SpeedDial©2007Macmillan/McGraw-HillChapterOne“Canweturnuptheheat?Myhandsarelikeice!”Thirteen-year-oldOliverMcBriderubbedhishandsoverhiscupofcocoa.“Trymovingaround,”saidhisolderbrotherCarterfrombehindthesportspage.“Clearingthetableoughttowarmyourightup.”Oliverignoredhim.Lately,everythingtheysaidtoeachotherhadtobeasmartremark.“Oh,”saidMrs.McBride.“Areyoucold,Olliedear?Hudson,wouldyoumindturninguptheheat?”Oliver’sdadrosetocheckthethermostat.“Thepwin-cessisve-wy,ve-wycold,”Baileychirped.“It’s’causehercastleismade-asnow.See,Owie?”Oliverlookeddownathisthree-year-oldsister,whosatcross-leggedunderthetable.Hepretendedtobeinterestedandsmiled.“So,”saidMr.McBride.“Whathaveyouboysgotplannedfortoday?”Carterpeekedoverthetopofthenewspaper.“I’mmeetingsomeguysatthebasketballcourtsinalittlewhile.”“Isn’titkindofcoldforbasketball?”saidOliver.SpecialEffect2“Warmenoughnow,Ollie?”SafelybackintheGadgetorium,Carterjokedaboutthecoatingofperspiration,broughtonbytheirsharedsenseoffear.“Butseriously,though.Thattookcouragetocomeafterme,littlebro.Itwasanamazinglyhonorablethingtodo.”Whentheyhadreturned,theboyscalledtocheckinwiththeirparents.Butfirst,CarterandJessicahaddisconnectedallthetime-traveldevices.Whattheyhadtappedintowastoodangerousforthemtoexplorealone—atleastfornow.“It’sashame,”saidCarter.“Imean,justthinkofallthestuffwecouldlearn.”Oliversmiledtohimself,suddenlyrememberingthesetofsymbolshe’dseenscratchedintoRockin’Rock:“J.‘G.’B.+C.McB.2008TruLuv.”Finally,Oliverpossessedabitofknowledgethathisolderbrotherhadnoclueabout.Atleast,notatthepresenttime.Epilogue19SpeedDial©2007Macmillan/McGraw-Hill“Someofusjusthavethickskin,Iguess,”Carterrepliedsarcastically.OliverresentedhowCarteractedsosuperior,usingeveryavailablechancetoemphasizehowhewassmarter,moreathletic,andmoreadventurousthanhisyoungerbrother.“Hey—Icanshoothoops.It’sjustthatJoeyandImightgotothemovies....”Fromsomewhere,acellphonerang.Carterrummagedaroundforitonthetable.“Wheredidyouputyour...
