“Gunny, I’m scared,” I said.

“About what? Saint Dane?”

“I’m scared about what we had to do to stop him,” I said. I spoke slowly, trying to put my thoughts into words. “Letting theHindenburgblow up was…”

I couldn’t think of a big enough word to describe how horrible it was.

“I hear you,” Gunny said.

“And I’m scared of what might happen the next time Saint Dane tries to test me,” I added. “What if I don’t have somebody like you around to cover my back? Gunny, he didn’t care about what happened to the Earth territories. This was about proving he could control us. Control me! You know what that means? It means he won. I was going to kick over that rocket.”

“But you didn’t.”

“Only because you were there. Saint Dane proved his point. Gunny, I can’t do this.”

Gunny sat back in his chair, nodding slowly. When he finally spoke it was with a calm, sure voice that I wanted so badly to believe in.

“None of us asked for this job,” he began. “I’d just as soon live out my days here at the hotel, never knowing anybody named Saint Dane or people called Travelers. But that’s not the way things turned out.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

“But there’s one thing I think about that gives me a little peace of mind. Maybe it’ll help you, too.” ”Go for it,” I said. “I’ll take anything.”

“Ever since your uncle told me I was a Traveler, I’ve been wondering why I’d been chosen. Still do. Why us? We’re nothing special, just regular folks. But the more I think about it, the more I’ve got to believe there’s something bigger at play here. I think we’ve each been chosen for a reason. Like last night. I truly believe I was at theHindenburgto do what I did. This may sound silly, but thinking that way gives me a little hope that maybe we just might be the right ones to be doing this after all.”

“So, if we were chosen, who did the choosing?”

“Exactly! That’s the big question. Who is it that has the kind of vision it takes to see how things should be, and play chess with a guy like Saint Dane? I haven’t got a clue. But whoever it is, he wants Saint Dane to fail. That means he’s a good guy. And I like the idea of a powerful good guy being on our side.” Gunny smiled and said, “Maybe your back is covered a little bit more than you think.”

Could it be? Could there be some grand plan at work? Was there a guy out there who wanted to stop Saint Dane and chose us to be his soldiers? If there was, I’d sure like to know. Maybe I wouldn’t feel so alone anymore.

“You’re a smart guy, Gunny,” I said.

“I’m nothing of the sort,” he said back to me. “I’ve just been around a while. I plan on being around a good while longer, too.”

I rolled over, closed my eyes, and went to sleep. Right there on the couch. It was the first good night’s rest I’d had in a long time.

The next few days were spent finishing this journal and saying good-bye. I tried to see Jinx, but she had already checked out of the hotel. Maybe it was a good thing. I wasn’t sure what I’d say if she started asking about theHindenburg. Wherever she was, whatever the future held for her, I silently wished her luck.

I said good-bye to my friends on the hotel staff. Dewey Todd was all sorts of excited because his father had just built another hotel out in Hollywood, and he was leaving New York to run the place. Can you believe it? Dewey was going to get his own hotel. I hoped he had learned more about running a hotel than he had about running the elevator. He wished me well and said if I was ever out in Hollywood to look him up.

As soon as I finish this last journal from First Earth, I’m going to give it to Gunny to have them bound. I wish I could send them to you through my ring, but I’m afraid it’s gone for good. There’s no way I’m going looking for it. I’ve had my fill of gangsters.

Tomorrow I’m going to take the train out to Stony Brook and put the journals in a safe-deposit box at the National Bank. This way, when the calendar comes around, you’ll be able to pick them up. After that, I don’t know what I’ll do with my journals.

The next question is, where do I go from here? The logical answer would be to Veelox. Saint Dane said he was headed there. But was that to lure me into another trap? Even if it were, do I have any choice?

I began this journal by telling you guys I had reached my own turning point. Part of that was because I had seen the kind of destruction Saint Dane was trying to cause on the Earth territories. You don’t see something frightening like that and shrug it off. If I didn’t fully realize it before, I do now.

But maybe more important was the moment when I watched the fuse burning on the rocket that was about to destroy theHindenburg. In that moment I knew what I was supposed to do, but I didn’t do it.

When it comes right down to it, was my mistake any different than what I accused Spader of? I let my emotions control me, just as Spader did. As I’m writing this journal, I’m admitting that I have very real doubts about myself as a Traveler. Saint Dane put me at that rocket to prove a point. He knew I wouldn’t be able to let theHindenburgcrash, which means he knew how to control me.

I can’t let that happen again. The stakes are way too high. I know that, now more than ever. If there’s anything good that came from my failure on First Earth, it’s that I have now totally given myself over to being a Traveler.

One way or another, I’m in it to the end.

As I’ve written so many times before, I hope you guys are reading this. I have no idea when I’ll be able to write again, or from what territory. All I can say is, check the safe-deposit box at the bank every so often to see if there are any new deliveries. I won’t stop writing. I can’t. Writing these journals has kept me sane. It makes me feel as if you guys are here with me. So until the next time, have fun, be safe, and think about me every once in a while.

Your friend,

Bobby

END OF JOURNAL #12

…Your friend, Bobby.

Courtney lowered the final journal and looked at Mark. They had been taking turns reading aloud to each other for the last five hours in Courtney’s father’s basement workshop. They ate turkey sandwiches and chips and carrots. Mark drank Dew, Courtney stuck with water. They only took breaks for the bathroom. It had been a marathon, and now it was over.

Courtney slammed the journal down on the table in front of them. “I’m totally freaked out,” she announced.

“Yeah, m-me too,” Mark said, relieved that Courtney admitted it first. “If Gunny hadn’t let theHindenburgblow up-“

“We wouldn’t be talking about it,” Courtney concluded.

“Exactly,” Mark said. “No New York, no Stony Brook, no… us.”

“I’m afraid to look outside,” Courtney said. “What if the world has changed?”

“It hasn’t,” Mark said with authority. “The Travelers made sure of that.”

“This is getting serious, Mark” Courtney said with rising panic. “I mean, this is too close to home.” The two stared at the closed journals, letting the thought hang there. Finally Mark said, “Maybe not.”

“What do you mean?” Courtney shot back with surprise. “You’re the one who said Saint Dane was going to show up here sooner or later, right?”

“Yeah, I did,” Mark answered. “I’ve been worried the battle was going to land on Second Earth from the very beginning.”

“And it almost did!” Courtney exclaimed.

“But you know,” Mark continued thoughtfully. “After reading this last journal, I’m thinking there’s a chance we might be off the hook.”

“Seriously?”

“Think about it. If Saint Dane’s plan with theHindenburgwould have destroyed all three Earth territories, maybe he won’t come here after all. I mean, maybe he already took his shot.”

Courtney gave a hopeful look to Mark. “You’re thinking there might not be a turning point here on Second Earth?” she asked.

“No,” he replied. “I’m thinking the turning point for Second and Third Earth might have been the destruction of theHindenburg. Kind of like three-for-one. There’s a chance we may have dodged a pretty huge bullet.”

Courtney thought about this for a moment, then said, “That would be incredible! But, how will we know for sure?”

Mark answered, “That’s the thing. We won’t.”

The two let this hang for a moment. Courtney studied Mark for a second and then said, “You seem kind of disappointed.”

“Me? No, what are you kidding? I’m totally relieved. I just hope I’m right.”

Mark put the journals into his backpack. “I think we should keep all the journals in the safe-deposit box at the bank from now on. It’s way safer than the desk in my attic.” ”Cool,” Courtney said. “I’ll come by your house tomorrow morning. Eight o’clock. We’ll take all the journals in together.”

When he got home Mark went to his bedroom and reread some of Bobby’s adventure. He was looking for clues that might prove his theory about Second Earth. The more he read, the more he felt certain that Second Earth was safe.

And it bothered him.

Courtney had read Mark right. Hewasdisappointed. It wasn’t that he wanted there to be trouble on Second Earth; it was more that he was feeling left out. Bobby had a new life now. It didn’t help when Bobby referred to Spader as his best friend. That stung. He and Bobby had been inseparable since they were toddlers. Now they were growing about as far apart as possible.

Though he never admitted it to Courtney, Mark had fantasized about the day when Saint Dane would make his move on Second Earth. It meant Bobby would come home, and they could all work together to outwit the demon. Now it looked like that chance would never come. If Saint Dane didn’t target Second Earth, Bobby would have no reason to come home.

Mark went to sleep that night feeling as if his one shot at adventure had passed him by.

First thing the next morning Courtney arrived at Mark’s house, and they loaded all twelve of Bobby’s journals into his backpack. It made them nervous to move them, but they felt sure it was worth it. The vault at the National Bank of Stony Brook was way safer than the wooden desk in Mark’s attic.

As they walked to the bank Mark made a decision. He had to tell Courtney how he felt. The two had made a pact to tell each other everything about anything that had to do with Bobby and the journals. When Mark lied to her about Andy Mitchell discovering them, it had led to a total mess. After that Mark promised that he would share everything.

So on the way to the bank, Mark admitted to Courtney that he hoped Saint Dane would still come to Second Earth, so they could join forces with Bobby and battle the evil demon together.

He knew she’d understand.

“Are you crazy?” she shouted back at him.

She didn’t understand. Not even a little bit.

“This isn’t a game, Mark. It’s easy to read those journals while we’re eating carrots all comfy on the couch, but getting involved is a whole ‘nother ballgame.”

“I know that-” Mark said.

“It’s like watching reality shows on TV,” Courtney went on. “People do crazy stuff like jumping across buildings or living on an island with no food or eating bugs, and it doesn’t seem all that hard. But that’s because we can turn off the TV, and go to bed, and know breakfast will be on the table in the morning. If Saint Dane shows up here, we can’t turn off the TV and go to bed.”

“I understand-“

“Do you?” Courtney was getting worked up. “Really? I’ll tell you what I think. I think you sound like Spader.”

“How’s th-that?” Mark shot back, tweaked by the comment.

“Spader is more worried about Spader than about protecting Halla,” Courtney reasoned. “That’s why Bobby told him to go home. If you’re hoping Saint Dane shows up here so you can have an adventure with Bobby, then you’re thinking more about you than you are about Second Earth.”

“Jeez, all right,” Mark shot back. “I get it. It’s not like I can do anything about it, anyway. I’m not gonna call Saint Dane up and invite him over for lunch.”

The two looked at each other, and laughed. The image of Mark calling up Saint Dane was pretty ridiculous. ”Sorry, Mark,” Courtney said with a smile. “I didn’t mean to go up on you like that. I’m just scared, is all.”

“I am too,” Mark said. “But I wanted to let you know how I felt. We promised to do that, right?”

“Yeah, I’m an idiot. I’m sorry,” she said. “I get it. It’s tough reading about all this stuff and not being able to do anything about it. It’s like being on the bench during a big game.”

Mark shrugged. He knew exactly what she meant. He’d never been anyplacebutthe bench during big games. It looked like he was going to have to ride the pines during this one too.

They arrived at the bank just as the doors were being unlocked. Courtney went in first through the revolving door. Just as Mark was about to follow, he stopped. He wasn’t exactly sure why, but he had an odd feeling. Was somebody watching them?

He glanced around the Ave to see several stores were opening up for the day. Some shop owners were using squeegees on their windows, others were unfurling the colorful awnings that hung over the entrances. There was a policeman standing in the center of the intersection, directing traffic. Nothing out of the ordinary. Mark had no idea why he had the strange feeling, so with a shrug, he entered the bank.

Mark and Courtney marched right up to the desk of Ms. Jane Jansen. The pinched woman was already hunched over her computer keyboard, looking busy…

Playing solitaire.

“Working hard?” Courtney asked.

Ms. Jane Jansen was totally embarrassed and closed out her game. When she saw who it was, her face grew even more pinched. Mark thought if she squeezed her cheeks any tighter, her whole face would get sucked in through her mouth.

“Can I help you, children?” she asked through gritted teeth. ”We’d like to get into our safe-deposit box,” Mark said politely.

“But if you’re busy,” Courtney said sarcastically, “we can wait.”

“I don’t suppose you remembered to bring your key?” Ms. Jane Jansen asked.

Mark reached to the chain around his neck and pulled it out from under his shirt. There were now two keys on the chain. One was to the desk in his attic, the other to the safe-deposit box.

“Surprise!” Courtney said.

“Follow me,” Ms. Jane Jansen said as she pulled away from her desk. She looked totally bothered by the interruption.

Mark and Courtney knew the routine. Ms. Jane Jansen led them through the big, round vault door, into the inner vault, and right up to the wall of doors that protected the safe-deposit boxes.

“Would you like me to open it for you?” she asked with a snippy attitude, as if it were the last thing she wanted to do.

“Nah, we can handle it,” Courtney said. “Go back to your game.”

Ms. Jane Jansen wanted to say something back, but thought better of it. After all, they were clients. Instead, she scowled at them and left.

“I love her,” Courtney laughed.

While Courtney opened the door, Mark unloaded all twelve journals from his backpack and placed them into the big steel box. There was plenty of room left over for any new journals that might show up. He then slid the drawer closed, shut the door, and Courtney locked it. The key then went right back to the chain around Mark’s neck. The journals were now as safe as they could possibly be.

On their way out of the bank, they didn’t bother stopping to say good-bye to Ms. Jane Jansen. They didn’t want to disturb her game again. They left the vault, walked through the lobby, and were almost to the front door when-

“Children! One moment please!” It was Ms. Jane Jansen. She hurried up to them, her heels clicking on the marble floor. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes flared.

“I want you two to understand something,” she said angrily. “You may be clients of this bank, but that does not entitle you to messenger service.”

Mark and Courtney looked at each other. They had no idea what she was talking about. “Translation, please,” Courtney asked.

Ms. Jane Jansen held up a brown paper bag, about the size of a grocery bag, with wet stain marks on the bottom.

“When you two went inside the vault, someone came in and asked that I give this to you,” she explained. “This is not appropriate, this is not a service the bank provides, and whatever is in this bag smells.”

Courtney took the bag with curiosity.

“Who was it?” Mark asked.

“I have no idea and I didn’t ask,” Ms. Jane Jansen replied. “As I said, I am not a messenger.”

Courtney cautiously unfolded the top of the brown bag and looked inside. What she saw were three white containers, along with a Dew and two cans of ice teas. She showed the bag to Mark. He looked inside and was just as confused as Courtney. There was also a folded piece of paper inside. Mark pulled it out and read aloud, “Never too early in the morning for Garden Poultry fries. Meet me in the pocket park.” Mark looked to Courtney and added, “It’s signed ‘B.’”

Could it be?

“Do we understand each other?” Ms. Jane Jansen asked.

Courtney reached into the bag, pulled out one box of fries and handed it to the cranky bank lady. ”Absolutely,” Courtney said. “Here, have a party.”

Courtney and Mark ran out of the bank, leaving Ms. Jane Jansen holding a greasy box of French fries. She was just about to toss it in the garbage, when the oily-delicious smell finally got through to her. She took a deep whiff, looked around to make sure nobody was watching, then turned back to her desk with the greasy treat.

Mark and Courtney blasted out of the bank and ran down the Ave, headed for the pocket park. The Ave cut straight through the middle of downtown Stony Brook. It was loaded with small shops, restaurants, and bookstores. It was definitely the biggest kid hangout in town, but since it was so early, no kids were awake and around.

The pocket park halfway down the Ave was a familiar meeting place. At one time there had been a building where the park stood. Now it was an empty space between two other buildings that had been landscaped with grass, trees, and benches.

Courtney arrived first and looked into the park.

The place was nearly empty. There was only one person there, and it wasn’t the person they wanted to find. Mark finally caught up to Courtney and saw the guy. His shoulders sagged. It wasn’t Bobby. This guy was older and taller than Bobby. He had really short, spiky, blond hair and wore thin wraparound sunglasses. He looked like a hip-hop skateboard kid from New York, not Bobby Pendragon from Stony Brook. Courtney and Mark walked cautiously up to him.

“Did you send us this?” Courtney asked while holding up the greasy bag.

The guy was slouched down with both elbows on the back of the bench. When he spoke, he didn’t even look at them. He was being very cool.

“I guess that answers my question,” he said. ”Wh-What question?” Mark asked.

“The question of whether or not anybody would recognize me around here,” he answered.

The guy then pulled down his sunglasses to reveal his eyes. He looked right at Mark and Courtney and broke into a huge grin. “Read any good journals lately?”

Oh yeah, it was Bobby.

Mark and Courtney were totally stunned. Bobby jumped to his feet and the three of themclung to each other in a three-way hug. Nobody said anything. No words could add to the feeling. Finally Bobby pulled back.

“We gotta be cool,” he chuckled. “The last thing we want is to have people checking me out.”

“I swear I didn’t recognize you,” Courtney said with excitement. “You’re… older.”

“Yeah, well, you guys are too,” Bobby said. He gave Courtney an extra look up and down. “Like, alotolder.” Courtney wasn’t sure if she should slug him in the arm, or blush. She did both.

“Ow!” Bobby shouted. He then smiled and said, “Man, it’s been almost a year since I’ve seen you guys. Happy Birthday, Mark.”

“Thanks, man,” Mark said. “This is a pretty amazing present.”

“What’s with the blond hair?” Courtney asked.

“I had ‘em do this at the hotel beauty shop before I left First Earth. They thought I was nuts. It’s not exactly a 1937 look. But I didn’t want anybody recognizing me here.”

Mark said, “I’ve got a million questions.”

“Let’s go someplace else,” Bobby suggested. “This is a little public.”

The three of them walked farther down the Ave toward Long Island Sound and a big, woodsy town park. There they could lose themselves in the trees and not be bothered. The three friends found a secluded spot in the shade and sat down to a picnic.

“Man, I miss these,” Bobby said as he chomped another mouthful of fries. “Best fries in the world. Anyworld.”

Courtney and Mark weren’t interested in eating. They had Bobby, right here in front of them. There was too much to say to waste time chewing.

“How did you know we’d be at the bank?” Mark asked.

“I figured if you got my journals on your birthday, last Saturday, then this morning would be the earliest you could get back here to check them into the safe-deposit box.”

“Smart,” Mark said, impressed.

“Lucky guess,” Bobby said modestly.

“Why did you come home?” Courtney asked. “You wrote you were going to Veelox.”

Bobby didn’t answer right away. It seemed to Mark and Courtney that the answer troubled him.

“That was the plan,” Bobby answered thoughtfully. “But at the last minute, I couldn’t.”

“Did Saint Dane turn up somewhere else?” Courtney asked.

“No,” Bobby said. “I just thought that, well, to be honest, I need a break.”

“I don’t blame you,” Courtney said.

Bobby continued, “But it’s more than that. I’m afraid the more I learn about being a Traveler, the more I forget about being Bobby Pendragon. I feel like I’m changing. I guess that has to happen, but I can’t say I’m happy about it.”

The three looked at each other. It was true. Time does that. Bobby’s memory of Mark and Courtney was absolutely solid, but the two kids sitting in front of him didn’t quite fit that memory.

“I guess I needed a reality check,” Bobby said. “I didn’t want to forget who I am, or where I come from. I thought maybe I could hang out here for a few days, just to chill. You guys know everything that’s been going on with me. I want to know what’s been happening with you. Is it okay if we hang out for a while?”

“Okay?” Courtney shouted. “It’ll be great!”

“But risky” Mark added. “There’s still a big search going on for you and your family.”

Bobby laughed. “Yeah, I figured. But if you guys didn’t recognize me, I don’t think anybody else will.”

“Aren’t your parents in Florida this week?” Courtney asked Mark.

“Yeah,” he answered tentatively.

“They leave you alone?” Bobby asked with a smile.

“Hey, I’m fifteen,” Mark answered defensively. “They trust me.” Then under his breath he said, “And my aunt lives two blocks away.”

“Then it’s perfect,” Courtney declared. “Bobby can stay with you!”

Bobby looked at Mark. “Is it okay?”

Mark thought for a bit, then broke out in a big smile. “Are you crazy?” he shouted. “I’m psyched!”

For the next week Bobby did his best to put any thoughts about being a Traveler out of his head. For these few special days he was going to pretend that he was simply Bobby Pendragon.

Most of their time was spent at Mark’s house. Courtney would come over, and the three would sit for hours talking about everything. They filled Bobby in on what bands were hot and who dropped off the face of the earth. They rented movies, and listened to music, and watched bad TV, and gossiped about who was going out with who at school.

Courtney told Bobby all about the soft ball championship she had been part of, and Mark gave him a demonstration of the killer battle robot that won him first prize in the state science fair. Mark told Bobby about his dreams to one day go to engineering school and maybe get into the space program.

They even went to the town library to do some research. Bobby wanted to know what had become of Jinx Olsen and Winn Farrow. The Second Earth library had about one zillionth the information that the library had on Third Earth, but it was enough. They discovered that Winn Farrow didn’t live long enough to enjoy his victory over Max Rose. He was killed during a bank robbery in June of 1937. The secret of who really brought down theHindenburgdied along with him.

The news about Jinx Olsen was much better. Bobby was thrilled to learn that when World War II broke out, Jinx joined the Army Air Corps, pretending to be a man! She flew several bombing missions over Germany and received the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism in flight. Jinx had lived her dream, and then retired to Maine, where she got married and had three kids.

And they ate. Pizza, spaghetti, Chinese food, ice cream, burgers, burgers, and burgers. At least once a day they got fried chicken and fries from Garden Poultry.

They went swimming at the Point, where Courtney was sure to wear the pink bikini Bobby mentioned in his journal. Bobby appreciated that. He also noticed that Courtney filled it out a little better than the last time he’d seen her wear it, but didn’t say anything. That wouldn’t have been cool. They also watched Courtney pitch a two-hitter fast-pitch softball game. She hoped to go to a big college to play softball and soccer. Her true love was soccer though. She had dreams of getting on the national team.

When they traveled around, they took pains to make sure Bobby wouldn’t be seen and recognized. There was only one close call. The three of them were riding bikes toward the beach and were stopped at a light when Lieutenant Hirsch, the guy who was handling the Pendragon missing persons investigation, pulled up in a car right next to them.

Mark’s heart nearly stopped. Courtney was cool though. She smiled and waved. Bobby didn’t know who the guy was, so he didn’t know enough to be nervous. When the light changed, Hirsch drove on without a second look. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Bobby didn’t look the same anymore.

The three friends packed a year of fun and friendship into one week. In all, they probably didn’t sleep more than three hours a night. There was only one rule: Nobody was allowed to talk about anything to do with being a Traveler. No exceptions. There were a couple times when Mark touched on the subject, and Bobby pretended not to have heard him. Mark got the hint. Nothing more was said. They all pretended like there was nothing more important going on than deciding what DVD they should rent, or if the Yankees would whup up on the Red Sox again. It was exactly what Bobby needed. It re-charged his batteries and made him feel human.

But after several days, Bobby began to grow restless. It’s not that he wasn’t having fun-he absolutely was-but he knew it couldn’t last forever. The change started when he reached the point where he was totally relaxed. That’s when his mind started to turn the other way. As much as he tried to forget about it, he always knew that Saint Dane was out there somewhere, plotting a world of grief.

Mark began to sense this in Bobby. It took a day or so for Bobby to relax and get back to his old, fun self. But then Mark noticed Bobby wasn’t talking as much. It seemed like there were times when his mind was a million miles away. Mark didn’t dare to ask him about it. He was afraid Bobby would close up again, or worse, it would somehow break the magic spell that had given them this great week together. Mark didn’t want it to end, though he knew it would have to.

Then one night, while the two of them were trying to fall asleep in Mark’s bedroom, Mark took the chance and brought up the taboo subject.

“Bobby?” he asked tentatively. “I want to become an acolyte.”

This caught Bobby off guard. “Whoa,” he said. “Where didthatcome from?”

Bobby didn’t cut him off this time. It encouraged Mark to keep going.

“You know, the acolytes,” he said. “The people who help the Travelers. They live in the territories and bring the clothes to the flumes and help you get around and-“

“Yeah, I know who they are,” Bobby interrupted. “But I don’t know anything about them. I never met one.”

“But they’re out there,” Mark insisted.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Bobby said with absolutely no enthusiasm. Reality had returned. Bobby knew he couldn’t ignore it anymore. Vacation was over. Time to put the game face back on. He took a deep breath, hesitated one last moment, then clicked back into Traveler mode.

“Why, Mark?” he asked. “What makes you want to be an acolyte?”

“A lot of reasons,” Mark answered. “I want to help. It’s hard sitting around doing nothing when there’s some guy out there trying to bring down the universe and hurt your best friend. Reading your journals has changed things.”

Bobby nodded. He understood where Mark was coming from. “Funny thing,” he said thoughtfully. “In a couple of days you and Courtney are going to start Davis Gregory High, and all I really want is to forget about being a Traveler and go with you.”

“But you can’t,” Mark said.

“No, I can’t.”

“There’s another reason,” Mark added. He took a pause before saying this, because he knew it was a tough subject. “I won’t let you down. Not the way Spader did.”

Bobby winced. “Spader didn’t let me down,” he said sharply. “He just lost sight of what was important.”

Mark realized he had touched a raw nerve. “I know that,” he said quickly, doing damage control. “I just want you to know that I’d always be there to cover your back. No matter what.”

“How does Courtney feel about it?” Bobby asked.

“We haven’t exactly talked about it,” Mark answered. “But I guarantee, if we got the chance, she’d jump right in. You know Courtney.”

Bobby chuckled. Yeah, he knew Courtney. “Tell you what,” Bobby said. “I’ll find out what I can. If there’s a chance for you guys to do something, I’ll let you know.”

That was good enough for Mark. He now had hope that he might join Bobby on his mission after all. He had trouble falling asleep that night because his mind was so alive with the possibilities.

Bobby had trouble getting to sleep too, but for a very different reason. He knew his time here on Second Earth was over. He needed to be somewhere else, doing what he was destined to do. Tomorrow he would say good-bye to his friends one more time and jump back into the game. That’s what rolled through his brain while he tried to get to sleep. But it wasn’t easy nodding off to dreamland while one thought kept pushing all others away… Where is Saint Dane? What is he up to? And when I find him, will I be strong enough to beat him? Courtney arrived at Mark’shouse early the next morning, all set for another day at the beach. She had made a bunch of salami sandwiches and wore the famous pink bikini under her shorts and T-shirt. There were only two days left of summer vacation, two days before they would begin Davis Gregory High. She knew that once they began this new school, life would change again. Not only would they be leaving the familiar comfort of junior high, but Bobby would be gone. There was no way around that one. These last few days felt like the end of an era. She wanted to make the most of them.

But that wasn’t meant to be.

She knew it the second she stepped into Mark’s house. The atmosphere had changed. Every time she had come over before, the guys would be playing Nintendo, or watching a game on TV, or cranking up music. Today the house was quiet. Bobby and Mark sat in the living room, talking. The air was heavy. It felt to her like a pregame locker room where everyone had the butterflies.

“You’re leaving today, aren’t you?” she asked Bobby.

Bobby nodded.

Courtney plopped down on the couch next to him. “That’s it then,” she said. “The next time we hear from you, it’ll be in some journal?”

“Probably,” was Bobby’s answer.

There was an awkward silence. They knew that as soon as Bobby walked out the door, their lives would all officially change. It had been a great week, but it was over.

That’s when the telephone rang.

“Probably my parents,” Mark said, and answered the phone. “Hello?”

A deep voice came through from the caller. “Hello. Is this Mark Dimond?”

“Yeah.” Mark didn’t recognize the voice. “Who’s this?”

“You don’t know me, Mark,” said the voice. “My name is Vincent Van Dyke.”

“Gunny?” shouted Mark in surprise.

Bobby jumped to his feet and grabbed the phone away from Mark. “Gunny?”

“Howdy there, shorty. Enjoying your vacation?”

“What’s wrong? Where are you? Are you okay?”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Gunny said with a laugh. “Everything’s fine. I’m here on Second Earth.”

“Yeah, I figured. But where? What are you doing here?”

“I need to see you, Bobby, right away,” Gunny said. “Is there someplace we can meet? I can come to you, no problem.”

Bobby looked at Mark and Courtney and said, “Gunny wants to meet me. Can he come here?”

“No way,” Mark said. “My parents are due back soon.”

Bobby looked at Courtney, but she shook her head. “Mom’s home. I don’t think I could explain this to her.”

Bobby thought fast, then an idea came to him. “Where are you, Gunny?”

“New York City.”

“Then here’s an address. It’s in my hometown of Stony Brook. It’s Two Linden Place.”

Mark and Courtney looked at each other. They knew exactly where 2 Linden Place was. They had been avoiding it all week. It was the address where Bobby grew up. Now it was an empty lot. It had been empty ever since everything that had to do with Bobby Pendragon had mysteriously disappeared.

“I’ll find it,” Gunny said. “Meet me there in an hour.”

“You sure everything’s okay?” Bobby asked.

“See you there,” Gunny said, and hung up.

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Courtney asked. “I mean, isn’t it gonna be tough for you to go back there?”

Bobby shrugged. “I can’t pretend like things haven’t happened.”

Two Linden Place was only a short walk from Mark’s house, so they had some time to kill before meeting Gunny. They didn’t want Courtney’s salami sandwiches to go to waste, so they sat at Mark’s kitchen table and scarfed them down. They did their best to talk about anything other than what was really on their minds. But it was all just blah, blah. Their minds were elsewhere.

Finally Bobby stood up, saying, “Time to go.”

Mark and Courtney weren’t sure what to do. Was this it? Was it time to say good-bye?

Mark said, “Make sure you tell us what Gunny had to say in your next journal.”

“Why?” Bobby asked. “You’re coming with me.”

Mark’s heart swelled.

“You sure?” Courtney asked. ”Absolutely,” Bobby answered. “I’ve got no secrets from you guys.”

The three left the house and walked through the quiet suburban neighborhood toward 2 Linden Place. The last time they had done this, Bobby was expecting to be reunited with his family after his adventure on Denduron. It was a gut-wrenching moment when Bobby first realized his house, and his life, were gone. Everyone knew that going back again would be tough.

It only took them five minutes to get there. Nobody said a word as Bobby stood in front of the empty lot. Grass and weeds had taken over since the last time they were there, making the empty space look all the more forlorn. Bobby started to walk onto the lot, but stopped himself and stayed on the sidewalk. Mark and Courtney shared a look. They saw a tear in Bobby’s eye.

A car horn sounded a short hello, and the three turned to see a long, black limousine pull up to the curb. The three exchanged curious looks. This was the last thing any of them expected. But when a back door opened, sure enough, out stepped Gunny Van Dyke. He wore a plain, dark suit and tie that could have been in style any time since 1937.

“Morning, folks,” Gunny said with a big grin as he strode over to meet them.

Bobby began to introduce his friends, saying, “Gunny, this is-“

“I know who they are,” Gunny interrupted with a warm smile. “Courtney Chetwynde and Mark Dimond. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

They all shook hands.

“You’re my hero,” Courtney said in awe.

“I am?” Gunny asked with surprise.

“Hey, anybody who saves Earth from annihilation is a hero in my book.” Gunny laughed.

“Is it okay that we’re here?” Mark asked. “I mean, you guys have business and all.”

“No, it’s good you’re here,” Gunny assured them. “This involves you too.”

Mark and Courtney exchanged glances. That was weird. What could Gunny have to say that would involve the two of them?

“What’s up? You win the lottery?” Bobby asked, pointing at the limo.

“Don’t I wish,” Gunny chuckled. “Back on First Earth, shortly after you left the hotel, a fella came by looking for you. Said he had something important to tell you and wanted to give you something. I told him you were gone, but that I could get it to you.”

“Who was it?” Bobby asked.

“Don’t go jumping ahead, shorty,” Gunny chastised. “Let me tell the story. Anyhow, he wouldn’t give up. Said he wanted to talk to you himself. When he finally told me what it was all about, I understood why he wanted to see you so bad. I told him I wasn’t sure if you’d ever be back and promised to give you the package as soon as I saw you.”

“So what is it?” Bobby asked.

“Hang on. So I went to the flume to come looking for you. But when I arrived here on Second Earth, I got an idea. I wondered if the guy who wanted to see you so bad back in 1937 was still around. I did a little snooping and sure enough, he was still alive and living in New York.”

“You’re kidding? How old is he?” Bobby asked.

“Must be in his nineties, near as I can tell,” answered Gunny. “I looked him up and introduced myself.”

“Didn’t he wonder why you hadn’t aged a single day since the last time he saw you?” asked Courtney.

“He thinks it was my granddad who worked at the hotel back then,” Gunny answered. “I told him Granddad never again saw the bellhop called Pendragon, but he never forgot. I said how he handed the package down to his son, and then to me, and I finally tracked down the grandson of that bellhop. That would be you, Bobby.”

“And he believed you?” Bobby asked.

“Why wouldn’t he? It made sense. A lot more sense than the truth,” Gunny added with a chuckle.

“So who is the guy?” Bobby asked.

“Ask him yourself,” Gunny said, and motioned toward the limo. “That’s his car.”

“He’s here now?” Bobby said in surprise.

“Go on,” Gunny directed. “Talk to him. Just remember, you’re not you. You’re your grandson.”

“Uh…yeah,” Bobby said, and walked tentatively toward the car.

A driver wearing a black suit jumped from the front seat, ran around back, and opened the rear door. He reached inside and helped his passenger get out. Bobby saw that the guy getting out of the back was indeed very old. He looked a hundred if he looked a day. He was wearing a cream-colored suit and a bright yellow tie. Whoever this guy was, between the limo and the nice clothes, he had some bucks. The driver gave him a cane to lean on. But once he was out of the car, he didn’t want any more help. This guy may have been old, but he still had some life in him.

Once he was firmly on the sidewalk, he looked over at Bobby. When their eyes met, the old man actually stood up straighter. Bobby could tell this was a proud man who didn’t care much for being trapped in an old body. Bobby didn’t recognize him, but then again, he didn’t expect to. Yet, as they looked into each other’s eyes, Bobby felt something strangely familiar.

“What’s your name, son?” the old man asked in a raspy, yet strong voice.

Bobby glanced to Gunny, who nodded encouragement. “Bobby Pendragon,” he answered.

“Just like your grandfather,” the old man said. “My name is Peter Nelson, though I don’t suppose that means anything to you.”

“You came a long way to see me, Mr. Nelson,” Bobby said with respect. “Do you have something to tell me about, uh, my grandfather?”

Nelson looked away for a moment. He was spinning the memory wheels to get back to 1937. “I’ve been very successful, young Pendragon,” he began. “With business, with family, and with life in general. But I didn’t start out that way. In my youth I did some things I wasn’t proud of. Things I’m too ashamed to speak about even now. But those were different times, and I was able to put it behind me. I have one person to thank for that…your grandfather.”

Bobby had no idea what this guy was talking about. He tried to remember something he might have done on First Earth to help somebody out, but came up empty.

“You see,” the old man continued, “your grandfather saved my life.”

Now Bobby was really confused.

“I was headed down a very dark path,” the man said. “Your grandfather gave me a second chance.”

“Excuse me,” Bobby interrupted. “My grandfather told me a lot of stories, but he never told me about saving anybody’s life.”

“I’m not surprised,” the man responded. “I think that’s the kind of person he was. But he saved my life, all right, sure as I’m standing here before you.”

“How?” Bobby asked. This was making him crazy.

Mr. Nelson thought for a second, then said, “I don’t know how much I should be telling you, but I guess it’s all water under the bridge now. Your grandfather savedtwolives that day. One was mine, the other was a very powerful man named Max Rose. You see, I tried to kill Max Rose, but your grandfather stopped me. Then Max Rose ordered your grandfather to shoot me, but he didn’t. He had my life in his hands and gave it right back to me. I ran off and never looked back. Coming that close to dying, well, it changed my life. I have your grandfather to thank.”

It all came flooding back to Bobby. He took a closer look at the old man, and now recognized the thin nose and sharp eyes. Could it be? Yes, it was Mr. Nervous Gangster. He was a million years older, but it was definitely him. This was the guy who attacked Spader and him in the subway and tracked them down to the hotel. As Bobby stood there, the memory of looking into this guy’s frightened eyes returned as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. He had held a gun on the gangster while Max Rose ordered him to shoot. He remembered the feel of the pistol and knowing he was close to taking a life. But Bobby dropped the gun and the gangster ran.

Now the guy was here, thanking him, sort of. The old man raised his hand to shake Bobby’s, saying, “I wanted to thank him personally, but it didn’t work out that way. Thanking you is the closest I’m going to get.”

Bobby didn’t take the guy’s hand.

“I remember now,” Bobby said to him. “I mean, I remember the story from my grandfather. Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” the old man said while dropping his hand.

“My grandfather told me about the first time he saw you. It was in a cave off a subway station in the Bronx.”

Nelson dropped his head. “I’ve tried to forget that,” he said.

“Yeah, well, try to remember,” Bobby said sharply. “What were you doing there?”

The old guy squinted, trying to bring back the memories. “What I remember doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. There were three of us. Me and my partner, Tony, and a third guy. A strange fella. Real persuasive, if I remember. He wasn’t part of the gang very long.”

Bobby figured this must have been Saint Dane.

“This guy brought us to that cave with the tunnel,” Nelson continued. “He walked up to the tunnel and said something. What was it? Oh, right. I think it was Clorox…you know, like the bleach.”

Bobby knew exactly what was said. It was Saint Dane, all right, and he had said”Cloral.”

“Then the damnedest thing happened. The tunnel started lighting up like the Fourth of July. The guy told Tony to take his tommygun and shoot into the tunnel. Tony was a wild guy. He didn’t have to be convinced to shoot his gun at anything, so he shot right into the lights. A second later, the lights went out. None of it made any sense.”

It made sense to Bobby though. Those were the bullets that were fired through the flume and killed Uncle Press.

Nelson continued. “Then the guy took off. He told us to stay there for a while and if anybody came through that tunnel, to scare ‘em and tell ‘em to stay away from Winn Farrow. Does that answer your question?”

“Almost,” Bobby said. “So you’re telling me it was your partner who fired the gun into the tunnel? It wasn’t you?” Bobby asked.

“Not a chance,” he said adamantly. “I remember that very clear. I didn’t see the point. Tony fired the gun.”

Bobby took a breath, then held out his hand and said, “Then on behalf of my grandfather, I’ll accept your thanks.”

The old man shook Bobby’s hand. It was a shake that was as strong and sure as if he were twenty years old. Bobby saw the joy in his eyes because in some small way, he was able to thank the man who saved his life. Of course, the guy would never know that he was actually shaking the hand of the real guy, not his grandson.

“Thank you,” Nelson said. “Thank you so much.”

He let go of Bobby’s hand and started back for the car, when he remembered something.

“Oh, one more thing,” he said. He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small package, wrapped in brown paper. “This is something I wanted to give to your grandfather as a small token of my gratitude. I’m sorry I never got it to him, but I hope you will appreciate it.”

“Thanks. I’m sure I will,” Bobby said graciously.

Nelson handed the package to Bobby, then looked at Gunny. “Mr. Van Dyke,” Nelson called. “Do you need a lift back into the city?”

“I do, Mr. Nelson,” Gunny answered. “Can I have a few moments?”

“Take all the time you need,” answered Nelson, and walked back to his car, where his driver helped him get inside.

Bobby walked back to the others. They’d heard the whole conversation.

“Unbelievable!” Mark said.

“What did he give you?” Courtney asked.

Bobby looked to Gunny. Gunny had a big smile on his face. “Open it,” he said.

Bobby shrugged and tore at the brown paper. “It doesn’t look very old,” he said.

“It isn’t,” Gunny said. “I only got it yesterday.”

Bobby laughed. Of course. Yesterday Gunny was back in 1937. Bobby pulled off all the brown paper to reveal a small, square black box. He looked at Gunny. Gunny winked. Bobby opened it and…

“Oh, man!” Mark yelled with surprise.

Courtney laughed.

Gunny said, “Now you know why I came all the way here to get you this.”

Bobby couldn’t believe his eyes. Sitting in the box was his ring-his Traveler ring.

“He told me he got it back from his partner after the guy took the fall from the tower,” Gunny explained. “He figured getting it back to you was the least he could do, seeing as you saved his life and all.”

“Excellent,” Courtney said. “We’re back in business.”

Now Bobby could send his journals back to Mark and Courtney the old-fashioned way. Bobby couldn’t stop smiling. In some ways, things had come full circle. He took the ring out of the box and slipped it on his finger. As soon as he did, the ring began to twitch. Bobby held his hand out quickly.

“What’s the matter?” Mark asked.

“It…it’s activating,” Bobby said.

“Really? You mean there’s a gate around here?” Courtney asked.

The answer came quickly. The gray stone in the ring began to glow, then sparkle. A second later a single beam of light shot from the ring, projecting an image in front of them. There, floating in the air before them, was a girl. Actually, it was a girl’s head. She had blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and wore small, yellow-tinted glasses.

“Whoa,” said Courtney.

“Yeah, whoa,” added Mark.

“Aja Killian,” whispered Bobby in shock.

“Who?” Gunny asked.

“The Traveler from Veelox.”

“Where have you been?” demanded Aja’s image. “I’ve been trying to contact you for ages!”

“Long story,” Bobby answered.

“I don’t want to hear it, Pendragon.” Aja shot back. “You’d better get back to Veelox.”

“Why?” Bobby asked.

“I’m not saying I made a mistake,” Aja’s head explained. “This may be a total false alarm, but-“

“Just say it!” demanded Bobby.

“All right!” Aja snapped. “Saint Dane may have slipped through my security system. He is here on Veelox.”

Bobby smiled and said, “You’re telling me your perfect security system isn’t all that perfect?”

“Are you coming or not?” Aja snapped angrily.

“On my way,” Bobby answered.

“Don’t take your time,” Aja said snottily. Her image shot back into Bobby’s ring and everything went back to normal.

“Well,” said Courtney. “That was… strange.”

“I guess I’m going to Veelox,” Bobby said. Then looked to Gunny and asked, “Want to come?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Gunny answered with a smile. “We’ll have Mr. Nelson drop us off in the Bronx.”

Bobby turned to face Mark and Courtney. “This has been the best week of my life,” Bobby said sincerely.

Courtney then walked up to Bobby and before he realized what was happening, she grabbed him and planted a serious kiss on him. Bobby didn’t mind. Once the shock was over, he wrapped his arms around Courtney and held her close.

Kissing Courtney was even better than he remembered.

Mark and Gunny turned away, totally embarrassed. “So?” Gunny asked Mark. “How ‘bout them Yankees?”

Courtney and Bobby finally unlocked lips. Bobby’s eyes were a little watery, but Courtney’s gaze was razor sharp.

“Let’s not wait another year before the next one, okay?” she said.

“Uh…sure. Sounds good,” Bobby said, trying to keep his knees from buckling.

Mark and Courtney each gave Gunny a hug, and the two Travelers started for the limo.

“Remember what we talked about, okay?” Mark called to Bobby.

“I will,” Bobby said.

As he and Gunny walked toward the car, Gunny asked, “How are you feeling, shorty? I mean…where is your head, you know, with things?”

Bobby didn’t answer right away. He wanted to make sure he used the right words.

“I feel like Saint Dane got the better of me on First Earth,” Bobby said. “And I’m not gonna let it happen again.”

Gunny chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Bobby asked.

Gunny broke out in a big smile and said, “Shorty, you’re starting to sound just like your uncle.”

Bobby smiled too. Then he and Gunny got into the back of the big car. Bobby opened the window so he could get one last look at his friends. As the car pulled away from the curb he put his arm out and waved to them.

Mark and Courtney watched as the black limo picked up speed along the quiet street, with Bobby’s arm still out, waving.

“What was it you guys talked about?” Courtney asked.

“All sorts of things,” Mark said with a sly smile. “But I’ll tell you one thing, I’ll bet we’re going to see Bobby Pendragon again, a lot sooner than you think.”

They looked back up at the departing limousine in time to see Bobby pull his arm back inside. The car turned onto the main road and disappeared.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Bobby Pendragon slipped the heavy ring onto his finger, where it belonged. But no sooner wasit back in place when surprisingly, it began to twitch.

“What’s the matter?” Mark Dimond asked.

“It…it’s activating,” Bobby said with surprise.

“Really? You mean there’s a gate around here?” Courtney Chetwynde asked.

The gray stone in the center of the ring began to glow, then sparkle. A second later a sharp beam of light shot from its center. With a flash, the light blossomed into an image that hovered in front of the group.

Mark and Courtney took a surprised step backward. Gunny Van Dyke stepped protectively in front of them. But Bobby held his ground. Of the four of them standing on the empty lot at 2 Linden Place, Second Earth, Bobby was the only one who had seen this particular phenomenon before.

Floating before them was the image of a girl. Actually, it was a girl’s head. Just a head. It was bigger than life, but definitely a girl. She had blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and wore small, yellow-tinted glasses.

“Whoa,” said Courtney in awe.

“Yeah, whoa,” added Mark.

“Aja Killian,” whispered Bobby.

“Who?” Gunny asked.

“The Traveler from Veelox.”

“Where have you been?” the floating head demanded angrily. “I’ve been trying to contact you for ages!”

“Long story,” Bobby answered.

“I don’t want to hear it, Pendragon,” Aja’s head shot back. “You’d better get back to Veelox.”

“Why?” Bobby asked.

Aja-head hesitated. She looked nervous. Or at least as nervous as a 3-D floating head could look. “I’m not saying I made a mistake,” she explained with a touch of embarrassment. “This may be a total false alarm, but-“

“Just say it!” Bobby shouted.

“All right!” Aja snapped. “Saint Dane may have slipped through my security system. He is here on Veelox.”

Bobby smiled and asked teasingly, “You’re telling me your perfect security system isn’t all that perfect?”

“Are you coming or not?” Aja demanded. She didn’t like being challenged.

“On my way,” Bobby answered.

“Don’t take your time,” Aja said snottily. Then the image vanished. The beam of light shot back into the ring and all was normal.

“Well,” said Courtney with a sigh. “That was… strange.”

“I guess I’m going to Veelox,” Bobby said. Then looked to Gunny and asked, “Want to come?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Gunny answered with a smile.

Bobby turned to face Mark and Courtney. “This has been the best week of my life,” he said sincerely.

The three friends had just spent an excellent week together, forgetting for a short while that Bobby Pendragon was a Traveler who shot across the universe, protecting Halla from an evil demon. Mark was nearly in tears. Courtney wasn’t far behind. She walked up to Bobby and before he realized what was happening, she grabbed him and planted a serious kiss on his lips. Bobby didn’t fight it. Once the shock was over, he wrapped his arms around Courtney and held her close.

Mark and Gunny turned away.

“So?” Gunny asked Mark. “How ‘bout them Yankees?”

When Courtney and Bobby finally unlocked lips, Bobby’s eyes were a little watery. But Courtney’s gaze was razor sharp.

“Let’s not wait another year before the next one, okay?” she said.

“Uh… sure. Sounds good,” Bobby replied, trying to keep his knees from buckling.

Mark looked at Bobby, his best friend, and said, “Remember what we talked about, okay?”

“I promise,” Bobby answered sincerely.

Bobby and Gunny walked toward the street and the limousine that was waiting to take them to the Bronx, and the flume.

“How are you feeling, shorty?” Gunny asked. “I mean…where is your head you know, with things?”

“I feel like Saint Dane got the better of me on First Earth,” he answered thoughtfully. He then locked eyes with Gunny and said with total confidence, “And I’m not gonna let it happen again.”

Gunny chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Bobby asked.

“Shorty, you’re starting to sound just like your uncle Press.”

Bobby smiled. He liked that. The two got into the back of the big car, the driver gunned the engine, and they were on their way. Mark and Courtney watched as the black limo picked up speed with Bobby’s hand still out the window, waving good-bye.

“What was it you guys talked about?” Courtney asked Mark.

“All sorts of things,” he said with a sly smile. “But I’ll tell you one thing: I’ll bet we’re going to see Bobby Pendragon again, a lot sooner than you think.”

They took a last look at the departing limousine and saw Bobby pull his arm back inside. The car turned onto the main road and disappeared.

Mark Dimond was ready for an adventure.

He had spent the first fifteen years of his life on the sidelines, watching everybody else have all the fun. It was getting old. He was tired of being wallpaper, tired of being the brunt of geek jokes, andreallytired of wishing he was somebody else. Anybody else. But even Mark had to admit that it was going to be tough pulling himself out of the deep hole of dorkdom he had been digging since birth.

When he was a baby, his parents barely let him out of the house because he was allergic to everything but air. In three years of Little League he got on base only once, because he was hit by a pitch that broke his glasses. Girls scared him, but that wasn’t much of a problem because most girls never looked at him twice anyway. They weren’t interested in a guy who constantly gnawed on carrots (to improve his vision), sat in the first row of class (because he had every correct answer, always), and had a stringy mop of hair that always looked like it should have been washed yesterday.

No, Mark hadn’t exactly been living large. But now that he was fifteen, he was determined to make a change. He was ready to seize the day and kick start a new life filled with adventure and excitement. Why?

Because he had a best buddy named Bobby Pendragon.

They had been friends since kindergarten, though most people thought they were as different as east and west. Bobby was athletic and funny and people loved to be around him. Mark was quiet and tripped a lot. But that was just surface stuff.

Mark and Bobby liked the same things, and not always the normal things that other kids thought were cool. They loved old Abbott and Costello movies, 80’s music, Thai food, and James Bond novels (not the movies, the original novels). They laughed at the same jokes. They started a band, but Bobby could barely play the guitar and Mark only had an ancient set of bongos. Neither could sing. They were terrible. They had a blast.

They liked to fish in the small river that wound its way through their little town of Stony Brook, Connecticut. It didn’t matter that they hardly ever caught anything. It was all about getting away for hours to just hang. Like most guys, they talked about girls and sports, and about what teachers they wanted vaporized. But they also talked about ideas, about traveling and seeing different places, and about the future.

Each always seemed to know when the other needed encouragement, or a kick in the butt. For Bobby, Mark was the only guy he knew who thought outside the box. For Mark, Bobby was his lifeline to the rest of the world. Both knew that no matter what twists their lives took, they would always be best friends.

What theyhadn’tknown was that during the winter of their fifteenth year, Bobby and his entire family would mysteriously disappear. A huge investigation by the local police turned up nothing. Literally. It was like the Pendragons had been magically erased from existence.

But Mark knew the truth.

He wasn’t sure what had happened to the rest of the Pendragon family, but he knew where Bobby had gone. He had left with his uncle, Press, to become a Traveler. Bobby Pendragon and his uncle had flown through a portal called a flume that took them to strange, distant territories where they joined with other Travelers to do battle against a demon named Saint Dane. In the year and a half since Bobby had left home, he helped prevent a medieval territory called Denduron from blowing itself up, halted the spread of a poison that would have wiped out the entire population of a water territory called Cloral, and traveled back in time to stop Nazi Germany from developing the world’s first atomic bomb.

What was Mark doing while Bobby was defending humanity? Watching a lot of SpongeBob SquarePants. Yes, Mark was desperately ready for an adventure. He needed an adventure.

He was about to get one.

“Courtney!” Mark shouted.

Courtney Chetwynde had just stepped off the school bus that brought her to the first day of classes at Davis Gregory High School. Courtney hated the bus, but school was too far from home to bike, and her parents wouldn’t let her ride in cars with the older kids yet. Courtney was the only other person who knew the truth about Bobby Pendragon. But unlike Mark, Bobby and Courtney had started out as rivals-athletic rivals. Courtney had done her best to beat Bobby’s butt at everything. It had been her way of covering up that she had an incredible crush on him.

Now not a day went by where she didn’t think back to the night a year and a half ago when she finally admitted to Bobby that she liked him. That moment got better when Bobby told her that he liked her, too. It gotseriouslybetter when the two of them kissed. But it all went south when Bobby’s uncle Press showed up to break the magic and whisk him away on the back of a motorcycle to begin his life as a Traveler. If Courtney had one wish, it would be that she could wind back the clock to that night and stop Bobby from riding off with his uncle.

As she stepped off the hated school bus, Courtney saw Mark scurry up to meet her.

“Anything?” she asked hopefully.

“Nope,” Mark answered.

He knew she was asking if another journal had arrived from Bobby. It hadn’t.

These two made an odd couple. Courtney was beautiful, popular, confidant, and athletic. Mark…wasn’t. If it weren’t for their connection with Bobby, they never would have been on each other’s radar screens.

“First day of high school,” Mark said. “Nervous?”

“No,” she answered truthfully. Courtney didn’t get nervous.

They were starting the tenth grade, which was the first year of Davis Gregory High. Last year they were on the top of the pyramid at Stony Brook Junior High. Now they would have to start over again at the bottom of the school food chain.

As the two walked toward school, Mark had to hurry to keep up with Courtney’s long strides. “Courtney, there’s s-something I want to talk to you about.”

“Whoa, you’re stuttering,” Courtney said seriously. “What’s the matter?”

“N-Nothing,” Mark assured her. “I just need to talk to you is all.”

“About, you know, journals and stuff?” she asked while glancing around to make sure nobody heard her.

“Sort of. Can we talk after school?”

“I’ve got soccer practice.”

“I’ll come watch. We’ll talk after.”

“You sure everything’s okay?”

“Yeah. Good luck today!”

The two then separated and began the first day of their high school careers.

Courtney pretty much hung with her regular friends, though she made sure to check out any new kids. In English class she found herself staring at a cute guy named Frank. It felt a little weird, like she was cheating on Bobby. But Bobby had written in his journals about how fantastic the Traveler girl named Loor was. Courtney thought that if Bobby could like a girl from a far-off territory called Zadaa, then why couldn’t she like a guy from two desks over in a class called English?

Mark stepped into high school with expectations of starting a new life. Three junior highs emptied into Davis Gregory, which meant at least two-thirds of these kids didn’t know the dorky truth about him. The Etch-A-Sketch of his life had been turned over and given a healthy shake.

Unfortunately, by the end of last period, Mark had gotten lost six times, showed up late for every class, made a girl in chemistry gag because his sneakers smelled like an experiment gone sour, and got laughed out of the cafeteria when he made the mistake of sitting down to eat lunch next to an all-county wrestling jock. As punishment for invading his space, the guy made Mark stand up on the table and sing “Wally the Green-nosed Tuna” to the tune of “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.”

It was junior high hell all over again, only with bigger kids.

While Mark was discovering the horrible truth that his life of humiliation was going to continue, Courtney was learning that things for her were going to be very different. Courtney was tall and pretty with long, light brown hair, deep gray eyes and a nice smile. She had lots of friends, too. Except when it came to sports. In sports, Courtney had no friends. She hated to lose and had the goods to back it up. It didn’t matter what sport, either.

Baseball, track, basketball, even judo. She had absolute confidence in herself. In fact, she had gotten so used to winning that she was looking forward to high school because she desperately wanted more competition.

She got it.

“Chetwynde! Get your shoes on the right feet!” the soccer coach yelled at her.

Courtney’s fall sport was soccer. She had played center forward on the junior high team and led the town in scoring. She fully expected to step onto the high school varsity field and dominate like always.

She didn’t. Courtney realized she was in trouble during the very first drill. It was a dribbling drill. Courtney brought the ball forward with a confidant smile, ready to give these high school girls a taste of Hurricane Courtney. She ducked right, moved left… and the defender stole the ball.

Whoa.

When it was her turn to play defense, the girls put moves on her and dribbled past like she wasn’t even there. One girl made such a hot move that Courtney got her feet crossed and fell on her butt-prompting the comment about her shoes being on the wrong feet.

All afternoon Courtney was one step behind. These high school girls were good. Really good. They shot no-look passes, stole the ball from her, and basically made her look like she was a little kid playing with grown-ups. One girl stole the ball, flipped it up with her foot, bounced it off her knee, and slammed a header downfield. She then looked to Courtney and said, “Welcome to the big time, superstar.” When it came time for sprints, Courtney was nearly last every run. That was unheard of. Nobody beat Courtney Chetwynde. Ever! What had happened?

The truth was, nothing had happened. Courtney was always big for her age. It was one of the reasons she had been so good at sports. But between the ninth and tenth grades, the other girls caught up. Girls who had been too small to compete with Courtney were suddenly eye to eye with her. It wasn’t that Courtney had suddenly gotten bad, it was that everybody else had grown up and gotten better. Much better. For Courtney it was an absolute, total nightmare. But she wouldn’t let it show. No way.

On the sidelines Mark sat under a tree, watching practice. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Everybody had bad days, but seeing Courtney struggle like this was disturbing. There were some things in life that were absolute. He knew that pi times the radius squared gave you the area of a circle; he knew that water was made up of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen; and he knew that if you challenged Courtney Chetwynde, you would lose.

The last one of Mark’s all-time truisms was now being proved wrong. It was the perfect way to end a totally crappy day.

“Looks like she ain’t so tough after all,” came a familiar voice from behind Mark.

Mark looked up quickly to see that the horror of this day wasn’t yet complete. Standing over him was Andy Mitchell. The guy snorted back a lougie and spit, barely missing Mark’s hand. Mark spun out of the way, but Mitchell flicked his cigarette butt in the other direction and Mark nearly rolled into it. Mark had to pop to his feet or risk getting gobbed on.

“What’sa matter, Dimond?” Mitchell laughed. “Twitchy?”

“What do you want?” Mark grumbled.

“Hey, don’t get all testy with me,” Mitchell shot back. “I’m just out here having a smoke. Seeing Chetwynde getting whupped up on was a bonus.” Mitchell wheezed out a laugh through yellowed, smoke-stained teeth.

“Go away,” was all Mark managed to squeak out. He turned and walked off, but Mitchell followed.

“I didn’t forget, Dimond,” Mitchell snarled. “About them journals. Pendragon is out there somewhere. You know it and I know it and I know you know I know it.”

Truth be told, there was a third person who knew about what happened to Bobby Pendragon. It was Andy Mitchell. Mitchell had seen one of Bobby’s journals and blackmailed Mark into showing him the rest.

Mark turned to Mitchell, standing toe to toe with him. “All I know is, you’re an idiot. And I’m not afraid of you anymore!”

Mark and Andy held each other’s gaze. Mark had had enough of this bully and would almost welcome a fight. Almost. Mark wasn’t a fighter. If Mitchell called his bluff and took a swing, things would get real ugly, real fast. For Mark.

“Hey, Mitchell,” Courtney said.

She stood behind Mitchell with her gear bag in one hand and her cleats in the other. She looked tired and dirty and not in the mood to be messed with. “What are you doing in high school? I thought you’d be out stealing cars by now.”

Andy ducked away from her. He didn’t mess with Courtney, no matter how bad she looked playing soccer.

“Real funny, Chetwynde,” Mitchell sneered. “You two think you’re being all smart, but I know.”

“What do you know?” Courtney asked.

Mark said, “He knows we know he knows… or something like that. You know?”

Mark and Courtney chuckled. They knew Mitchell wasn’t a threat to them anymore. He wasn’t smart enough for that.

“Yeah, you laugh,” he sneered. “But I read those journals. You gonna laugh when that Saint Dane dude comes here looking for them?”

With that, Mitchell snorted back another good one, then turned and hurried away.

Mark and Courtney weren’t chuckling anymore. They silently watched Mitchell jog off. Then Courtney said, “Well, today pretty much… sucked.”

The two walked to catch the late bus home. Normally Courtney would sit in the back of the bus with the cool kids and Mark would sit up front with the not-cool kids. Not today. There were a couple of girls in back who had just taken Courtney apart on the soccer field. They were sitting with some guys from the football team, laughing and flirting. Courtney wasn’t welcome. She had to sit in the front of the bus with Mark. It was the final indignity.

“You want to tell me about your day?” Courtney asked.

“No,” answered Mark. “You?”

“No.”

They rode in silence, both wondering if the rest of high school was going to be as painful as the first few hours. Finally Courtney asked, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

Mark glanced around to make sure nobody was listening. He kept his voice low, just in case. “I’ve been thinking,” he began. “Remember what I said before? In spite of what Mitchell just said, I think we dodged a bullet. When the Travelers stopped Saint Dane on First Earth, I think they saved all three Earth territories. Remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Courtney said, then added with growing annoyance, “and I remember you saying how disappointed you were because you wanted Saint Dane to come here so you could help Bobby fight him. And I remember saying that you were totally crazy. Do you remember that part, Markie boy?”

Mark nodded.

“Good,” Courtney said. “Then stop thinking so much.”

“But still,” Mark added. “I want to be able to help Bobby.”

“Wearehelping him,” Courtney corrected. “We’re holding his journals.”

“But that’s like almost nothing,” Mark countered. “I want to really help him.”

“We can’t, Mark.”

Mark gave her a sly smile. “Don’t be so sure.”

Courtney gave Mark a long, probing look.”Now what are you thinking?”

“I want to become an acolyte. I want us both to become acolytes.”

“Aco-whats?”

“You know, acolytes. Bobby wrote about them. The people from the territories who help the Travelers. They put supplies by the flumes for the Travelers. They’re the ones who kept Press’s motorcycle, and had his car ready when he got back. It’s totally safe, but really important.”

“Safe?” Courtney shot back. “You think going to that abandoned subway in the Bronx and getting past those quig-dogs is safe?”

“Maybe there’s another flume here on Second Earth,” Mark added hopefully. “They have more than one flume on other territories, why not here?”

“And what if it’s in Alaska?” Courtney lobbed back. “You want to move to Alaska?”

“After the day I had, absolutely.”

“You don’t mean that.”

The two rode in silence for a few more stops. A couple of the soccer girls got off and made a point of ignoring Courtney. Courtney didn’t care. Her mind was back on the journals, and Bobby.

“I know you care, Mark,” Courtney said softly. “I do too. But even if I thought this acolyte thing was a good idea, how would we do it?”

Mark sat up straight, encouraged that Courtney was at least considering it.

“I don’t know, but when Bobby was home I talked to him about it-“

“You already asked Bobby?” Courtney interrupted. “Without talking to me first?”

“All I did was ask him to look into it,” Mark said. “He didn’t know any more about acolytes than he wrote, but he promised to try and find out. What do you think?”

“I think I gotta think about it. And I think this is my stop.” Courtney stood.

“Promise me that?” Mark asked. “You’ll think about it?”

“Yeah,” Courtney answered. “But I gotta know more.”

“Absolutely,” Mark said.

Courtney swung down the bus stairs and out the door. Mark felt better than he had all day. He felt sure that if Bobby got them information about the acolytes, Courtney would join up with him. It was a great feeling to know he might actually have a shot at helping Bobby in a real way.

As Mark lay in bed that night he couldn’t stop his mind from imagining the possibilities. If they became acolytes, could they actually fly through the flumes? That would be awesome! He imagined himself on Cloral, speeding underwater with Bobby. He could see himself racing a sled down the snowy slopes of Denduron, dodging the charging quig-bears. He even saw himself on Zadaa, battling through the capture the flag game alongside Loor.

Mark had to force himself to think of something else for fear he’d never get to sleep. He turned his mind to math problems. He thought of lying on the beach at the Point. He imagined looking up at puffy clouds on a warm summer’s day. He pretended his ring was twitching and another journal from Bobby was about to show up.

Mark sat bolt upright in bed. That wasn’t his imagination. Mark’s ring was twitching. He looked at his hand. The stone in the heavy silver ring was dissolving from dark gray into crystal clear. That meant only one thing…

Mark wouldn’t be getting to sleep anytime soon.

He threw his feet over the side of his bed, yanked off the ring, and placed it on the rug. The small circle became larger, revealing a dark hole where the floor should have been. Mark knew this was the conduit to another territory. He heard the jumble of sweet musical notes that sounded far away at first, but quickly grew louder. Sparkling light then blasted out of the hole, lighting up his room like a thousand fireflies. Mark had to shield his eyes from the brilliant show.

Then, as always, the event abruptly stopped. The lights went out and the music was gone. Mark peeked through his fingers to see that the ring had returned to normal. As always, the mysterious ring had made a delivery.

Lying on the rug was Bobby’s latest journal.

But this was unlike anything Bobby had sent before. In fact, it didn’t even look like a journal. It was a small, shiny silver device that was roughly the size and shape of a credit card. Mark curiously picked it up and saw three square buttons on it. One was deep green, another was bright orange, the third was black. The thing didn’t weigh much more than a credit card either. There was a piece of paper stuck to the device. It was a short note, written in Bobby’s handwriting.

It read: GREEN-PLAY, BLACK-STOP, ORANGE-REWIND.

It seemed to Mark like CD player instructions, but this tiny little card didn’t look like any media player he had ever seen. But if Bobby sent it, who was he to argue? So he touched the green button.

Instantly a narrow beam of light shot from one end of the card. Mark dropped the device in surprise. The silver card hit the floor and the beam swept across the room. Mark jumped over his bed and crouched down on the far side for protection. Was it a laser? Was he going to get sliced? A second later the beam grew until it projected a holographic image in the middle of the bedroom. Mark had to blink, then rub his eyes, then look again, because standing in front of him was Bobby Pendragon. The image looked as real as if his friend were standing there in the flesh. The only thing that reminded him it was a hologram was the beam of light that came from the device on the floor.

“Hiya, Mark. Hey, Courtney Bobby’s image said as clear as can be.

Mark fell back on his butt, stunned.

“Greetings from the territory of Veelox. What you’re seeing and hearing right now, is my journal number thirteen. Pretty cool, aye?”