The Navel of the World Page 10

  The shopkeeper smiled and nodded. “If it is privacy you would like, then it is privacy you shall get.”

  Benjamin watched as the door locked and the windows blacked over.

  “Minnolo Midas at your service,” the bulky Morpheus-look-alike said.

  Walker strode to the counter and then teleported an object from somewhere else to directly in front of him.

  Benjamin kicked Gary when Gary sucked in his breath.

  “It’s the chess set,” Gary said.

  “I can see that,” Benjamin said.

  “Just be quiet, you guys,” Heidi said.

  But Gary couldn’t have been heard anyway over the gasping of Minnolo Midas. “There’s no way I will ever be able to afford this.”

  Walker smiled and tented his fingers. “Perhaps we could make a deal then?”

  But Minnolo didn’t reply. He was too busy running his hands over each of the pieces and rubbing the board.

  Walker cleared his throat.

  Minnolo took a moment to recover. “Oh, yes, a deal. What kind of deal did you have in mind?” He looked around his store and scratched his head. “Though I’m not sure everything in here put together could pay for this exquisite piece of art.”

  If Minnolo was trying to bargain, he wasn’t doing a very good job.

  “Perhaps you have some more unique items elsewhere,” Walker said.

  Minnolo glanced to the back of the store, to the steps Benjamin knew led down to the basement. And then he looked back at the chess set. If Benjamin had to guess, he would have said at that moment in time, Minnolo would have traded his soul for the chess set.

  Minnolo licked his lips. “What kind of unique items are you interested in?”

  “I’m in the market for telemagnifiers.” Walker tapped his fingers together. “TPTs in particular.”

  “It’s illegal to have temporal phasing telemagnifiers,” Minnolo said, looking back to the basement steps.

  “And perhaps some telejammers and an infrared deflector,” Walker continued as if Minnolo hadn’t said a word.

  “An infrared deflector!” Gary thought.

  “That’s what we got from Magic Pan,” Benjamin thought back.

  “Infrared deflector,” Minnolo mused and picked up another chess piece.

  “Ah, yes,” Walker said. “And possibly a teleportation booster and a teleportation scrambler—but a large one.”

  “What’s a teleportation scrambler?” Heidi asked.

  “Sounds like something to block teleportation signals,” Benjamin said.

  Minnolo didn’t reply. Walker again looked around the store and at the front door. Did he know they were in the store? He couldn’t possibly; they’d arrived before him.

  “So, do we have a deal?” Walker Pan asked.

  Minnolo placed the two chess pieces he was studying—the rook and the bishop—back on the board. “Let me just go check in my basement. It may be the case that someone has snuck the items you’re interested in into my store.”

  It seemed like an eternity but was probably only about ten minutes before Walker finally left. But then it got even worse. Minnolo took painstaking care setting up the chess board on a display table near the front of the shop. After the first eight pieces, Benjamin couldn’t take it anymore. He teleported them out of the shop onto a bench.

  “That was close,” Heidi said.

  “Way too close,” Gary agreed. “What was he doing back here one thousand years in the past?”

  “Selling the chess set it looks like,” Benjamin said.

  “But why?” Gary asked. “Why time travel all the way back here to sell the chess set only to buy it back one thousand years in the future?”

  “Good question,” Benjamin said.

  “Maybe to get those telemagnifiers and the infrared deflector.” Heidi started walking across the street, back to The Silver Touch.

  “Where are you going?” Benjamin asked.

  She stopped and grabbed his arm, dragging him with her. “I’m not leaving without that star telemagnifier. Not to mention we still need our access badges to Geros.”

  They didn’t mention the chess set when they walked back in, and Minnolo didn’t bring it up either. Benjamin wasn’t sure what he could say without giving away the fact that they’d eavesdropped on the entire transaction.

  “What may I help you with?” Minnolo Midas asked, but Heidi was already pointing out the telemagnifier.

  “This,” she said, and grabbed for it when he took it out of the display case.

  But he pulled it back. “How would you like to pay?”

  “Pay?” Heidi said.

  A wave of panic swept into Benjamin’s mind. They were back in time, but had no way to buy the access badges they needed. And it’s not like they had a priceless chess set to trade.

  “Yes, pay,” Minnolo said. “That is the general idea of shopping.”

  Benjamin was about to open his mouth when Heidi beat him to it. “Do you take credit?” she asked.

  Minnolo laughed. “Of course. Credit. Denari. We take anything.”

  Heidi looked over at Benjamin. “Benjamin, use your credit account your dad gave you to pay, will you? You did transfer it to your heads-up display, right?”

  He looked back at her. Was she nuts? They were one thousand years in the past. There was no record of his credit back then. But the heads-up displays seemed to work, so maybe the credit would, too.

  Minnolo swiped the bill in front of Benjamin’s left eyeball, and it clicked green instantly; the transaction had gone through just fine. Heidi was now the proud new owner of the ugly, green star. Which solved their first problem in ancient Lemuria.

  “Hey, Benjamin,” Heidi said. “Did you ever get a birthday present?”

  Benjamin looked down at his t-shirt. “Only from Jack.”

  “Nogicals Rule,” Minnolo read. “Interesting. Anything else you think you might like?”

  “Last year I got a Geodine.” Benjamin pulled the small globe out of the pocket of his baggy pants. “I take it with me everywhere.”

  Minnolo’s eyes almost popped out of this head. “May I please see that?”

  “Sure.” Benjamin handed it over.

  Minnolo studied the small globe. “Amazing. The idea of putting a Geodine inside a tiny globe. If only I’d thought of it myself. May I ask where you purchased this particular item?”

  “Here of course,” Benjamin said just before Heidi kicked him sharply in the shin. “Ow!” he said. “What’d you do that for?”

  “Idiot!” she thought to him. “We aren’t supposed to tell anyone we’re time travelers.”

  “Here?” Minnolo asked. “I can guarantee we’ve never sold anything like this in the Silver Touch. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

  Benjamin grabbed the small globe back from Minnolo. “Oh, I mean, I think I was wrong. I found it somewhere.”

  “Isn’t that the Geodine we made together in science class, Benjamin?” Gary asked.

  “Oh, yeah, of course,” Benjamin replied. “We made it. That’s right.”

  “Would you mind if I used its design to make some more?” Minnolo asked.

  “Sure.” Benjamin stuffed it back in his pocket. “I mean there’s nothing special about it.”

  “Of course there’s not,” Minnolo said.

  “And so the globe Geodine is invented,” Heidi thought. “At this rate, the whole timeline is going to change. We’ll be lucky if the school still exists when we get back.”

  “Not if it was destiny for Minnolo Midas to invent it,” Gary said. “Maybe that’s how it always was.”

  “Back to your birthday present,” Minnolo Midas said. “I have a wonderful item for you.” He led them over to a display cabinet packed full of random objects. Benjamin had no clue what any of them were. Minnolo reached in and pulled out a small, glass rod. At least it kind of looked like it was made of glass.

  “The ultimate spying device,” Minnolo said. “A lumitube.”

>   Benjamin reached out and took the glass rod from Minnolo. “A lumitube? What does it do?” As he turned the rod over in his hand it started glowing yellow from inside. He rolled it over again, and it changed to blue.

  Minnolo smiled. “It’s a universal eavesdropping device. It can tap into some of the most advanced systems in Lemuria.” He looked around. “I don’t really have anything around here to show you how it works, but it’s pretty simple. You just plug it into a lumitube socket when you want to tap information.”

  Benjamin looked again at the rod which was now green. “Why does it change color?”

  “It’s looking for a socket,” Minnolo said. “When it’s red that means there’s a socket close by.”

  “It’s great. How much do I owe you for it?” Would his credit line ever run out? Nathan Nyx hadn’t told him how much was in it. But maybe with the time travel thing and all, there was actually more money on it—like none of it had been spent so far.

  “Consider it my gift to you for the design of the globe Geodine.” Minnolo turned to Gary. “And is there anything I can help you with?”

  Gary shook his head, but Benjamin took a deep breath. Here went nothing. “There is one more thing.”

  Minnolo was not an idiot. With a flick of his hand he blacked the windows over—again—and leaned close. “Yes?”

  “We need access to Geros,” Heidi said.

  Minnolo laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Uh, no,” Benjamin said. “Why would we be kidding?”

  “Because you’re the second person in here today looking for access cards,” Minnolo said.

  “We are?” Benjamin said.

  “Who was the first?” Gary asked. “That guy who just came in?”

  Minnolo’s eyes flew to the chess set. “What guy?”

  But apparently Gary wasn’t up for playing games. “Don’t act like you don’t know. The one you just traded a bunch of illegal stuff for this chess set with. Walker Pan.”

  Minnolo’s eyes grew wide. “How could you know—?”

  But Heidi was on top of things. “It doesn’t matter, Gary.” She smiled at Minnolo, and Benjamin could just about feel the positive emotions shooting from her. Maybe she was using some of her advanced Empathy techniques to make Minnolo happy again.

  Whatever she was doing, it worked. Minnolo smiled. “That’s true. It doesn’t matter. Business is business, and it just so happens I do have another access badge to Geros somewhere around here.” He reached under the counter and when his hand came back up, he had a circular plastic disk in it.

  Benjamin smiled. “Perfect.” He reached out to take it, but Minnolo pulled his hand back.

  “Not so fast,” Minnolo said. “There’s still the matter of payment.”

  Benjamin sighed. “How much?”

  But Minnolo shook his head. “Not money. No, this time I want something besides money.”

  “You already got the design for the Geodine,” Gary said.

  Minnolo put his finger to his mouth. “True.”

  “What then?” Gary said.

  “How about I go easy on you,” Minnolo said. “How about we just settle on a little telepathic energy.”

  “Telepathic energy!” Heidi’s hair flashed and turned bright red.

  But apparently this didn’t faze Minnolo. He smiled at her. “I need someone to open an eavesdropping portal to Atlantis for me.” And then he stared right at Heidi. “Someone who is good at telepathy.”

  “No,” Heidi said.

  “Just a small amount of energy would do,” Minnolo said.

  Heidi met his gaze, and their eyes locked. “I’m not giving you any of my energy.”

  “What’s the big deal?” Benjamin said.

  But immediately he was sorry he asked. Heidi whipped around to look at him. “It’s mine, Benjamin. And it’s not for sale.”

  Minnolo crossed his arms, and held the access badge in clear sight in his fingers.

  Benjamin turned back to Heidi. “Heidi, we need the Geros access badge. Can’t you just expend a little?”

  Heidi stood there for a minute, and Benjamin could sense her internal battle through the Alliance bond. But he didn’t say anything else. She needed to decide on her own.

  “Fine,” she said to Minnolo.

  “Fine, what?” he said.

  She glared at him. “Fine. A tiny amount.” She started walking to the back of the store. “Show me where the spying portal is.”

  Waiting for Heidi felt like an eternity, though it was probably closer to ten minutes. Sure, Gary kept himself occupied staring at the chess set, which left Benjamin wandering around the shop trying to guess what different things were. And wondering who else had gotten a Geros access badge. Walker Pan was the obvious answer, but he hadn’t mentioned it, and they’d watched the whole transaction. But who else could it have been? The odds that some random stranger had decided to visit Geros today of all days were pretty close to zero.

  When Heidi walked out of the back room, Benjamin hurried over. “What took you so long?”

  “We can talk about it later,” Heidi said.

  Minnolo walked to the door. “If there is nothing else…” And he pulled the door open.

  Benjamin held out his hand. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  Minnolo smiled. “Of course.” He reached into his pocket and handed Benjamin the Geros access badge. “Might I say it’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

  But before Benjamin, Heidi, and Gary had hardly taken a step out the door, it had closed and locked behind them.

  “Guess he’s excited to go spy on Atlantis,” Gary said.

  “Good for him,” Heidi said. “Let’s go.”

  Benjamin nodded. “Right. Let’s get to Geros. Good God, Heidi. You took forever. Whoever went to Geros before us could’ve died of old age by now.”

  CHAPTER 15

  Geros—Then

  Compared to Geros of their own time, Geros in the past looked like a metropolis. Sure, a crumbling metropolis, but at least instead of holes in the ground there were buildings standing everywhere in various states of disrepair. And speaking of the big hole in the ground, Benjamin looked over to where the ancient city’s Ruling Hall had been.

  “It’s still here.” Benjamin let out the breath he’d been holding.

  Heidi nodded. “Now just to find whatever it is we’re looking for.”

  Gary squinted. “Who’s that?”

  “Who?” Benjamin looked toward the building.

  “The heat signature from inside,” Gary said. “Can you see it through the wall?”

  “You see a heat signature?” Heidi said.

  Gary nodded. “Sure. I mean look at this place. There’s nothing else generating heat around here to get in the way.”

  “So you’re saying someone is inside the Ruling Hall?” Benjamin said.

  “Yep,” Gary said. “But they’re just standing there.”

  Benjamin sighed. “You know, can’t anything be easy? Just once? We try to get the object in our time, but someone beats us to it. So we travel back a thousand years, and we have the same problem.” He started walking toward the old building. “Might as well get this over with.”

  But Heidi smiled. “I don’t think they’re trying to beat us to getting the object.”

  “They?” Gary said. “I only see one heat signature.”

  “You can read their minds?” Benjamin said.

  But Heidi shook her head. “No, not really. I mean kind of.” She blinked a couple times. “Oh, let’s just go see who it is.” And she set out ahead of Benjamin.

  He shrugged and followed her. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all.

  When Benjamin walked through the crumbling door of the old Ruling Hall, he realized why Gary hadn’t seen a second heat signature; it was too small.

  “Helios? Jack?” Benjamin said.

  Jack smiled and winked. “See, I told you you’d be able to time travel,” the Nogical said from
Helios’ shoulder. “And nice t-shirt.”

  Helios looked over at Benjamin’s t-shirt. “Nogicals Rule?”

  Jack beamed. “Why thank you, Helios. I couldn’t agree with you more.”

  “So you’re the ones who got the access badge,” Gary said.

  Helios nodded. “Let’s just say there are extenuating circumstances.”

  “With what?” Benjamin said.

  Helios motioned to the ruins around him. “With the object you came to get.”

  Benjamin felt relief pour through him. “So it’s still here?”

  “Let’s hope so,” Jack said. “Otherwise things will really be messed up.”

  “What kind of extenuating circumstances?” Heidi said.

  Benjamin raised an eyebrow in question.

  “What?” she said. “They’re blocking their minds.”

  Helios smiled. “The object needs special care.”

  “What?” Benjamin said. “Do I need to feed it or something?”

  “No, nothing like that,” Helios said. “Once you’ve retrieved it, we can talk about it.”

  “So where to?” Jack levitated in the air.

  “The record said sixteen floors down and in a hidden chamber.” Benjamin looked around. “Any idea where the stairs are?”

  “Or where they used to be?” Heidi said.

  Helios walked toward the center of the room. “They used some special sort of lifting machine back when Geros was capital.”

  “Like an elevator?” Heidi asked.

  Helios nodded. “Right. But it was powered from a nearby volcano.” He stopped walking at a circular hole in the ground. “But, unfortunately, that volcano hasn’t erupted for thousands of years. It’s one of the reasons Geros was abandoned as the capital city.”

  Benjamin looked down the hole. It was a straight shot, pitch black, and somewhere partway down, something massive blocked the path. “So what now? Do we levitate down?”

  Heidi shook her head. “No way. You can teleport us.”

  “Into a mass of unknown rubble?” Benjamin said. “I don’t think so.”

  “Benjamin’s right,” Helios said. “The only safe way to go from here is levitation.”

  “I guess that means me and Heidi stay up here and keep watch,” Gary said. Ever since the start of school, Heidi’s and Gary’s telekinesis abilities had improved about as much as the California coastline shifts each year.