September Sky (American Journey Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

intriguing. You and Justin treated the exercise seriously and offered a refreshing mix of skepticism, enthusiasm, and candor."
    "Thank you," Chuck said. "That still doesn't explain why you requested our presence this morning. If you had wanted to talk more about time travel, you could have just called us again."
    "You're right," Bell said. "If I had wanted merely to shoot the breeze on theories, movies, and popular perceptions, I could have picked up the phone. I could have sent you an email. I didn't because I wanted to do more than discuss your responses to my queries. I wanted to offer you and your son the opportunity of a lifetime."
    "The opportunity of a lifetime?"
    "That's correct."
    Chuck raised an eyebrow.
    "Why do I suspect you're about to peddle an investment scheme?"
    The professor smiled.
    "Because you're a skeptical, cynical reporter who believes that everyone is selling something or trying to rip off their fellow man," Bell said. "Am I right?"
    Chuck laughed.
    "You're right."
    "I thought so."
    "So is my hunch correct?" Chuck asked. "Is your 'opportunity' an investment scheme?"
    "In fact, it is. Only in this 'scheme,' I would do most of the investing. I would invest my faith, trust, and some of my fortune in two men I barely know in hopes of gaining knowledge that may someday prove useful."
    "You have my attention, Professor. What's this about?"
    "It's about a secret – a secret I have guarded closely for twenty years. It's also about a man and his work and my efforts to honor that work by bringing people I believe I can trust into a very tight circle."
    "Continue."
    "More than a century ago, my great-grandfather – a respected scientist named Percival Bell – did something that today would turn the world of physics on its head."
    "What was that?"
    "He discovered a way to move quickly, effortlessly, and safely though time."
    "He traveled through time?" Chuck asked.
    "He did."
    "You're full of it."
    "I've done so myself many times, sir. I have experienced firsthand what many of the world's best minds say is physically – and even theoretically – impossible."
    "You have proof of this, of course," Chuck said.
    "Define proof," Bell said. "Can I offer a video that proves I've done as I've claimed? No. I cannot. What I can offer is the past itself. I can offer you the opportunity to visit times that exist only in history books and remain there for an extended stay. I can offer you the chance to do what few people have ever done and return to the present day as if you had never been gone."
    "You're not joking, are you?" Justin asked.
    Bell smiled warmly.
    "I wouldn't joke about something like this."
    Chuck took a moment to ponder all that he had heard. He still thought the professor was full of it, but not as full of it as he had first thought. He decided to play along.
    "Suppose we take you up on this 'opportunity,'" Chuck said. "What's the catch? What are the drawbacks and restrictions?"
    Bell widened his smile.
    "I thought you'd never ask. There are, in fact, several matters to consider, including two that might give you some pause. I would insist, among other things, that you commit at least three months and three thousand dollars to this experience."
    "So it is all about money."
    "Hardly," Bell snapped. "I am independently wealthy, Mr. Townsend. I have enough money in one bank account alone to fund a hundred trips to the past. I ask for your time and money because I want a serious commitment from you. I want to know that my efforts are not being wasted on someone who takes this opportunity lightly."
    "This could still be a scam," Chuck said.
    "You're right," Bell said. "It could be. But ask yourself a question. Would a highly respected professor of physics with a fortune estimated at sixty million dollars risk ridicule, condemnation, and jail for a mere three thousand? I doubt it."
    Chuck conceded Bell's point with a sigh and then exchanged glances with his son. He could see that Justin bought the professor's