Time Benders Read Online Free PDF Page A

court. It bounced up and hit Horemheb in the back of the head. Jeff recovered it and charged down the court, easily making a basket.
    “The count is one basket for each side,” Tutankhamen called excitedly.
    Jeff handed Horemheb the ball. When the big man took it he squeezed Jeff’s fingers.
    “Let go, you big ape.”
    “Pardon me, honored guest. I’m sure it was an accident.” Horemheb smirked and tossed the ball to the guard.
    The guard tried to dribble but his bounces were too high and Jeff stole the ball easily. Horemheb blocked his attempt to move the ball downcourt, so Jeff bounce-passed to Zack. Zack fumbled the ball and sent it flying onto the royal table. Wine splattered all over the queen’s dress.
    Jeff sprinted over to retrieve the ball. “Sorry, Your Highness. Just remember it’s for a good cause.”
    “I certainly hope so.” Servants ran to Ankhesenpaaten to clean her up.
    Jeff tossed the ball to Zack, who managed to catch it and quickly pass it back.
    “Good move, genius. See, you’re getting better already. With a little coaching from me you’d probably get this game down in no time.” Jeff took a long shot from center court and scored another basket. “That makes two.”
    Horemheb and the guard were running all over the court but couldn’t keep up with theboys. Zack did his best to stay in their way while Jeff made all the shots. In less than fifteen minutes they had run the score up to 19 to 1.
    “I … require a pause … to speak to my assistant,” Horemheb said, breathing hard.
    “It’s called a time-out, General, and you got it. But don’t take too long. Zack and I are anxious to finish you off.”
    The two Egyptians huddled in a corner while Jeff went to the table for a drink. The queen touched his arm quietly. “I don’t like this. General Horemheb is a master of trickery. Be careful.”
    “He’d have to be a magician to pull this game out of the bag. Two more points and he’s out of your hair for good.”
    “Don’t underestimate him. Once he went up against the entire Sudanese army with only a small force and came back victorious—with the Sudanese general in chains.”
    “We are ready,” Horemheb announced flatly. The guard had switched places with him and Horemheb was the one throwing in. He pitched the ball to the guard and thenquickly moved in close to Jeff. The guard didn’t try to dribble downcourt. Instead he tossed the ball back to the general. Horemheb leaned back and drilled the ball straight at Jeff’s face.
    Jeff staggered and fell.
    “Time-out,” Zack yelled. “Jeff, are you all right?” There was no answer. “You knocked him out.”
    “I don’t recall your associate naming this as an infraction of the rules.”
    “Well, it is,” Zack barked.
    “I will order my servants to carry him to the infirmary,” Tutankhamen said kindly. “We have the finest physicians in all the world. Meanwhile, the game must continue.”
    “Continue?” Zack whirled around. “We can’t continue. My friend is unconscious.”
    “But it was you who made the challenge, was it not?”
    “Well, yeah, but—”
    Horemheb threw the ball hard into Zack’s stomach. “What is the matter, foreigner? Scared?”

C HAPTER 13
    The cell door clanked shut for the second time that day. The guard sneered and shoved Zack inside, slamming the door behind him. “This time you won’t be getting out … ever.”
    Zack sat on the cold stone floor, mumbling, “How do I get myself into these things?”
    “You know what they say about people who talk to themselves.”
    Zack jumped up. “Jeff? Is that you?”
    “Yeah. I’m in the next cell over. The queen told the royal guard to escort me to prison justas soon as I regained consciousness. I take it the game didn’t go so well after I left.”
    “That’s an understatement. Horemheb and the guard made about a thousand points before I could blink. I never even got close to the basket.”
    “That’s too bad. At least they