Part 10
Vases shook themselves off of tables. Paintings that might have been Da Vinci originals were forced from the walls. Quinn Mallory, Rembrandt Brown, Maximilian Arturo, Wade Wells and Theodosius Barnes were caught in the middle of a maelstrom.
"What's happening?!?" Wade cried.
"I don't know!" Mr. Barnes feebly responded. "Nothing like this has ever happened before."
"Aren't we supposed to stand in a doorway or something?" Rembrandt asked, grabbing hold of a seemingly-steady piece of furniture.
"Good suggestion, Mr. Brown, but easier said than done." The Professor's comment was proven true, as any attempt to do so was met with more violent shaking. In fact, the sliders were having a hard time just dodging flying objects.
"Brace yourselves!" Quinn cried out. "It's getting worse!" As if the ground obeyed Quinn's every whim, the tremors indeed multiplied and became more severe. Just as the five began to worry about their lives, the shaking came to an abrupt halt. After a few moments of recovery, Rembrandt ventured, "Do you think it's safe now?"
Wade looked at Quinn and the Professor. Mr. Barnes, however, was the one who attempted to answer his question. "I've lived here for over forty years and we've never had a quake. I think this thing had an external cause."
None of them wanting to present their own theories until more was known, all of them ventured outside to find...
Malcolm?
The young boy who had been like a son to Rembrandt rushed up and gave his old friend a huge bear hug. "Remmy!" he exclaimed. Rembrandt looked just as happy to see him.
"Malcolm!" he exclaimed in exchange, clutching the child to his chest. "Man, it's good to see you again! How'd you get here?"
"That story could take a long time. And right now I just want to rest." Malcolm did look weary and they did have plenty of time on this world, so Rembrandt took the boy inside. Mr. Barnes went with them to show Malcolm the best place for him to stay. Meanwhile, Professor Arturo was examining something too far away for Quinn and Wade to see.
"Good heavens!" the Professor exclaimed. "Come take a look at this, Quinn." When the young genius moved closer, he discovered a small hole, closely resembling the last vestiges of a vortex. Only it seemed unlikely it was going to close anytime soon.
"What could do that?" Wade asked.
"A really powerful vortex," Quinn responded dumbly.
"Or any kind of a vortex in a structurally weak enviroment." the Professor added.
Quinn looked astonished. "What are you saying, Professor, that this world can't take anymore sliding?"
"It's too soon to say right now. But I have a much more interesting question to ask you, Mr. Mallory." Professor Maximilian Arturo had a grim look on his face. "During all of our adventures, to my recollection we never met a young man named Malcolm, and we certainly never encountered a young boy so close to Mr. Brown's heart. So, tell me, my boy, does this mean what I think it does? Are you and Mr. Brown actually from a parallel group of sliders?"
To be continued...
End Part 10
