The Boy Who Knew Everything Read Online Free Page B

hand away but the tiny rhinoceros refused to release his fingers. Fortunately Daisy was able to gently pry its jaws open and Jasper quickly healed Conrad’s bleeding appendages, at which point they were all finally able to get a good look at the pugnacious little fellow. He was a muddy gray color and his skin was all wrinkled up and leathery. He made a snuffling sound when he breathed and he was stamping about clumsily knocking his horn into things.
    â€œI named him Fido,” Myrtle offered tentatively, trying to gauge Conrad’s reaction. “But you can call him anything you want.”
    Conrad grew very silent and looked at Fido, who was at that moment biting the bottom of his jeans and growling playfully. Conrad was by no means under any illusion; Fido was snappish, dangerous, and unquestionably one of the ugliest creatures he had ever seen, yet still he was struck dumb by the presence of him.
    As Conrad’s silence stretched into an uncomfortable length Myrtle shifted nervously and looked to Daisy for help. Daisy didn’t know what to say and so she nudged Jasper.
    â€œD-d-don’t you like him?” Jasper asked meekly.
    Conrad looked up at his friends with a suspicious shine in his eyes. “I’ve never had a pet before,” he said. “My father wouldn’t allow it.” Conrad swallowed hard. “I think this is the best birthday I have ever had.”
    â€œYippee!” Conrad’s friends cheered with excitement and relief, and of the entire group Piper made the most noise.
    Fido was once again startled by the unexpected clatter and suddenly a pair of wings snapped out from beneath the folds of skin on his back. He bolted into the air, flapping about in erratic patterns. This development was such a startling revelation it struck many of the kids dumb.
    â€œI forgot to mention”—Myrtle shrugged—“Fido can fly. I think he’s part bat.”
    Conrad grinned, watching the crazy creature bumping into trees and bumbling through the air.
    â€œHe’s fast!” Piper was delighted and immediately took to the air after him.
    The rest of the day was taken up with games and Conrad getting to know his first pet so that by the time the sun set everyone was tuckered and laughed out. When the kids had all gone home Piper found Conrad hunched over his workbench diligently tinkering with a white oval device the size of an ostrich egg, which he called TiTI (short for Time Infinity Travel Instigator). Fido snored loudly at his feet, twitching at odd moments.
    â€œWhatcha doing?” Piper asked, perching next to Conrad.
    â€œJust putting on the finishing touches.” Conrad didn’t take his eyes from TiTI, turning it over and using a very small laser to cut precise incisions on the mechanism within.
    â€œAre you really going to be able to travel through time with that thing?” Piper’s nose wrinkled up.
    â€œNo, it’s not possible to travel through time.” Conrad had explained this to Piper a thousand times already. “I’m bending time. TiTI distorts time and allows the person holding it to move to different places on the space-time continuum.”
    â€œUh, okay.”
    Conrad could see that he would have to explain it again at some point in the not-so-distant future because Piper was too busy placing a brightly wrapped package on his worktable and nudging it toward him.
    â€œYou forgot to open my present,” she said.
    Conrad shook his head. “Piper, you didn’t have to—”
    â€œI know I didn’t have to. I wanted to, you genius-dummy. So, open it already.”
    Conrad sighed and tugged the paper away. Inside was a glass canister and inside that canister were several complicated mechanisms surrounding a small vial of silver liquid.
    â€œYou didn’t!” Conrad gasped. “Plutonium?”
    â€œI’m your best friend.” Piper grinned and clapped her hands excitedly.