Read Online Redeemed by Margaret Peterson Haddix - Free Book Online

right now. . . .”
    Jordan decided to use the same strategy he adopted when teachers asked hard questions in class: As far as he was concerned, somebody else could do all the talking. He turned his head toward Mom, but she looked white-faced and speechless. Katherine was biting her lip, a sign that she was spitting mad, maybe even too mad to speak. Dad kept opening and closing his mouth, but no sound came out.
    That left Jonah. And of course wise, calm Jonah was up to the task.
    â€œYou promised,” Jonah said, his eyes burning into Second’s. “After Katherine and I saved time back in the sixteen hundreds, you said you would stay in your dimension of time and stay out of ours. But then you helped Gary and Hodge. You taught them how to ruin everything, how to ruin my life . . .”
    Why did he turn his head and glare at Jordan just then? Why was he acting like Jordan, not Second, had ruined “everything”?
    Second held up his hands, palms out, in one of those Hey, man, don’t blame me gestures of innocence.
    â€œTo use a phrase that has echoed through recorded history—in all dimensions—’Am I my brother’s keeper?’ ” Second asked. “And I say: No. I am not.”
    Katherine gasped.
    â€œYou mean—you’re related to Gary? Or Hodge?” she asked. “Is that why—”
    Second sighed. “I keep forgetting that I am dealing with children,” he muttered. “And children from a more primitive time . . . I only meant that figuratively. I claim no kinship with either of those bumblers.”
    â€œYou’re quoting the Bible,” Mom said. “That’s what Cain said after he killed his own brother, and he tried to pretend he didn’t know where his brother was. But he was responsible. He was guilty.” She whipped her head side to side,gazing frantically at Jonah and Katherine and Jordan. “Is this man a murderer? Do we have to worry about that, too?”
    It was really scary to hear Mom say words like “killed” and “murderer.” Those weren’t things Jordan was used to hearing either of his parents fret about.
    It was even scarier that neither Katherine nor Jonah answered Mom.
    Second pressed his lips into a thin line of annoyance.
    â€œYou’re getting off track,” he said. “Let me clarify: Neither Gary nor Hodge was ever my protégé. I made no effort to teach them anything. I was just as stunned as anyone else that they were able to enter my separate time and learn from my examples. And . . . everything I desire is just as endangered by the potential results of their actions as you are. So I think I am justified in breaking my promise. You don’t know this yet, but you need me to.”
    For a moment everyone was silent. Then Katherine whispered, “So you want us to help you again? You want to work together?”
    Second smiled. But it was just a matter of moving the corners of his mouth. The smile didn’t make him look happy or pleasant.
    â€œThat would be one way of looking at this,” he said in a tight voice. “But . . . that’s not how any of you are going to view things a moment from now.”
    â€œWhy? What are you going to do?” Mom asked frantically. “Please—can’t we just talk things out before anyone does anything?”
    â€œDon’t make me have to beat you up!” Dad said.
    And then both of them vanished.
    So did Second.

NINE
    Jordan toppled over. He was so caught off guard at being unfrozen that he didn’t even think about putting his hands out to catch himself. His shoulder smashed into the floor. He would have hit even harder if it hadn’t been for Katherine being partly in front of him. She mostly broke his fall.
    Now she’s going to yell at me for chipping her fingernail or something, Jordan thought, even though her elbow stabbed his