Read Online Billy Purgatory and the Curse of the Satanic Five by Jesse James Freeman - Free Book Online Page B

Billy saw all manner of science class stuff. There were metal tables of burners and bubbling concoctions inflasks and beakers. There were big metal coils that let electricity dance from one spiked tower to another, and there flashing lighted computer banks. This place wasn't a stable at all; it was a mad scientist's lab, right out of a comic book.
    â€œSee, this is what I was trying to explain to that Russian.”
    Billy didn't see the cutie redheaded girl scientist, which is what she had to be, Billy guessed. But he did see a guy in a lab coat who was writing all these numbers on a chalkboard while rock music blasted from speaker stacks in the corners of his sunken lab room.
    Billy eyed the stairs that led down into the laboratory. As he was considering whether he should head down there, the guy at the chalkboard turned around and looked up at Billy. He had short dark hair and glasses, he was a thin and tallish fellow, and he didn't have anywhere near the muscle on that the Russian did — or even Pop, for that matter. He was one of those scientist-nerd kind of fellas. He listened to good music, though.
    Billy took a step back from the railing. The scientist guy reached out his long arm and took hold of a wheel on some electronic equipment. As he cranked it with his fingers, the music faded down to whispers.
    The man called up to Billy. “You're Mrs. Emelia's kid. The skateboarder?”
    Billy stepped forward. This guy was familiar with his reputation of badassary, no doubt, which was a definite plus. “Why'd you turn off the music?”
    â€œI…well…” Scientist Guy didn't seem to have a good answer. “So we could hear each other, I suppose.”
    â€œIt was killer, dude. It was preaching cooler stuff than we are.”
    â€œOh.” He smiled. “You like Led Zeppelin?”
    â€œI do now.” Billy walked over to the stairs and began trotting his way down. This guy wasn't a good-looking chick in a scientist coat — but he had coolness potential maybe. “Who are you? What's all this Frankenstein junk?”
    The Scientist looked around at all the Frankenstein junk. “Oh, all this. My experiments. I am attempting to bend the principals of physics in order to transmorga…”
    â€œUh huh. This place isn't a bar then?”
    â€œA bar?”
    Billy's feet hit the concrete floor and he kept walking through the tables filled with stuff he didn't understand — or really care to, for that matter. The only thing that interested him in this place was going through this guy's record collection. “Yeah, nevermind. How come you're doing science stuff in our barn? Does my Mom know about this? She might be down, but Pop says that science screwed us up the coghole without any springs and doesn't trust you guys.”
    â€œI can assure you that I have your mother's full permission. Her scientific foundation has provided me with a grant. I'm Dr. Luna.”
    â€œDoes that mean she's cool with all this?”
    â€œWell yes, of course.” He straightened his glasses and brushed some of the wrinkles out of his coat.
    â€œHey, so, anyone work down here with you?” Billy was scanning around as he reached the chalkboard.
    â€œI have a lab assistant.”
    â€œLittle shorter than you and a helluva lot hotter?”
    Dr. Luna nodded. “You must be talking about Mira.” Dr. Luna smiled when he said her name, and then paused, and Billy could see it all playing out in the guy's head. Luna running through a field of plastic flowers, holding hands with Mira the red-haired scientist fairy. Rainbows and Leprechaun-robots seeding the skies with pirate gold that would rain down on their love.
    Dr. Luna sighed, and Billy knew the score — he wasn't the only one who was following this Mira chick around.
    â€œLuna, turn the music back up where we can hear it. You got any root beer?”
    V.
    Dr. Luna didn't have any root beer, so he mixed some up