“You’re right,” I said. “The Stamp Act may very well have been the spark that led to America’s independence from England. The King and Parliament won’t back down. The thirteen colonies are standing firm for freedom. And tempers will eventually reach a boiling point!”
“Speaking of boiling point,” Liberty said, “I think most people overcook their food. There’s nothing worse than overcooked potatoes or carrots or especially asparagus! Seriously, limp and soggy asparagus is almost as bad as a limp and soggy handshake.”
Confused, I questioned, “a soggy handshake?”
Liberty clarified: “You don’t want one, trust me. It begins by soaking in the bathtub or playing in a pool for too long and then your hand looks old and wrinkly! Shaking a soggy hand feels like you’re holding a slimy, shriveled piece of seaweed. And you’re not going to impress anyone with seaweed. Why are we even talking about this?”
I said defensively, “Because when I said boiling point you starting talking about—”
Liberty interrupted. “What we should be talking about is how to help the colonists defend their freedoms!”
I rolled my eyes and said, “I agree. Tommy, do you have any questions about what you heard in there?”
“Yeah, I do,” Tommy said. “I’m not sure I understood what No taxation without representation means.”
“It’s the main reason why the colonists are mad,” I said. “It’s important to understand that the thirteen colonies are still a part of England. They still consider King George to be their king, and they are subject to the rules and laws of the British Empire. So, of course, if they have to live by these laws then they want to help make the laws. Instead, the King and Parliament are making decisions without them.”
“You mean like the Stamp Act,” said Tommy.
“Exactly! The colonies petitioned Parliament to repeal the stamp tax several times but were ignored each time. Finally, the colonies said, ‘no more.’ No taxation without representation.”
Tommy nodded and said, “It sort of reminds me of this kid named Billy who lived in our neighborhood and had this really cool fort. But he only let the kids on his street play in his fort. I heard it was really cool. It had a pinball machine, and this balloon launcher, and this awesome rope swing! Plus, it had jars full of candy and snacks. Anyway, the kids on my street decided we should make our own cool fort but Billy didn’t like that idea. He had a top-secret meeting with the kids on his street and they decided that we could use Billy’s fort if we paid to get in. We told him no way, Jose!”
“I thought you said his name was Billy,” said Liberty.
“It is,” I said. “Jose is just a nickname that rhymes with way.”
“Oh,” Liberty replied. “You mean like, go take a hike, Mike. Or take a chill pill, Phil. Or go ride a ferret, Garrett!”
“Exactly,” Tommy said, laughing. “Anyway, we told Billy that we were going to have our own meeting. We decided we didn’t need his lousy fort and we built our own.”
“You did just what the colonies did,” I said. “They had their own meeting in October 1765. The colonies formed the Stamp Act Congress to figure out what to do and say to England about the Stamp Act.”
“I know what I would do,” said Liberty. “I would get a big piece of tape and make a line down the center and say this side of the barn is mine and that side of the barn is yours, and if you step on my side of the line then I’m telling Mom! Seriously, I had this brother that was soooo bossy and he thought he owned every inch of our barn and he was—”
I stroked Liberty’s neck and said, “It’s all right, Liberty. That was in the past. But you bring up a very good point. King George felt like he was the boss of the colonists. He felt like he owned their land and did not want to give it up! That’s why he started taxing the people and tried forcing them to buy British products. He was trying to control what they did. He wanted them to think of the British Empire first.”
“That’s hard to do when you live three thousand miles away,” said Tommy.
“The King believed there was lots of money to be made in the colonies,” I said. “America was rich in resources like wood, minerals, furs, and especially land. Plus, he sent a lot of British citizens to colonize the New World. You can understand why he was selfish and wanted to maintain his power and make the people feel dependent on England.”
“But the colonists are becoming so successful that they really don’t need the King or the British Empire, right?” Tommy asked.
“Correct,” I said. “America is like a child who is big enough to ride a bike without training wheels. But the King doesn’t want to take the training wheels off!”
“Hey, there’s Benjamin Franklin,” Tommy said pointing.
Sure enough, Benjamin slowly walked out of the Palace of Westminster. He looked like he could use a long nap. We joined him at the center of the courtyard.
“You were amazing in there,” said Tommy. “It was like the battle of the minds. Just like when Professor Xavier from the X-Men uses his mind power to fight off the bad guys. Seriously, you’re like an eighteenth-century X-Man!”
“Your imagination astounds even me,” said Benjamin. “What exactly is an X-Man?”
“Only the coolest group of superheroes to ever exist. Their whole purpose is to fight for and protect our freedoms. Yep, Benjamin Franklin is definitely an X-Man!”
“I have been called a lot of things, but never an X-Man,” Benjamin said, laughing.
“I believe you persuaded Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act,” I said.
“You must be an optimist,” said Benjamin with a wide grin. “Only time will tell. But I want to thank you for your support and for the service you rendered me.”
“Thanks, Mr. Franklin, for all your advice. I’ll never forget you,” Tommy said.
Benjamin put both hands on Tommy’s shoulders and said, “Tommy, you are the future of America. I’m an old man and today I feel even older. But when I hear your questions and see the light in your eyes I realize your mind is not much different than mine. Creating new inventions or fulfilling your dreams is simply connecting the dots in your mind. Some ideas have lots of dots and others just a few. But it is all the same process. Dot by dot by dot. The key is to keep going until you reach the final dot. When you do, you will have accomplished something. And with a mind like yours, I know it will be something great!”
Benjamin Franklin presenting the concerns of the American colonists to the Lord’s Council, Whitehall Chapel, London.
Finally, he turned to Liberty and said, “And how could I forget you!”
Liberty smiled and just stood there beaming!
Benjamin placed his hand under Liberty’s muzzle and said, “There is no such thing as coincidence, Liberty. God knows where every lightning bolt strikes, if you know what I mean.” He winked. “Something tells me you are exactly who you were meant to be. Don’t ever forget that.”
Liberty’s lip quivered just a bit and if he could have I know he would’ve given Benjamin Franklin a great big horse hug.
“Thank you, again, my friends,” said Benjamin. “And when you’re back in the colonies if you ever have a chance to meet Patrick Henry I would highly recommend it. I think he’s an exceptional American and one of your X-Men,” he said, winking at Tommy. “I hope our paths cross again someday.” And with that he tipped his hat and we parted ways.
“This was way better than I expected,” said Tommy.
“No kidding,” said Liberty. “He called you Mr. Future of America! Wow, you’re pretty important. I think you should get a T-shirt with ‘Mr. Future of America’ printed on it.”
“Thanks, Liberty, for being my number-one fan,” said Tommy. “But I think we should keep this a secret between you and me.”
“No problem,” Liberty said, grinning. “Now we both have secrets. It’s like we’re secret members of a secret club of secrets!”
“I hate to break up your secret meeting, but it’s time to time-jump back t
o Manchester Middle School.” I scanned the courtyard and said, “Let’s walk over to that tall hedge. It should conceal our departure. Oh, and Liberty, we can’t return to the teachers’ lounge because we don’t know if Elizabeth is still there.”
“I hope Freedom is okay,” Tommy said.
“I’m more worried about Elizabeth,” I said. “I’ve seen her taunt and tease and insult Freedom over and over again. That kind of thing can be very taxing on a person. One of these days Freedom is going to reach her boiling point just like the colonies. I would not want to be Elizabeth when that happens.”
“I say we jump back to the classroom. It should still be empty since school just ended,” Liberty said.
“Just ended? It feels like that was days ago,” Tommy sighed.
“Good idea, Liberty. The classroom it is,” I said.
We traveled to the nearby hedge, and after making sure we were alone, Liberty opened the time portal and we jumped back to the classroom.
“Now I know how Liberty feels. I’m starving,” said Tommy as he dismounted from Liberty.
“You see,” said Liberty, “I’m not the only one with a big appetite.”
“Thanks, again, Mr. Revere,” said Tommy. “I better get home.” He took off his layer of colonial clothes and put them in his backpack. “I like keeping my modern-day clothes underneath. It’s so much easier to change! See ya!” He smiled and quickly left the classroom.
Liberty smiled and said, “So what’s the plan, Stan? Should we get something to eat, Pete?”
I tried not to laugh and said, “Good idea.”
“Really?” asked Liberty.
“Absolutely,” I said. “We need to keep your energy up. We have more time traveling to do!”
* * *
When the school bell rang the next day, the students were still busy talking about the previous day’s events.
“Good afternoon, class,” I said. The class fell silent and I continued: “Today you’re going to watch a video I recently edited where Benjamin Franklin defends the rights of the thirteen colonies and asks members of the British Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act. As you watch this video it will be very easy to imagine what it was like to actually be there. While the documentary is playing I’m going to slip out to get my horse, Liberty. As promised, Liberty is going to perform for you his stomp act about the Stamp Act. I’m going to need a couple of volunteers to help me carry in a sound system for Liberty’s performance.”
Several hands shot up in the air. I looked for three specific students to help me but only saw two of them. I wonder where Freedom is, I thought.
“Tommy and Cam,” I said, pointing to the two boys, “please join me in the hallway. The rest of you can sit back and enjoy the show. Oh, I almost forgot.” I pulled open my bottom desk drawer and pulled out a bag of bubble gum and another bag of lollipops. “You’re welcome to a treat while watching the movie!”
The students eagerly passed around the bags of treats. I walked to the back of the class, dimmed the lights, and started the video projector. I slipped out the door and into the hall, where Cam was waiting for me.
“Where’s Tommy?” I asked.
Before Cam could respond, Tommy slipped out of the classroom door and joined us. He tossed a couple of pieces of bubble gum to Cam.
“Thanks,” Cam said as he caught both pieces in his hands.
“Is Cam going to jump with us today?” Tommy said as he tossed an unwrapped piece of gum in his mouth.
I smiled and said, “He can if he wants to.”
“Did you say jump? Aren’t we just getting the sound system?” Cam asked. “I’ll admit, I’m curious to see what your horse does. It looks so real when he moves his lips. It’s like he’s really talking. I assume the sound system is what you use for the lip sync?”
Tommy looked Cam right in the eyes and without a single sign of a smirk he said, “Cam, this is going to be tough to believe and it might blow your mind, but you’ve got to trust me on this. Here’s the thing, a talking horse is just the tip of the iceberg. Mr. Revere has discovered how to time-travel.”
We stood there in silence as Cam carefully stared at us. Finally, he said, “You guys are serious?”
Tommy nodded and looked at me.
“It’s true,” I said. “There’s really only one way to prove it to you. Would you care to join us outside? Liberty is waiting for us there.”
“Okay, sure, I’ll play along,” said Cam. “And I bet there’s a flying pig out there, too!”
“Just don’t freak out too much, okay?” said Tommy.
“Whatever,” Cam said. “Let’s go find your magical horse. You probably have a leprechaun in your pocket and a genie in your locker.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Tommy smiled. “Leprechauns hate pockets and a genie is way too powerful to keep captive in a locker!”
Tommy thought he was being funny as he laughed at his own joke. I was amused that Tommy thought he was funny. But Cam only gave a courtesy smile as he followed us outside to join Liberty.
“So, where’s your horse?” Cam asked.
“Right here!” Liberty said as he appeared directly behind Cam.
Cam jumped forward like he had just stepped on hot coals. “Whoa! Man, you have got to teach me how to do this prank!”
“His name is Liberty,” I said. “Liberty, this is Cam and we’ve told him about your secret.”
“Which secret?” Liberty asked. “Oh, you mean the time I hid inside Disneyland just before the park closed? I had always wanted to do that. Of course, it’s not hard to hide when you can turn invisible but I thought it would be a lot more fun after hours when everyone was gone. Not so much. All the rides are closed and there’s nothing to eat so I just wandered through Adventureland and Frontierland and Fantasyland and—”
“Liberty,” I said, “I was referring to your time-travel secret.”
“Ohhhhhhh,” Liberty said with renewed interest. “That secret!”
Cam had his mouth open and was staring intently at Liberty.
“You really shouldn’t stare with your mouth open,” Liberty said. “No offense, but it’s sort of rude.”
Cam shut his mouth and then opened it and said, “He really can talk.”
“Before we go anywhere, Tommy and Cam need these,” I said. Opening my travel bag, I pulled out two pairs of colonial clothing.
“Okay, sure, why not.” Cam laughed. “I’ll play along.”
The boys quickly dressed and transformed into eighteenth-century lads.
“Do I look as funny as you do?” Cam asked Tommy.
“Yep,” Tommy said. “You should wear those clothes to school.”
“No kidding!” Cam laughed. “These breeches and stockings are total girl magnets.”
“Make sure you tuck in your shirts,” I said.
“Thanks, Mom,” Tommy said with a wink.
In an effort to hurry us along I said, “Tommy, why don’t you climb up onto Liberty’s saddle. I was going to have Freedom ride first but . . . speaking of Freedom, where is she today?”
“Oh, she had a dentist appointment,” Tommy said. “But she said she was coming back for Liberty’s stomp act.”
“Good to know,” I said. “Cam, why don’t you climb up behind Tommy.”
“Um, okay, sure,” said Cam.
“Where are we going this time?” Tommy asked.
Cam started laughing. “Wait, wait, wait, this is all kinds of whacked-out. Are you saying that Liberty is how you time-travel?”
“Just hold on tight to the saddle,” I said. “Liberty, we’re ready!”
“Rush, rush, rushing to history!” Liberty said as he galloped forward.
A purple and gold whirlpool swirled in front of us as the time portal opened. I called out, “America, the colony of Virginia, 1765, Patrick Henry.” As Liberty, Tommy, and Cam jumped through I followed closely behind. Just before I jumped I saw Elizabeth step out from behind the corner of the school. Only ten yards away,
she started running toward the time portal, too. She wouldn’t dare jump through after me, would she? In another second I was through the portal and landed in a darkened alley. Liberty, Tommy, and Cam were waiting for me. I stopped and turned back toward the portal, waiting, heart racing, eyes tracing the purple and gold to see if anyone else had time-jumped.
Chapter 5
As the boys dismounted, Liberty asked, “Why are you staring at the portal like that? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I ignored Liberty as I concentrated on the portal. After a couple of seconds the swirling vortex starting shrinking until it disappeared altogether.
“That was close,” I mumbled. I was worried Elizabeth would confront me upon my return to Manchester but for now we appeared to be safe.
“Get behind the building! Quick!” whispered Tommy, who grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
Tommy, Cam, and I had our backs against a two-story colonial building with a redbrick foundation and wood-siding. I looked up and saw a solid brick chimney with smoke that drifted up into sky. I quickly surveyed my surroundings. Even though the sun had just dipped below the neighboring frontier, it was plain to see that this wasn’t England. It was a rugged landscape. No trimmed hedges or courtyards. Instead, a grove of trees thick with underbrush created an eerie scene just in front of us. A barking dog could be heard in the distance.
“I saw a bunch of guys that looked like British soldiers,” said Tommy. “I don’t think they saw us.”
I peeked around the corner of the building and saw about six British soldiers who were leaving the establishment. Their red coats made them easy to spot.
“No wonder the thirteen colonies won the war,” said Liberty, who peered over my shoulder. “Those guys stand out like a cherry on an ice-cream sundae!”
As the soldiers marched away in unison I said, “Liberty, can you verify our location?”
Rush Revere and the First Patriots: Time-Travel Adventures With Exceptional Americans Page 6
