Free Isle of Man (The Park Service Trilogy #2) by Ryan Winfield Page A

PROJECT
ENCRYPTION KEY _________________
“WHERE MAN RISES FROM THE SEA, IN THE RIGHT HAND OF DAVID YOU SHALL FIND YOUR KEY”
    I read the strange clue aloud: “Where man rises from the sea, in the right hand of David you shall find your key.”
    “I’m not sure of its meaning,” the professor says. “It appears to be some kind of clue to finding the encryption key.”
    Hannah casts a distrustful glance at the professor.
    “You must have some idea what it means,” she says. “You were here when my father wrote it.”
    “I was indeed,” he replies. “But there were many more of us back in those days, and I truly was very low on the pole for this kind of thing.”
    I turn to Hannah.
    “What are we going to do?”
    She shakes her head.
    “I wish I knew.”
    The professor taps the keyboard again, killing the screen. “Let me dig around a little and see what I can turn up,” he says. “Why don’t you all try and take your minds off of things? Play some games or something.”
    “Games?” I ask.
    “Well,” he says, “whatever it is you young people are into.”
    “I like games,” Red says.
    Hannah rolls her eyes.
    “Of course you do.”
    “Come on, Red,” I say, “I’ll introduce you to Jimmy.”
    Hannah looks surprised.
    “Jimmy’s back?”
    “You didn’t know?”
    “No, I’ve been in the lab this whole time trying to make some sense of the mess there.”
    “Well, let’s go welcome him back,” I suggest.
    “You go ahead,” she says, waving Red and me toward the door. “I’m going to stay here for a bit and help the professor.”
    We find Jimmy near the docks. He’s dragging a rabbit fur along the ground by a long string as Junior stalks after it. Every time Junior crouches to pounce, Jimmy jerks the string and pulls the rabbit from his reach. As we approach, Jimmy stops teasing the poor pup and lets him seize the rabbit in his mouth. Junior shakes the fur from side to side and algaecrisps spill out from inside. Excited, he laps them up and chews them with an audible crunching.
    “Teachin’ him to eat this awful food ya’ll got down here ain’t an easy thin’,” Jimmy says.
    I smile.
    “You get used to it.”
    “I sure as shit hope I never do,” he says. “Who’s this?”
    Red sticks out his hand.
    “They call me Red.”
    “I can see why,” Jimmy says, pumping his hand. “Where’d ya come from?”
    “Level 5.”
    “Huh?”
    “He’s from down below,” I say, jumping in. “Holocene II. We grew up together.”
    “Oh,” Jimmy looks him up and down. “You’s the bully.”
    Red drops his head.
    “I said I was sorry.”
    “Well that’s more’n most folks ever do,” Jimmy replies, patting him on the back. “Welcome to our little club then.”
    “Thanks,” Red says.
    “Speakin’ of apologies, Aubrey,” Jimmy continues, “I owe you one my own self.”
    “No, you don’t.”
    “Yes, I do,” he says. “I acted like a spoilt kid. And you was right, I was wrong. It wouldn’t be right bringin’ them people up jus’ to be slaughtered out there.”
    For all Red’s apparent ignorance, he has the good sense to see what should be a private moment, and he says: “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go play with the dog.”
    Jimmy nods, handing him the string.
    “He’s a fox. His name’s Junior.”
    Red lumbers away, dragging the rabbit fur, and Junior tears off after him, yipping and swatting at it as they go.
    “Junior’s getting big,” I say, wanting to lighten the mood. “Remember when you wanted to eat him?”
    Jimmy smiles.
    “He might be my fox now, but he missed you, too. Kept lookin’ back and whimperin’ the whole time we was gone up there.”
    “Are you saying you missed me?” I ask.
    Jimmy dips his chin, then looks back up into my eyes.
    He says: “I got as far as our river. You know, where you’s almost drown. Anyway, we made camp at dusk, and no sooner had I lit a fire when that whole river got dark with a passin’ shadow. I looked up and