Chapter One
NEAR BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, 1753.
WHO IS IT?
BENJAMIN .
IT IS
GETTING LATE AND
FATHER WANTS TO
KNOW -
I'M
WORKING
MINT A!
NO ONE
IS TO BOTHER
ME HERE!
BUT FATHER -
FATHER NEED
NOT WORRY ABOUT
HIS FARM!
UNDER MY GUIDANCE
THE CROPS HAVE BEEN THE
BEST IN THE COUNTY, AND
I WILL MAKE SURE THAT
CONTINUES!
I WILL DO
FATHER'S WORK
TOMORROW!
WE KNOWS
THAT!
BUT TONIGHT.
I DO MY WORK!
YOU NEED REST!
I NEED
QUIET!
THAT'S WHY
I WORK OUT HERE
AND NOT IN THE
HOUSE!
YOU KNOW.
YOU'VE ALMOST - ALMOST,
BUT NOT QUITE-CREATED A
FARM THAT CAN TAKE
OF ITSELF .
. YOUR IRRIGATION.
THE SOIL ROTATION.
EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE SINCE
YOU TOOK OVER THE FARM
WHEN YOU WERE FIFTEEN.
BUT
AIN'T NO FARM
CAN CARE FOR ITSELF.
THIS FARM NEEDS
YOU!
YOU AIN'T A
CLOCK MAKER.
YOU'RE
A FARMER
MINT A.
I'M SORRY.
COME HERE.
I WANT
YOU TO SEE
SOMETHING.
NOW, I'VE STILL
GOT TO FIGURE
OUT THE
BEST COUNTER - BALANCE .
. AND SINCE I'M
JUST USING A
KNIFE GETTING THECOGS AND GEARS
TO FIT JUST RIGHT
HAS BEEN A MIGHT
DIFFICULT .
. BUT IT WILL
STRIKE ON THE SIX AND
ON THE TWELVE, AND IT'LL
BE AS PRECISE AS ANY
FANCY SWISS CLOCK
EVER'D BE!
BENJAMIN
BANNEKER, DON'T
YOU DARE .
. DON'T YOU DARE
LISTEN TO A WORD
WE SAY.
YOU KEEP
THAT BRAIN OF
YOURS WORKING
AND FRESH.
YOU KEEP THAT
MIND OF YOUR WOUND
LIKE A CLOCK SO IT DON'T
NEVER STOP WORKING,
YOU HEAR?
I CAN'T
BELIEVE IT .
. BOY IS A GENIUS
AT EVERYTHING HE
TOUCHES .
HMMMM .
YES .
WONDERFUL.
BEAUTIFUL.
IT ALL MOVES SO
PERFECTLY . LIKE A
GIANT CLOCK WOUND
INTO MOTION
AGES AGO.
AND ONE DAY.
I'M GOING TO FIGURE
OUT HOW THAT CLOCK
WORKS -
HUHN?
THE HUDSON RIVER, 1776.
SOMETIMES I THINK ABOUT NY NAME.
SLIPSTREAM.
STATUS, WORMHOLE?
UNSURE,
SLIPSTREAM .
A SLIPSTREAM IS LIKE A TRAIL OF AIR LEFT
BEHIND BY A FAST-MOVING OBJECT.
AND I DO HAVE TO MOVE FAST.
YET AGAIN
N.E.X.U.S. HAS
POOCHED OUT
ON US!
I
WARNED
YOU!
IF WE HADN'T
MADE THOSE EXTRA
STOPS, MAYBE .
TO THE LEADER OF THIS SMALL GROUP
OF FLIES CHASING THE EVIL DARCHON,
SLOWING DOWN MEANS FAILING.
MAYBE WHAT?
NOTHING!
AND FAILING MEANS DARCHON AND HIS
MASTER - WHOEVER IT IS - WIN.
THOUGHT SO!
BULLY .
SO IT FALLS ON MY SHOULDERS TO BRING
THESE FLIES TOGETHER AS A SINGLE UNIT.
WHAT
DID YOU
SAY?
NOTHING!
I AM NOT A
BULLY!
BRINGING THEM TOGETHER
ISN'T ALWAYS EASY. BUT I
HAVE TO DO IT .
AND
IF YOU SAY IT
AGAIN, I'LL -
OKAY,
ENOUGH,
GUYS!
WE'VE
GOT A JOB
TO DO!
DARCHON'S A TRICKY
LITTLE SPIDER, AND HE'S
NOT GOING TO WASTE
ANY TIME HERE!
WE
SHOULDN'T
EITHER!
BECAUSE FAILURE
IS NOT AN OPTION.
(Continues.)
