though.
“Whatever,” Dak muttered under his breath.
He wandered a few yards down the stone wall and sat against it, watching the rain and thinking about the riddle. A snake charmer. A clown. A treasure that never was. The truth of the curse. None of it rang any bells.
Being left alone like this reminded Dak of what got them into this history-saving situation in the first place. Just a few days ago — Wait, how was he supposed to measure days while traveling through time? He couldn’t exactly consult a modern calendar. And the Mayan version wouldn’t do him any good.
However long ago it was, the last time they were back home, in the present, he’d mistakenly let Sera into his parents’ lab, where she had become obsessed with the Infinity Ring, ignoring him for hours and hours and hours — just like she was ignoring him now. Dak shook his head, thinking about that fateful day. If he’d never shown her what his parents were working on, Sera never would’ve figured out the missing piece of the puzzle. And if she hadn’t figured out the missing piece of the puzzle, they never would’ve taken that stupid test run back to the Revolutionary War, and his parents wouldn’t be lost somewhere in time right now.
Dak watched several more Mayas race down the white street, carrying their children in their arms. It was a strange sight considering the rain was hardly more than a lazy drizzle, though the wind was definitely picking up now.
Dak leaned his head back against the wall, fingering the iron key he had tucked into the side of his leggings. His parents had given it to him in the year 911, somehow knowing that he would need it to escape the SQ in 1850. It boggled his mind.
Dak squeezed his eyes shut, tightened his grip on the key, and imagined their faces. He understood that what he, Sera, and Riq were doing was monumentally important. They were literally trying to save the world. And he loved warping back to different parts of history, seeing famous events unfold right before his eyes. But lately, in secret, Dak wondered if he wouldn’t ditch all the heroics in exchange for having his mom and dad back in his life — even for a day.
These thoughts made Dak feel guilty, so he got up and hustled back over to Sera and Riq, saying, “Never fear, my fellow time-traveling comrades, I’ve come to save the day. Please, how might my talents best be utilized?”
They didn’t even acknowledge his existence.
“Guys?”
Nothing.
Dak shrugged. If they didn’t need him, he didn’t need them either.
He turned to go and explore the wet Mayan village on his own. If he was lucky, he’d find some vital clue to the riddle . . . which he wouldn’t share with anyone.
Dak found himself crossing back over the white road, toward a large domed building a little ways off. It looked like an observatory. He cupped a hand against his forehead to keep the rain out of his eyes. It was so hot and humid he was almost thankful to be wearing a breechcloth. It was actually keeping him fairly cool and allowed for occasional drafts that proved tremendously refreshing. What if he started rocking one of these bad boys in the present? Would it catch on? He pictured all his bros in fifth grade wearing them, too. Sitting around the caf, talking. Lining up for assemblies. Eventually they’d run a nice profile piece on him in the school paper next to the caption
Dak Smyth, more than your ordinary history genius.
Then he remembered one very important fact:
He didn’t really have any bros.
Unless he counted Sera — which he decided he did.
Dak tried all the doors of the observatory, but they were locked. He was surprised by the size of the building. According to his research on Mesoamerican civilizations, the Maya were curious about astrology. And art. And music. But they didn’t have the technology for anything overly refined — for instance, they probably weren’t spreading their cheese onto TriSQuits.
Thunder crashed so loud overhead,
“Whatever,” Dak muttered under his breath.
He wandered a few yards down the stone wall and sat against it, watching the rain and thinking about the riddle. A snake charmer. A clown. A treasure that never was. The truth of the curse. None of it rang any bells.
Being left alone like this reminded Dak of what got them into this history-saving situation in the first place. Just a few days ago — Wait, how was he supposed to measure days while traveling through time? He couldn’t exactly consult a modern calendar. And the Mayan version wouldn’t do him any good.
However long ago it was, the last time they were back home, in the present, he’d mistakenly let Sera into his parents’ lab, where she had become obsessed with the Infinity Ring, ignoring him for hours and hours and hours — just like she was ignoring him now. Dak shook his head, thinking about that fateful day. If he’d never shown her what his parents were working on, Sera never would’ve figured out the missing piece of the puzzle. And if she hadn’t figured out the missing piece of the puzzle, they never would’ve taken that stupid test run back to the Revolutionary War, and his parents wouldn’t be lost somewhere in time right now.
Dak watched several more Mayas race down the white street, carrying their children in their arms. It was a strange sight considering the rain was hardly more than a lazy drizzle, though the wind was definitely picking up now.
Dak leaned his head back against the wall, fingering the iron key he had tucked into the side of his leggings. His parents had given it to him in the year 911, somehow knowing that he would need it to escape the SQ in 1850. It boggled his mind.
Dak squeezed his eyes shut, tightened his grip on the key, and imagined their faces. He understood that what he, Sera, and Riq were doing was monumentally important. They were literally trying to save the world. And he loved warping back to different parts of history, seeing famous events unfold right before his eyes. But lately, in secret, Dak wondered if he wouldn’t ditch all the heroics in exchange for having his mom and dad back in his life — even for a day.
These thoughts made Dak feel guilty, so he got up and hustled back over to Sera and Riq, saying, “Never fear, my fellow time-traveling comrades, I’ve come to save the day. Please, how might my talents best be utilized?”
They didn’t even acknowledge his existence.
“Guys?”
Nothing.
Dak shrugged. If they didn’t need him, he didn’t need them either.
He turned to go and explore the wet Mayan village on his own. If he was lucky, he’d find some vital clue to the riddle . . . which he wouldn’t share with anyone.
Dak found himself crossing back over the white road, toward a large domed building a little ways off. It looked like an observatory. He cupped a hand against his forehead to keep the rain out of his eyes. It was so hot and humid he was almost thankful to be wearing a breechcloth. It was actually keeping him fairly cool and allowed for occasional drafts that proved tremendously refreshing. What if he started rocking one of these bad boys in the present? Would it catch on? He pictured all his bros in fifth grade wearing them, too. Sitting around the caf, talking. Lining up for assemblies. Eventually they’d run a nice profile piece on him in the school paper next to the caption
Dak Smyth, more than your ordinary history genius.
Then he remembered one very important fact:
He didn’t really have any bros.
Unless he counted Sera — which he decided he did.
Dak tried all the doors of the observatory, but they were locked. He was surprised by the size of the building. According to his research on Mesoamerican civilizations, the Maya were curious about astrology. And art. And music. But they didn’t have the technology for anything overly refined — for instance, they probably weren’t spreading their cheese onto TriSQuits.
Thunder crashed so loud overhead,
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