Read Online The Boy Who Knew Everything by Victoria Forester - Free Book Online
Authors: Victoria Forester
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wall, Conrad broke. He didnât sob or cry; indeed he was unable to move. It wasnât his cells but the atoms in his cells that separated and went riot over the pain of their existence. Conrad knew that if he moved even a fraction of a moment, he would disintegrate, and so he carefully kept from spilling out and shattering against the wood floor.
How, Conrad wondered to himself, could he live in a world that didnât hold Joe McCloud?
And the answer that Conrad had to that question was that he couldnât live without Joe. Joe McCloud was essential. Being a logical person, Conrad quickly realized that everyone was essential. And that included himselfâhe, Conrad, was essential and important and ⦠not dead.
But if everyone was essential, Conrad understood, that changed everything. And suddenly, as though a dark cloud was blown free from the path of bright sunlight, his thoughts became brilliant and true again and then Conrad knew exactly what to do.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
There was no rush now.
Conrad walked slowly to the barn, where his makeshift laboratory was coated in dust. Sitting on wood planks that he had made into a table was TiTI.
In a safe in the floor heâd locked away the eyedropper of plutonium. On the top of the egg was a place for him to insert his finger, and when his finger slid into it and his identity was verified, a compartment on the side opened. He carefully worked through the procedures and watched the plutonium settle into the receiving chamber at the core of the egg.
As he slid everything back into place, a small humming sound vibrated out of TiTI. Conrad programmed a digital timer and then placed his hands on either side of the egg, gripping it lightly and making sure that all ten fingers made contact.
For many miles around, a strobing light could be seen detonating outward from the McCloud barn. That same light then hung suspended for an extended moment, as though time itself suddenly went into slow motion, and then a split second later the light was sucked back to its source, leaving everything in its wake strangely scrambled. The inhabitants of Lowland County were left to rearrange themselves back to their normal state and wonder if what had just happened was real or imagined. Most folks in Lowland County, being sensible people, chose to believe the latter.
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CHAPTER
9
W EDNESDAY , A PRIL 14, 6:13 A.M.
On that Wednesday in April, Piper woke feeling defeated after a fitful night. Today was the day that Conrad was leaving. She never would have thought that things would end like this and Conrad would just pack up and go away. As hard as she tried, she couldnât think of a way to persuade him to stay, and all her arguments fell on deaf ears. Once Conrad made a decision there was no swaying him.
Turning over in her bed, Piper almost jumped out of her skin. Sitting pressed up against her bed was Conrad! With shining eyes and a strangely joyful face, he was perched on her small wooden chair, waiting for her to wake up. As soon as he saw that she was awake, he leapt forward and seized her hand.
âPiper, youâre right. You are absolutely right.â
âWhat the heck, Conrad! You almost scared me half to death.â Piperâs heart was jumping about like a terrified jackrabbit.
âPiper, Iâve got to start doing things differently!â
âWhat are you talking about?â Piper drew back from Conrad. He was acting weird and his clothes looked strangeâas if heâd been wearing them for weeks and weeks. She saw that parts of them were ripped and stained with some strange substance. But last night when she had seen him in them, they were pressed and clean. What had he been up to for the last few hours?
âWhat Iâm talking about is that we have incredible abilities and weâve been wasting them! Look at you! You can fly! Fly! And what are you doing with it?â Conrad jumped to his feet and began pacing
How, Conrad wondered to himself, could he live in a world that didnât hold Joe McCloud?
And the answer that Conrad had to that question was that he couldnât live without Joe. Joe McCloud was essential. Being a logical person, Conrad quickly realized that everyone was essential. And that included himselfâhe, Conrad, was essential and important and ⦠not dead.
But if everyone was essential, Conrad understood, that changed everything. And suddenly, as though a dark cloud was blown free from the path of bright sunlight, his thoughts became brilliant and true again and then Conrad knew exactly what to do.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
There was no rush now.
Conrad walked slowly to the barn, where his makeshift laboratory was coated in dust. Sitting on wood planks that he had made into a table was TiTI.
In a safe in the floor heâd locked away the eyedropper of plutonium. On the top of the egg was a place for him to insert his finger, and when his finger slid into it and his identity was verified, a compartment on the side opened. He carefully worked through the procedures and watched the plutonium settle into the receiving chamber at the core of the egg.
As he slid everything back into place, a small humming sound vibrated out of TiTI. Conrad programmed a digital timer and then placed his hands on either side of the egg, gripping it lightly and making sure that all ten fingers made contact.
For many miles around, a strobing light could be seen detonating outward from the McCloud barn. That same light then hung suspended for an extended moment, as though time itself suddenly went into slow motion, and then a split second later the light was sucked back to its source, leaving everything in its wake strangely scrambled. The inhabitants of Lowland County were left to rearrange themselves back to their normal state and wonder if what had just happened was real or imagined. Most folks in Lowland County, being sensible people, chose to believe the latter.
Â
CHAPTER
9
W EDNESDAY , A PRIL 14, 6:13 A.M.
On that Wednesday in April, Piper woke feeling defeated after a fitful night. Today was the day that Conrad was leaving. She never would have thought that things would end like this and Conrad would just pack up and go away. As hard as she tried, she couldnât think of a way to persuade him to stay, and all her arguments fell on deaf ears. Once Conrad made a decision there was no swaying him.
Turning over in her bed, Piper almost jumped out of her skin. Sitting pressed up against her bed was Conrad! With shining eyes and a strangely joyful face, he was perched on her small wooden chair, waiting for her to wake up. As soon as he saw that she was awake, he leapt forward and seized her hand.
âPiper, youâre right. You are absolutely right.â
âWhat the heck, Conrad! You almost scared me half to death.â Piperâs heart was jumping about like a terrified jackrabbit.
âPiper, Iâve got to start doing things differently!â
âWhat are you talking about?â Piper drew back from Conrad. He was acting weird and his clothes looked strangeâas if heâd been wearing them for weeks and weeks. She saw that parts of them were ripped and stained with some strange substance. But last night when she had seen him in them, they were pressed and clean. What had he been up to for the last few hours?
âWhat Iâm talking about is that we have incredible abilities and weâve been wasting them! Look at you! You can fly! Fly! And what are you doing with it?â Conrad jumped to his feet and began pacing