The Kukulkan Manuscript Read Online Free PDF Page B

mouth. “You plan on paying for that before dig’n in?”
    Kinnard nodded. What else should he do? His dark brown eyes were huge circles. His fingers gripped the lip of the jar, only white knuckles showing. He didn’t smile. He squeezed away the blood of embarrassment attempting to fill his face. Cold swept through his little body. But he managed to say with a weak voice, “Yes, sir.”
    “How much money you got?” Hefleiter said, prying the jar away from Troy’s hands with one quick motion.
    Kinnard had to think about it fast, rummaging through his pockets with his mind. “Got a penny,” he said with the same shaky voice.
    “Let’s see it.”
    Then Kinnard remembered flipping the penny he and Ulman had found earlier that day. Heads, it was Troy’s. Tails, Chris kept it. Flip…tails.
    It was in Ulman’s pocket.
    “Well?” Hefleiter said, spotting the hesitation.
    Kinnard spun around and Ulman turned to face him. Chris’s face lacked the little color he normally had, and Kinnard realized Ulman’s eyes screamed, “
Yes I have it, you idiot! But it’s in the pocket with all the candy! It’s
beneath
all the sweets!”
    Ulman didn’t move.
    “Let’s see that coin,” Hefleiter said. In the past, the old man had given the boys candy for free once in a while. But the two were getting older, and it seemed Hefleiter wanted to teach them the rudiments of business. Once he said he wanted money, he never backed down. That probably accounted for Ulman’s impulsive attempt to snag all he could.
    Kinnard felt the air point fingers of accusation. He remember the lightness in his head, the swaying sensation. Lies to protect his friend surrounded his mind. Nothing Troy could say would get him away from the crime. His eyes dropped to the ground. He prayed for a miracle—for a forgotten penny to wait somewhere on the planks that had betrayed him….
    “Oh, land sakes!” Mrs. Higgins said, “I have a penny! Candy for you both.” She promptly produced the funds and jumped just as quickly back into her previous debate with new ammunition spewing from the edge of her lips.
    A moment later, Troy and Chris scurried quickly from the corner store with sugar in their hands. Energy surged through Ulman as he bumped again and again into Troy’s shoulder, laughing about their stolen treasure, their free food, and the close call.
    Finally, Troy shoved back. “I can’t believe you, Chris! You stole that candy!”
    “He wasn’t gonna give us none for free, Troy!” Ulman said, leaning into his friend’s face.
    “We were dead meat back there! We could’ve been dubbed robbers and ruined for life!”
    “We was fine,” said young Ulman. “You want some?” He produced a lint-layered palm full of hard candies.
    “I don’t want any!” Kinnard said, shoving him away with a wave. “Don’t you know stolen candy’s got no taste! It’s filthy! It’s rotten! And it’s no good when guilt’s fill’n your stomach!”
    Ulman shrugged. “I heard untouchable goodies taste sweetest.”
    Troy stopped walking and shoved his face into Ulman’s. “It’s a lie, Chris! A fib told you by thieves! You wanna be a looter? You wanna be a no good, dirty rotten, two-faced, lying, cheating, stupid-bag-of-potatoes criminal when you grow up! This is all how it starts, you know! Everyone in prison begins this way, Chris!”
    “What’s wrong with potatoes?” said young Ulman.
    Troy pounded his open hands into Chris.
    Ulman lost his footing and skidded to the ground, one leg bending under his bottom while the other stretched out in front of him.
    Breathing so hard his shirt felt tight, Kinnard stood with clenched fists over his friend. “You ever do something that dumb again, Chris,” his said through labored breaths, “and you can find yourself a new friend.”
    Kinnard remembered storming off in a hurry.
    But that hadn’t been the end of their relationship. Relatively, it was still sprouting. Chris had begged Kinnard’s forgiveness