Deadrock Read Online Free PDF

Paradise. Bird stretched up to pick an apple off a tree but Max caught
him mid-reach. The Guide nodded approvingly.
    "Any act
you make," said the Green Robe Leader, "may have a permanent effect
on all eternity!"
    From behind a
veil of flowering vines, Eve appeared. She plucked the apple from the tree, and
handed it to Adam, who stepped out from the shrubbery. Bird shrugged at Max and
saluted the fading First Family.

 
    The next
morning, Max tapped his foot impatiently and waited for Bird outside the Time
Passage Room. Trust this guy to be late, he thought. On the other hand, if he's
really late, maybe they'll let me go alone. He closed his eyes and wished, Oh,
please, Bird BE LATE! Unfortunately, when he opened his eyes again, he saw the
tall detective ambling toward him.
    "Is that
what you're going to wear?" Max said to him.
    "Sure,
what's wrong with this?" said Bird. He dusted the knees of his jeans and
smoothed the wrinkles of his plain white shirt. At least the shirt has buttons,
thought Max. It would be hard to explain InvisiSeams in the twenty-first
century.
    "Well, it's
too late to change now," said Max. "Maybe we can get you something to
wear when we get there."
    Here we're
supposed to blend right into the early 2000s and this guy's going to stand out
like a red dress at a funeral, thought Max, tugging at the waistband of his striped
hiphugger pants. I don't mind the bellbottoms so much but this low-slung waist
is going to drive me crazy. How inconspicuous will I be with my pants down
around my ankles? He gave Bird a second look. Not as noticeable as this guy, he
thought. What made him think he could get away with those moccasins?
    "At least
borrow some of my beads," Max said and offered Bird a strand with a peace
sign attached.
    "Groovy,"
said Bird.
    "That's
it," said Max, somewhat relieved. "I'm glad you did some linguistic
research, anyway."
    The two
entered the Time Passage Room, passed through a tunnel of plastic detector, and
waited on the platform by the transporter tubes. Chief Madison waved at them
from behind the clear wall of the control chamber. She pushed a button and
talked to them over the intercom.
    "We've
got the date narrowed down, Max, but we can't be sure it's the exact day the
murder took place," said the Chief. "You'll just have to find the
time capsule and wait it out."
    "Not too
long, I hope. The Spinelli deal won't wait forever," said Max.
    "Oh, we'll
have fun, Max," said Bird. "I always like to take a tour when I get
to a new city. You know, we could see the Statue of Liberty before they
shrink-wrapped her, and Radio City Gallium Hall, and…"
    Max gave the
Chief a pained "Why Me?" look.
    The Chief smiled.
"You two just get the job done as soon as possible. Try to establish some
kind of cover so you can watch the action. And don't forget the Policy of Non-Involvement
– you don't want to change events."
    "You were
going to remind him about the gambling," Max prompted the Chief.
    "Right.
Bird, remember, you're still on probation so no gambling of any kind," she
said.
    "A closed
chapter in my life, Chief," said Bird.
    "Ready
for passage!" called the pilot.
    Bird and Max
grabbed their gear and each stepped into a clear, rhinoleum tube. The doors
slid shut, locked and sealed with a clang. Max's breath began to condense in
the tube and he felt a sudden stab of claustrophobia. He looked through the
misting rhinoleum over at Bird, whose large frame crammed his cylinder and left
barely a quarter of an inch of space above his head.
    A kelp hot dog
in a casing, thought Max.
    Bird tried to
raise an arm to wave at him, but had to settle for a smile and a wink.
    "Keep
your arms next to your body and remain as still as possible during passage,"
said the pilot, activating the controls. "Passage to New York City circa
July 2015 should take place in two minutes, forty-three seconds. Ready…transport!"
    Max closed his
eyes and felt his molecules bubble and dance. For all his feigned outward
indifference,