Redeemed by Margaret Peterson Haddix Page B

cannot project the next seconds with any confidence or accuracy,” a disembodied voice said.
    â€œ That’s how this works?” Dad marveled.
    â€œWho was thinking of going back?” Katherine asked accusingly.
    â€œMe,” Mom said meekly.
    â€œWell, stop, and then we’ll see what happens next,” Jordan suggested.
    He kept watching the screen. Nothing happened.
    â€œDo you know how hard it is to keep yourself from thinking about something?” Mom asked.
    Jonah ran his hand over his face.
    â€œLet’s try this instead,” he suggested. “Elucidator, show us the room where we saw Second—er, Sam Chase, whatever he’s calling himself now—in the secondafter all of us Skidmores left.”
    The scene on the wall changed to a crystal-clear scene of a futuristic lab. Jordan guessed it was the same place he’d seen before in a blur. But it was totally empty. Neither Second nor anyone else stood in its broad aisles.
    â€œUm . . . show us where Second went in the instant after all of us Skidmores left,” Jonah said. He sounded stricken—why was he frightened by the sight of an empty lab?
    Something weird happened with the wall. It was almost like the projection was replaced with a trick mirror, because it seemed to return an image of the same nothing-colored walls that surrounded his family (and Jonah). Jordan could see his family and Jonah reflected on the wall, too, but the view was twisted around somehow, so it showed their backs instead of the images head-on, like a regular mirror would show. There was Katherine’s ponytail, knocked off center and coming out of its rubber band. There was the back of Dad’s head, which should be balding but was so improbably covered with thick, frizzy hair. There was the back of Jonah’s nerdy sweater vest with its argyle design. There was . . .
    Wait, is there a sixth person crouching down and hiding behind me and Mom? Jordan wondered. And he’s been quiet and out of sight because none of us has turned around and looked behind us since we arrived in this time hollow?
    Jordan whirled around, looking behind him. Everyone else seemed to notice and turn at the same time.
    Except as Katherine and Jonah whirled around, they also screamed, “Second followed us!”

EIGHT
    The man crouched behind Jordan burst into a wide grin.
    â€œGuilty as charged!” he cried. His voice didn’t match his words—he sounded as gleeful as if he were accepting a prize. “I thought you were going to take forever, deciding to look for me.”
    Jonah tugged on Dad’s arm to shove him back; Katherine did the same thing to Mom and Jordan.
    They’re trying to shield us, Jordan thought numbly. What do they think this man’s going to do?
    In the next moment Jordan felt his body freeze. He could still move his head and neck, but everything below his neck seemed immobile. He had no control over his arms or legs or torso, and his limbs were stuck in the most awkward positions. Katherine had only halfway succeeded in shoving him behind her, so Jordan was balancedimprobably on his right knee and his left fingertips.
    â€œOnce again, your primitive instincts have failed you,” Second taunted them. “Jonah, you’re under the impression that you’re holding two Elucidators, correct? Why didn’t you just immobilize me before I had the chance to do the same to you? Were your instincts to protect your family that overpowering? That’s actually kind of sweet.”
    â€œStop making fun of us,” Jonah muttered.
    Katherine went for a more direct approach: “What do you want?” she demanded.
    â€œWhat do you think I want?” Second asked. His eyes danced merrily. Combined with his messy hair, this made him look a little crazy. “I would be so interested in hearing your theories. We’ve just had such a fascinating turn of events! So much is in flux