The Wicked Passage (A Blake Wyatt Adventure) Read Free Page A

man. You can’t simply touch it.”
    Blake pulled back his hand and sized up the man again. Was this a joke? Like yesterday when Trevor had tied a braided leather band around his head and told everyone that he just found out he was a Navajo Indian? Trevor kind of looked like an Indian, tall, long brownish-colored hair to the middle of his back. He definitely wasn’t an Indian, but some of the girls actually believed him.
    This was different. No way could Trevor have pulled off a practical joke this big. Mr. Mancuso had never missed class before, and this chronicle thing was definitely way over-the-top cool. Besides, Trevor knew better than to joke about his father.
    “Okay, so say I believe any of this stuff. How come you didn’t talk to my mom first?”
    “Oh, no, no, no. She wouldn’t want you to have this. No, indeed,” the old man said. “Your mother has endured great hardships and sacrifices so you would never have to suffer the same fate as your father. But she also knew that eventually this day would come. Yes, yes, yes, poor thing, always wondering when I would come for her boy.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “Your destiny is today. Exciting, isn’t it?”
    “Wait a minute here. I don’t know what the heck you’re talking about with all this destiny stuff. And I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t even know who you are.”
    “Are you sure you don’t know who I am?”
    “Dude, I’m sure.”
    “I can tell you that your Uncle Leopold gave up everything to save you.”
    “All right, first of all, I don’t have an Uncle Leopold, and even if I did, why would he have to save me?”
    “Your legacy has been a secret guarded by your mother with every shred of her being.” Price rubbed his wiry beard. “Your father lived a very dangerous life, Blakemore. Uncle Leopold was your father’s brother. He protected the Chronicle of the Rellium after your father met his misfortune. You were sent into hiding to protect you from--Well, enough about that for now.”
    “You’re clownin’ me, right?” Blake’s stomach tightened into a rock.
    “No, my young friend. I am not ‘ clowning ’ you. It is time for the truth.” The man looked into the box. “Your father was a sapphire traveler, and you, Blakemore Wyatt, will be one, too, once the connection to the Rellium is made, of course.”
    “Of course,” Blake said, still not believing one word of the guy’s hooey. He glanced out the window and tried to digest this stupid story about his father but only ended up with more questions. He turned back to the man. “What did you say your name was again? And what’s a fire traveler anyway? I’ve never heard of that.”
    “It’s sapphire traveler and of course you haven’t. No one who lives in the present knows of the time travelers. You see, Mr. Wyatt, your father is just a link in a long chain of travelers. All the Wyatts have been travelers. They’re entrusted to . . .”
    The man began to cough again. “Pardon me, I am not yet accustomed to your cool autumnal weather. As I was saying, sapphire travelers are entrusted to protect the power of the Rellium, but a sapphire traveler’s life is a torturous one. Each day is filled with the anticipation and the agony of another journey, but the rewards are--Let’s save that for another day. It all depends on--” The man coughed again. “I have something in my throat. Perhaps a spot of elixir would solve the problem.”
    “Rellium?”   Blake glanced at the glowing text.
    “Very simply, the Rellium is the energy of everything that has happened since the beginning of the universe all the way to the end of time. It’s all chronicled in this book.” He continued patting his dirty jacket until he found a metal flask stuffed into an inside pocket. “Oh, yes, this will do nicely.” He opened the flask and smelled the concoction. “You are a lucky boy, indeed, Mr. Wyatt.” He tossed back a mouthful of the liquid. “You’re about to