Mercury Man Read Free Page A

out.
    â€œSure,” Tom managed to reply, although his attention had been suddenly caught by a page of ads at the back of one of the comics.
    â€œSEND AWAY FOR MERCURY MAN’S OWN RING,” one of the grubby boxed-in notices read. It pictured a boy, bent over and staring at his own hand. “WITH THE MERCURY MIRROR HIDDEN IN THIS RING YOU’LL BE ABLE TO FOOL YOUR FRIENDS. USE IT TO SEE BEHIND YOU. HIDE MESSAGES INSIDE. LIKE MERCURY MAN, YOU’LL FIND A THOUSAND USES FOR THIS HANDSOME RING. JUST SEND THIS COUPON WITH 25 CENTS AND WE’LL RUSH YOUR OWN PERSONAL MERCURY RING. MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!”
    Tom shook his head and smiled. But he noticed that the ad gave a local address: Mercury Enterprises, Second Floor, 221 Harbour Street, West Hope.
    Harbour Street — he knew where that was all right.
    â€œOK, so sit down and let’s eat!” Jack said.
    He stood up quickly. No, it was ridiculous.
    â€œI told you those comics were good,” Jack said. “It’s got hold of you, I see, despite your cynical ways. What’s that you’re looking at like a zombie there?”
    Tom closed the comic quickly and moved to the table. “Nothing, Grandpa. Let’s eat.”
    â€œCareful now. We’ll just put my treasures over here on the table. Don’t want them all splattered with ketchup and Orangina.”
    They finished the pie quickly and continued with ice cream and iced coffee. His grandfather lit up a pipe and offered to put on
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
, but Tom explained that he couldn’t stay that long. His mother would expect him to be there when she got back from work.
    â€œYou know you said Marvin what’s-his-name was killed at the Battle of the Bulge, Grandpa?”
    â€œMarvin Cormer, yeah, damn shame. I think he could have made it with Mercury Man. Of course the big companies would have bought him out, or he would have set up shop somewhere else, but he might have put this place on the map, too — you never know. Look how well the computer companies are doing now. Oh well, times change.”
    â€œWhat happened to his equipment and stuff after he died?”
    â€œNo idea. He had a wife, but she didn’t follow up on any of it. Married the operator of the amusement park right next door — fella by the name of Daniel — an oddball, I guess. Anyway, she died and her husband still lives in the old Mercury House. Can you believe it?The guy never moved! The park’s been shut down for years, though. One of the computer companies is trying to buy him out, I hear, but Daniel has some crazy idea that the dump is worth big money. If he’s not careful the city will declare it a nuisance or something and he’ll practically have to give it away.”
    â€œThat isn’t Harbour Street, near Boone Jetty?”
    â€œSure. Just down from Fabricon, the squeaky clean computer folks. Hang on, will you? This cheap tobacco stinks. I’ve got to find my Sobranie.” Jack hustled the lunch plates into the sink and left the room.
    Suddenly Tom had an idea: what would happen if he sent away for one of the Mercury Man rings? He knew it was ridiculous, and he wouldn’t dare tell his grandfather, who would roar with laughter. But the notion had taken hold of him, and it teased and tempted him for no reason he could think of.
    He jumped for the pen on the counter, tore off a piece of paper roll, and scribbled down the Harbour Street address of Mercury Man Comics.
    He knew if he sent away he would just be wasting a stamp and the post office might not even send his letter back. Or else it would go to the wrong address, or to the old man in the amusement park, who would probably throw it away. But Tom didn’t care, because the idea had suddenly taken hold of him that if he sent to the old address he might find a portal that led into the past!
    He knew all about portals — or portholes, as he liked to call them — crossing