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This is a thriller chapter where we find three animals. Raka, the evil dragon and doppelganger, the Hoopoe Bird, and a squirrel. Raka finds Albert because he saw the Hoopoe Bird perched outside the alehouse. Little does the dragon know what the little protector can do. Walking in the black night you can feel the hot slimy breath of Raka surreptitiously stalking Albert. As Raka sneaked up behind Albert, his deadly weapon readied out of nowhere like a missile, the Hoopoe Bird drops from the sky. The bird’s sharp beak pierces the stalker’s eye. Surprise! The dragon stumbles and loses control of his cane. The needle covered in a lethal dose of poison shoots out and finds a squirrel. Poor scorched tree rat shrivels up into a puddle of ooze. Unaware of the dragon and what has just happened, Albert sees the squirrel burn up like crisp toast. He shakes his head in disbelief, mounts his bicycle and heads home. The twists and turns of Einstein’s Compass are just beginning. The science fiction fantasy will keep you wanting more.
Einstein's Compass a YA Time Traveler Adventure - Chapter 10 Excerpt
Raka was deep in thought, speculating on what he had heard when he saw the younger man reach into his pocket and pull out his money clip along with a round, brass device. Raka held his breath. There it was, his treasure! He wanted to jump up and grab it but had enough presence of mind to know that was not the way to achieve his aim. In the excitement of seeing the Shamir, Raka’s concentration weakened, and the illusion of his human form faded. Scales appeared on his face. He rubbed his hands over his cheeks quickly, and his soft, human complexion returned. Shaking with anticipation, his proximity overwhelmed Raka to the prize he had sought for millennia. As Albert and Max stood up and made their way to the front door, neither noticed the blond gentleman at the table behind them.
Raka waited until Max and Albert had left the alehouse before he tossed a few coins on the table and followed. As he exited the building, he saw Max walking to the left and Albert going right to fetch his bicycle at the library. Raka grinned and moved along the cobblestone street toward Albert, melting into the pitch-black night. Albert rounded the corner of the now-dark library and walked to where he had parked his bike. Lost in thoughts of his future, he was unaware of Raka approaching him from behind. Panting in anticipation, Raka prepared to strike, cosmic law be damned. He readied his weapon by pressing the dragon’s ruby eyes and exposing the toxic steel needle. Just as he aimed, out of nowhere, the hoopoe bird flew straight into the evil lizard, its pointed bill piercing his left eye. Raka stifled a cry and crouched to the ground in pain as the swift bird flew away.
Pulled from his musing by the muffled sound, Albert looked around. But the night was wicked, and he saw neither Raka nor the weapon which fell from his grasp as the lizard covered his wounded eye. The walking stick tumbled to the cobblestone pavement, and the poisoned needle tip broke with a snap, bouncing onto a squirrel nearby, causing it to chatter angrily. As he was placing his leg over his bicycle, Albert heard the noise and saw the little rodent scurry past him. Because it was so dark, Albert did not believe his eyes as the creature’s fur smoked and the animal appeared to disintegrate into a puddle of ooze. Albert shook his head, chiding himself for the way his eyes deceived him. He pulled the collar of his coat tighter around him to protect himself from the cutting wind.
Muttering soundless curses at the hoopoe bird, Raka skulked in the darkness, attempting to tend his wound. Far from fatal for the changeling, it was painful enough to demand his attention. He cursed himself soundly for his over-eagerness and realized what he had nearly done. The price he would have paid, he realized, would have been too high, even for the Shamir. He would not make that mistake again.
Walking in the dark, wintry night, Raka vowed to lay a far more foolproof plan. Yes, it would take time. Yes, he would have to be patient. But he would not let the Shamir slip through his clutches again. A plan formed in his mind—one that involved other humans. Like a precious seed, he would nurture it until it blossomed and bore fruit.
Astride his bicycle, Albert pedaled toward his aunt’s house, his mind filled with thoughts of a much brighter future. Not far behind, the hoopoe flew, ever vigilant, watching for the potential dangers of which Albert was blissfully unaware.
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Ah, Albert. What a propitious beginning.