Timescape (24 page)

He turned and confirmed that the walls were unbroken by doors or openings of any kind. The gravel shifted. He fell into a wall, straightened. He squinted into the darkness below. The light faded before reaching the floor. He bent down.

A skull's eyeless sockets stared up at him. He screamed and dropped the match. Before it flickered out, he saw that the entire floor was covered not with gravel, but with bones. Leg bones. Arm bones. He caught a glimpse of a rib cage and a spine. Most of the ones still whole enough to recognize lay around the outer edge. The rest had been ground and broken into dust and small fragments.

Crushed by how many feet?
he thought. How many people had been trapped here? How many people had contributed their own bones to the floor?

He pounded on the wall. “Help! Help me, please! Xander!”

His eyes stung. He wiped at them, smearing tears.

“Help!” he yelled. “Can anyone hear me?”

He fell back against a wall, lifted his face, and screamed.

NOT
THE END . . .

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO . . .

SLADE PEARCE, for
being
David: you rock!

NICHOLAS and LUKE FALLENTINE (again): you guys are great

BEN and MATTHEW FORD, insightful readers and my new friends

ANTHONY, my son and most fervent fan

JOEL GOT LER, my wonderful agent

The rest of my family, for letting me be a kid again

LB NORTON, JUDY GITENSTEIN, and AMANDA BOSTIC, editors extraordinaire

The terrific team at Nelson: ALLEN, JOCELYN, JENNIFER, KATIE, MARK, LISA, BECKY . . .

And my readers, for letting the King family live!

READING GROUP GUIDE

1. Keal talks about doing what's right. How do we distinguish right from wrong? Have you ever done something you thought was right, only to find out later it was the wrong thing to do? What did you do about it?

2. If you could go back in time and change something in the past, what would it be? If you could meet anyone from history, who would it be? Why? What do you think you'd learn or gain from the experience?

3. The Kings have faced all sorts of dangers and endured all kinds of injuries, yet they keep pressing on—all for the sake of rescuing Mom. Have you ever wanted something so badly, you've continued going for it, even when it seemed everything was against your getting it? From where did you find the strength to carry on? What was the outcome? Have you ever given up and then later wished you hadn't?

4. To stay in the house and find Mom, the Kings are learning to be tough and figure things out. Can you see ways in which each of the family members has changed since coming to Pinedale? In what ways? What situation have you gone through that changed you, how you think of things, handle things?

5. Clayton is a typical bully: he made fun of David in class, threatened to beat him up, and chased him through locker 119 into the house. David finally got the upper hand, scaring Clayton and taking a picture of him crying. But in
Timescape
, David tries to make amends. Why do you think he tried to make peace with Clayton? Have you ever been picked on by a bully? What happened? What do you think is the best way to handle bullies? Have you ever been a bully yourself ? How did it make you feel?

6. David and Xander often gear themselves up for action by saying “Strong and courageous!” This is an exhortation used many times in the Bible, such as 1 Chronicles 22:13:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
What is your favorite Bible verse? Why? Do you have any saying you tell yourself when you have to do something brave or difficult?

7. Xander wants to press on despite being exhausted. Do you agree with Keal's argument that sleep isn't a break from going after a goal—it is an essential
part
of achieving that goal? When was the last time you were forced to sleep even though a strong desire to do something made you not want to?

8. What do you think Taksidian is doing that caused the destruction of Los Angeles—and presumably the rest of the world? What can the Kings do to prevent it? The Kings finally go on the offensive to protect themselves from Taksidian. Why do you think Dad went along with Xander's plan to tail Taksidian? Do you agree with the saying “The best defense is a strong offense”? What does that mean to you? Give an example of a time when you went on the offensive to defend yourself.

9. Which one of the “worlds” the Kings have visited so far is your favorite? Why?

         
GO
DEEPER

                         
INTO

                 
THE
WORLD
OF

the
dreamhouse kings

ROBERTLIPARULO.COM/BLOG

BOOK 5 IN THE DREAMHOUSE KINGS SERIES

COMING

JANUARY 2010