Read Online Cragbridge Hall, Volume 2: The Avatar Battle by Chad Morris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Chad Morris
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of paper over Abby’s shoulder.
The image of Grandpa spoke again. “So . . . how badly do you want to know?”
• • •
Derick, Abby, and Carol all entered the Bridge booth. Such booths lined history classes and labs in the school and in the dorms. Each booth had enough space for several students, who could study without anyone else seeing what they saw. Abby entered in the code, ready to see an event from the past. Soon all three students were looking at the faded image of a bald man with a long beard who was dressed in robes. In some ways he reminded Derick of Grandpa, though this man was much more muscular.
A young man approached, standing tall with a wide smirk on his face. He began to speak a language Derick didn’t recognize or understand.
“Turn on the translate feature on your rings,” Derick said, switching his own rings on and searching for the right setting.
“Or we could just talk for them—like voiceovers—and say what we think they should say,” Carol said. “Like,” she began to speak for the young man. “Oh, great bald one! I have come from afar to see the great shine of your scalp. You have a legendary noggin of great gleaming wonder.”
Abby snickered. “Very funny, but I don’t think it’s going to lead to the answer to my question.”
In a moment, all three of them had turned on their translators. Derick’s showed that it had detected ancient Greek and began translating it into English so he could hear it in his earpiece—the same earpiece that allowed him to hear messages he received on his rings.
“Socrates,” the young man addressed the older one. Socrates? The bald man with a beard was the great philosopher? Interesting.
“Sorry, Socrates,” Carol mumbled. “I was just playing, but you do have an amazingly bald head.”
There was something about the young man that Derick didn’t like—he had annoyingly good posture and he seemed to keep his chin too high. “I have come 1,500 miles to gain wisdom and learning,” the young man said, definitely proud of himself. Wow. If Derick lived at the time of Socrates he thought he might search him out too, ask him some questions. But he probably wouldn’t have traveled that far. Well, he might now on a speed train or plane, but definitely not on foot. “I want learning, so I came to you.”
Derick watched as Socrates motioned with his strong arm and invited, “Follow me.”
Derick couldn’t help but wonder how watching Socrates would help them with Abby’s question. What did any of this have to do with how Grandpa knew where to go back in time when Muns attacked?
The philosopher led the young man down to the shoreline, the water a blue-green. Socrates gestured again for the young man to follow him as he waded into the water. Not what Derick expected.
“This is weird,” Carol whispered. “He asked for knowledge, not swimming lessons.” Abby shushed her.
The young man was apparently willing to humor Socrates because he followed him in. Soon the water was up to both of their waists. Then the strong philosopher grabbed the young man by the back of the neck and plunged him in under the water.
“Weirder,” Carol said. “This is just getting weirder.”
The young man struggled under the water and tried to stand up, but Socrates wouldn’t let him surface.
“And I thought I had some mean teachers,” Carol said.
“He must be teaching him something,” Derick replied.
“Pay attention,” Abby said.
“Well, he would be a horrible swim teacher,” Carol mumbled. “And he’d get terrible scores on a rate-your-teacher site.”
Derick waved Carol off. Socrates let the young man up for air. “What do you want?” he asked.
“Knowledge,” the young man replied.
Socrates pushed him back under the water longer than he had before, then pulled him up again. “What do you want, young man?” he repeated. Derick didn’t think Socrates was trying to be mean. He didn’t seem like he was angry or bitter, just
The image of Grandpa spoke again. “So . . . how badly do you want to know?”
• • •
Derick, Abby, and Carol all entered the Bridge booth. Such booths lined history classes and labs in the school and in the dorms. Each booth had enough space for several students, who could study without anyone else seeing what they saw. Abby entered in the code, ready to see an event from the past. Soon all three students were looking at the faded image of a bald man with a long beard who was dressed in robes. In some ways he reminded Derick of Grandpa, though this man was much more muscular.
A young man approached, standing tall with a wide smirk on his face. He began to speak a language Derick didn’t recognize or understand.
“Turn on the translate feature on your rings,” Derick said, switching his own rings on and searching for the right setting.
“Or we could just talk for them—like voiceovers—and say what we think they should say,” Carol said. “Like,” she began to speak for the young man. “Oh, great bald one! I have come from afar to see the great shine of your scalp. You have a legendary noggin of great gleaming wonder.”
Abby snickered. “Very funny, but I don’t think it’s going to lead to the answer to my question.”
In a moment, all three of them had turned on their translators. Derick’s showed that it had detected ancient Greek and began translating it into English so he could hear it in his earpiece—the same earpiece that allowed him to hear messages he received on his rings.
“Socrates,” the young man addressed the older one. Socrates? The bald man with a beard was the great philosopher? Interesting.
“Sorry, Socrates,” Carol mumbled. “I was just playing, but you do have an amazingly bald head.”
There was something about the young man that Derick didn’t like—he had annoyingly good posture and he seemed to keep his chin too high. “I have come 1,500 miles to gain wisdom and learning,” the young man said, definitely proud of himself. Wow. If Derick lived at the time of Socrates he thought he might search him out too, ask him some questions. But he probably wouldn’t have traveled that far. Well, he might now on a speed train or plane, but definitely not on foot. “I want learning, so I came to you.”
Derick watched as Socrates motioned with his strong arm and invited, “Follow me.”
Derick couldn’t help but wonder how watching Socrates would help them with Abby’s question. What did any of this have to do with how Grandpa knew where to go back in time when Muns attacked?
The philosopher led the young man down to the shoreline, the water a blue-green. Socrates gestured again for the young man to follow him as he waded into the water. Not what Derick expected.
“This is weird,” Carol whispered. “He asked for knowledge, not swimming lessons.” Abby shushed her.
The young man was apparently willing to humor Socrates because he followed him in. Soon the water was up to both of their waists. Then the strong philosopher grabbed the young man by the back of the neck and plunged him in under the water.
“Weirder,” Carol said. “This is just getting weirder.”
The young man struggled under the water and tried to stand up, but Socrates wouldn’t let him surface.
“And I thought I had some mean teachers,” Carol said.
“He must be teaching him something,” Derick replied.
“Pay attention,” Abby said.
“Well, he would be a horrible swim teacher,” Carol mumbled. “And he’d get terrible scores on a rate-your-teacher site.”
Derick waved Carol off. Socrates let the young man up for air. “What do you want?” he asked.
“Knowledge,” the young man replied.
Socrates pushed him back under the water longer than he had before, then pulled him up again. “What do you want, young man?” he repeated. Derick didn’t think Socrates was trying to be mean. He didn’t seem like he was angry or bitter, just
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