Read Online Jack James and the Call of the Tanakee by J. Joseph Wright - Free Book Online
Authors: J. Joseph Wright
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thankfully, turned the attention from Jack’s discomfort to the television. “Is that what I think it is?”
Argus leaned to get a look at the TV.
“Are you guys watching Early ETs ? I love that show!”
Despite Jack’s fervent wish his father wouldn’t say anything, Ben did. And quite enthusiastically too.
“Yes, Yes,” he let his arms fly. “We’ve come across this program, and it looks like we might have made a discovery. Or, I should say, those scientists made the discovery, but we’re putting together a correlation. You see? That pictograph looks much like the O/A, doesn’t it?”
“The O/A?” Argus squinted, then gazed into the transparent housing where the machine bathed in Quantum Foam. “Yes, I suppose it does,” he tilted his head at Ben. “What do you think that means, Mr. James?”
“Not sure,” he tapped his chin. “Not sure. It might mean nothing at all. Then again, it might mean everything.”
“How so?” Argus pressed. Jack didn’t like it.
“Well,” Ben answered. “If there’ve been other machines like this in the past, and if there’ve been Tanakee associated with those past machines, then there must be some kind of connection to us, here in the present. It might give me a piece of the puzzle as to why exactly this technology was sent to me. Why me?”
“A connection?” Argus’s questioning was getting to be borderline obsessive. “A connection to what?”
“Listen,” Jack butted in. “We’re getting close to performing some diagnostics, and it’s pretty dangerous stuff, so maybe you guys should leave.”
Amelia huffed. “Fine, Jack. If you don’t want us here, then fine. Come on, Argus,” she seized his hand and dragged him out the door.
“I guess that’s goodbye, Takota,” Ayita shrugged and followed Amelia.
“Where are your manners, Son?” Ben frowned.
“Dad, you don’t understand. That Argus Cole. He’s…he’s…”
“Uh-oh,” Ben raised his brow and whispered. “Does Jack have a little competition for fair Amelia’s heart?”
Jack chuckled nervously. “Of course not,” he watched out the door as the two strolled down the driveway. Argus said something and it made Amelia go from pouting to a full, beaming smile. Amused, they both turned left at the sidewalk, heading toward Tangled Trail Estates.
“You sure about that?” Ben asked. “You’d better do something to smooth it over, and quick.”
Jack wanted to shrug it off. A tiny cinder in the pit of his gut, though, began to burn a hole, letting in a giant swarm of butterflies. The nervous energy had him running from the garage, crying Amelia’s name. She heard him and waited. Argus waited with her.
“What is it, Jack?” she looked mad again.
“I didn’t want you to go. I just,” he looked at Argus. They shared a grouchy glare. “Amelia, can I talk to you…alone?”
She presented Argus a big, albeit fake, smile.
“I’m sorry, Argus. Jack seems to have grown quite impolite lately.”
Jack lowered his head and studied the sidewalk.
“That’s okay,” Argus responded. “Everybody’s got their little…quirks,” he threw Jack a telling look. It wasn’t smug or grim or anything like that. Just steady and confident, as if he knew something Jack didn’t. Jack narrowed his eyes quite involuntarily.
“Jack!” she snapped. “Why are you being so rude?” she turned to Argus. “We’ll be just a second, okay?”
Argus smiled at her, but when she turned her back, his grin switched to that creepy, deadpan expression. She pushed Jack a few feet, behind a large conifer that dominated the James family’s front curb.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you’re being quite a jerk these last couple of days. Argus is new to town like I was. Remember how hard it was for me to adjust? He’s going through the same thing. Why can’t you just see that and help him feel more accepted here in Willow?”
Jack sighed. “I don’t know, Amelia. I mean,” he
Argus leaned to get a look at the TV.
“Are you guys watching Early ETs ? I love that show!”
Despite Jack’s fervent wish his father wouldn’t say anything, Ben did. And quite enthusiastically too.
“Yes, Yes,” he let his arms fly. “We’ve come across this program, and it looks like we might have made a discovery. Or, I should say, those scientists made the discovery, but we’re putting together a correlation. You see? That pictograph looks much like the O/A, doesn’t it?”
“The O/A?” Argus squinted, then gazed into the transparent housing where the machine bathed in Quantum Foam. “Yes, I suppose it does,” he tilted his head at Ben. “What do you think that means, Mr. James?”
“Not sure,” he tapped his chin. “Not sure. It might mean nothing at all. Then again, it might mean everything.”
“How so?” Argus pressed. Jack didn’t like it.
“Well,” Ben answered. “If there’ve been other machines like this in the past, and if there’ve been Tanakee associated with those past machines, then there must be some kind of connection to us, here in the present. It might give me a piece of the puzzle as to why exactly this technology was sent to me. Why me?”
“A connection?” Argus’s questioning was getting to be borderline obsessive. “A connection to what?”
“Listen,” Jack butted in. “We’re getting close to performing some diagnostics, and it’s pretty dangerous stuff, so maybe you guys should leave.”
Amelia huffed. “Fine, Jack. If you don’t want us here, then fine. Come on, Argus,” she seized his hand and dragged him out the door.
“I guess that’s goodbye, Takota,” Ayita shrugged and followed Amelia.
“Where are your manners, Son?” Ben frowned.
“Dad, you don’t understand. That Argus Cole. He’s…he’s…”
“Uh-oh,” Ben raised his brow and whispered. “Does Jack have a little competition for fair Amelia’s heart?”
Jack chuckled nervously. “Of course not,” he watched out the door as the two strolled down the driveway. Argus said something and it made Amelia go from pouting to a full, beaming smile. Amused, they both turned left at the sidewalk, heading toward Tangled Trail Estates.
“You sure about that?” Ben asked. “You’d better do something to smooth it over, and quick.”
Jack wanted to shrug it off. A tiny cinder in the pit of his gut, though, began to burn a hole, letting in a giant swarm of butterflies. The nervous energy had him running from the garage, crying Amelia’s name. She heard him and waited. Argus waited with her.
“What is it, Jack?” she looked mad again.
“I didn’t want you to go. I just,” he looked at Argus. They shared a grouchy glare. “Amelia, can I talk to you…alone?”
She presented Argus a big, albeit fake, smile.
“I’m sorry, Argus. Jack seems to have grown quite impolite lately.”
Jack lowered his head and studied the sidewalk.
“That’s okay,” Argus responded. “Everybody’s got their little…quirks,” he threw Jack a telling look. It wasn’t smug or grim or anything like that. Just steady and confident, as if he knew something Jack didn’t. Jack narrowed his eyes quite involuntarily.
“Jack!” she snapped. “Why are you being so rude?” she turned to Argus. “We’ll be just a second, okay?”
Argus smiled at her, but when she turned her back, his grin switched to that creepy, deadpan expression. She pushed Jack a few feet, behind a large conifer that dominated the James family’s front curb.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you’re being quite a jerk these last couple of days. Argus is new to town like I was. Remember how hard it was for me to adjust? He’s going through the same thing. Why can’t you just see that and help him feel more accepted here in Willow?”
Jack sighed. “I don’t know, Amelia. I mean,” he
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