Turtle Trouble (Paperback)

Chapter One

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 THE COGS 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...)