Free Time Benders by Gary Paulsen Page B

“In here we have the latest in telecommunications experiments. Feel free to wander around the room and observe, but please do not touch anything.”
    Zack stopped behind one of the scientists, pulled a small notebook from his shirt pocket, and hastily began scribbling notes.
    “I thought we were gonna take off,” Jeff whispered.
    “In a minute. Some of this stuff’s more interesting than I thought.”
    “Right. Looking at a bunch of wires and glass tubes has always been my idea of a good time.” Jeff watched the students milling around the various workstations. They all looked like they belonged here. One kid was actually wearing a bow tie and pocket protector.
    “Just my luck,” Jeff muttered to himself. “My first night in D.C. and I’m stuck in a stupid laboratory with a bunch of brainiacs.”
    “Now if you’ll all come this way …” The gray-haired man led them across the hall. “In this area we are conducting experiments dealing with time and space. Once again, feel free to look, but don’t touch.”
    “Come on,” Jeff whispered. “Now’s our chance to escape.”
    “In a minute.” Zack moved to the back of the room, where a scientist with white hair that stuck out all over his head was hunched over a table. The man looked suspiciously at the two boys. “Are you interested in time bending?”
    “I’m not sure.” Zack studied the intricate equipment in front of him. “What is it?”
    The scientist cocked his head. “Why, it’s rearranging time, of course. You’ve seen how light can be turned and sent in another direction through the use of fiber optics, haven’t you? Well, you can do the same thing with time—if you know how to bend it.”
    Zack stepped closer. “How does it work?”
    “The subject puts on this headgear, which is attached to the computer, and then sets the clock forward or backward depending on his needs—”
    “Dr. Cranium.” The tall gray-haired man who was acting as their tour guide spoke in a loud disapproving voice. “You should also tell our guests that these particular experiments work only in theory, not in reality. We wouldn’t want to fill our future scientists’ heads with a lot of superstition, now, would we? Come this way, gentlemen. The tour will be moving down the hall to view some fascinating work in the area of fats and acids.”
    “Fascinating,” Jeff mumbled.
    Zack hung back. “I’d like to get a better look at that machine.”
    “What? That time bender thing?”
    “Yeah. Imagine how great it would be to do something really crazy and then set the dial and go back like nothing happened.”
    “I knew you and I had a lot in common.” Jeff rubbed his chin. “Tell you what. I’ll get you back in here later. But when you’re finished looking around you have to promise to go downtown and show me how to beat that game.”
    Zack followed the tour out the door. “How are we going to get away from the rest of the group?”
    “Just leave it to me. And be ready to take off when I give you the signal.”

C HAPTER 5
    “I know you’re all anxious for dinner to begin. Especially since the food we will be enjoying this evening has actually been manufactured right here in our own laboratories. But before we get to that, the Institute would like to thank you for coming and make a few presentations based on your academic achievements and test scores.”
    Jeff caught Zack’s eye across the table. Jeff was about to put his escape plan into motion when someone called his name. He lookedup. The speaker at the head table was staring at him expectantly.
    The speaker smiled. “I guess he’s a little shy. Come on up here, Mr. Brown, and receive your award for attaining the highest score ever on the American Institute’s intelligence test.”
    The students were clapping. Jeff stumbled to his feet and hesitantly walked to the front.
    When the clapping had died down, the speaker, a serious-looking woman in a business suit, handed him a plaque and shook his