Danger Time
Author: R. L. Stine
Date: 0101-01-01 00:00:00+00:00

Give Yourself Goosebumps: Danger Time

By: R.L. Stine

Published in 2000 by Scholastic Inc.

1

"Come on! We have to hurry," you call over your shoulder. "Starship Avengers starts in ten minutes." You hate being late.

Your friend Arnie trots behind you, struggling to keep up. He's not exactly an athlete. "Everybody wants to see this movie," he pants. "It's awesome!"

You glance back. Your kid brother, Pat, has stopped to look in the window of a bicycle store. He's three years younger than you and totally annoying. He can't ever follow a plan or schedule.

"Will you come on!" you yell at your brother. "You're going to make us late — again!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming," he says. He strolls toward you. A snail could move faster.

The movie theater is around the corner. You rush ahead to buy the tickets. There's no line. That's a relief. Then you discover why there's no line.

"Oh, no!" you gasp.

Turn to PAGE 2 to find out what's wrong.

2

You stare at the sign in the box office window. "Sold out! I don't believe it!" you exclaim. Arnie groans beside you.

Pat finally reaches you. You grab his shoulder. "You see that sign? You made us miss the movie!"

"Let go!" Pat screams. "You better, or I'll tell!" Arnie steps between you and Pat. "Come on." He scans the street. "Hey, let's go check out that new store."

You glance over. The store is called It's About Time.

That's weird. You were down this way yesterday. You never noticed any new store. But you can't remember what was there. You shrug. "Might as well." Arnie leads the way across the street. You drag Pat over.

The store window is jammed with clocks. There are antique windups, cuckoo clocks, digital clocks.... One runs on two wires stuck into a potato. Brass astrological instruments glitter in the sunlight.

A sign in the window reads TIME PROBLEMS? WE HAVE ANSWERS.

You don't have a problem with time, but your brother sure does. This place gives you an idea. Maybe you can cure Pat of his habit of always making you late.

Turn to PAGE 3.

3

You push the door open. BONG BONG BING BONG... You jump. The chimes in this place are really loud. You step inside and scan the shop. More clocks, hundreds of them, line the walls. The ceiling is dark blue with tiny, twinkling lights. They look like stars and constellations. Faint glowing lines trace the outlines of the creatures of the zodiac. You'll definitely find a watch for Pat in here. "Hello?" Arnie calls. No response. "Let's go," Pat whines. "This is so boring." ZAP! From somewhere in back, there is a flash of bright light. A man suddenly appears.

Where did he come from? You can't see a door. He has long white hair and a white beard. His white robe hangs down to brush his sandals. He walks toward you.

Your scalp prickles. This is getting very weird. You notice that his face is smooth and soft. He must be really old, but he doesn't have any wrinkles. And what's with the strange outfit?

"I am Chronos," he booms. His pale eyes bore into you. "You have come at a crucial moment. Together we can save Time!"

Huh? What's with this guy? Find out on PAGE 4.

4

You glance at Arnie with raised eyebrows. He shrugs.

"I... I think we're in the wrong place," you say. You shove Pat toward the door.

SLAM! The front door crashes open. Two men in black jumpsuits and black helmets rush in. Their eyes are hidden by dark visors. One holds up a big gold watch. The other snarls, "Time Police! Nobody move! You are all under arrest!"

Your mouth drops open. What's going on? Is Chronos some kind of criminal? And what are Time Police? Is everyone crazy? Chronos reaches behind a counter and pulls out a long scythe. The light glitters along its razor-sharp edge. "Back off," he orders. The Time Police stop and glance at each other.

Whoa! What did you get yourselves into? "Help me!" Chronos begs you. He never takes his eyes off the guys in black. "Before it's too late!" You hesitate. Arnie tips his head toward a side door. "Let's get out of here!" he urges. "While we can." Pat tugs at your arm. "I'm scared."

The Time Police scare you too. They look like they mean business. But Chronos really seems to need your help.

If you help Chronos, turn to PAGE 66.

If you run away, turn to PAGE 20.

5

You and Pat run at the two Time Police. You raise the sickle high over your head and swing it at the nearest guy. He cowers away. He looks terrified. His partner draws what looks like a ray gun. Pat kicks at it... and misses.

You are too excited to feel scared. You swing the sickle around sharply. It grazes the barrel of the ray gun. Red and orange sparks spray in all directions. The guy drops his weapon and shakes his hand in pain. The sickle is working! You raise the sickle, ready to charge again.

A terrible roar shakes the earth. Pat drops to the ground and covers his ears. Your two opponents stare past you. They turn and race away. They vanish into the dense gray fog.

Puzzled and scared, you glance over your shoulder. A huge lion crouches just yards away. Ready to spring.

Spring to PAGE 75.

6

"You must help us stop the Collectors," Chronos tells you. "They have discovered your Time Frame. Your world may be next."

"But how?" you demand. "What can we do?"

"We have two ideas," Chronos informs you. "Someone from your Time Frame is most likely to succeed. But both plans are dangerous."

Great. Just what you didn't want to hear. "So... " you prompt.

"If you enter the past, you can destroy the Collectors' technology. That will give us the ability to defeat them."

"What's the other idea?" Arnie asks. He sounds nervous.

"Return to your Time Frame and distract them," Chronos replies. "Allow their Time Police to chase you. That will buy the Rebellion some time."

"What if we refuse?" you demand. Chronos gazes at you. "That is your choice. I will try to send you home. Though it may not be safe for you — or anyone."

Well, those are your choices. Choose!

Go to the past on PAGE 70.

Go to your own Time Frame on PAGE 48.

Refuse the mission on PAGE 54.

7

Instead of slamming into hard bricks, a twisty, whirly feeling washes over you. A moment later, you sprawl on a soft, springy floor.

You sit up and glance around. You are in a strange room. You can't tell where the floor ends and the walls begin. It all blends together in a shimmering mist.

"Where are we?" Pat wonders. "The Time Police would give a fortune to know the answer to that question," a voice booms. A section of the wall dissolves. Chronos strides in. The wall reforms behind him.

"This room is the secret headquarters of the Rebellion," he announces. "It is outside Time. I'm glad you came here. I didn't think you would." "We didn't know we'd end up in this place," you reply. Chronos nods. "Well, now that you have made it here, we want you to join us. If you do, you will be heroes for all Time!"

Heroes? Sounds good — but what's the catch? Turn to PAGE 71.

8

"You tricked us!" you shout at the lion. "Double-crosser!"

Two baby lions romp out of the cave. Each is as big as a pony. They look really cute.

They also look really hungry. They open their jaws wide and lick their chops with huge red tongues. Their teeth are white and sharp.

You glance over your shoulder. The cliff is still just as steep and high as it was a minute ago.

Well, you don't have to worry about saving time anymore. And if you're wondering how much time you have left, don't bother.

You're just in time for lunch!

THE END

9

"What is that?" Pat asks. He points at the outline. "I don't know," you admit. You hold out the box Chronos gave you. "But somehow this box made it appear." You move closer and peer at the glowing lines. They seem to vibrate. You kick a stone at the wall. Whoa! The wall between the lines shimmers. It almost looks liquid! The stone vanishes into it. The wall returns to normal. ·

"It's some kind of door," you declare. "But, to where?" Arnie wonders. You hear angry shouts from the street. Oh, no! The Time Police! They're coming back into the alley!

Don't wait a minute longer. You grab Pat's hand and Arnie's elbow. You fling yourself at the wall!

Fling yourself to PAGE 7.

10

"Hurry!" you cry. You race past the Dumpster to the street.

You stop dead in your tracks. Arnie and Pat bang into you.

"What — !" Pat blurts. Your mouth hangs open in shock. Where's the movie theater? In its place stands a tall building with dark windows. The bicycle shop down the block is gone too. And what's with the weird cars gliding by? They're shaped funny, with black windows and tall antennae on the back, and they don't make a sound.

"Guys," you murmur. "Something really strange is going on here!"

Turn to PAGE 113.

11

You have to fight. But how? They must have weapons. Then you remember the sickle Chronos gave you. Maybe you can use it. "Do what I do," you whisper to Pat. "Act like you're giving up. Be ready to jump them."

You and Pat approach the two figures. Pat has his hands over his head. You hold yours spread apart at waist level.

"Are we glad to see you!" you call in a friendly voice. "We're strangers here. We're lost. Maybe you can help us." The Time Police don't move. They hold their ground, watching. You are only a few feet away now. You reach behind your back and pull the sickle from your belt.

"Charge!" you scream.

Charge over to PAGE 5.

12

You step through the Time Gate. And into a ruined, deserted city. Crumbling skyscrapers stretch in all directions.

"Whoa!" you exclaim. "Where are we?"

"I think the question is when are we," Arnie murmurs. "Hey, this is my turf," a voice hollers behind you. You whirl around. You stare at a little kid. He's probably about Pat's age. His eyes glint meanly. "I scavenge here," the kid declares. "No one else!" He hurls a rock at you. You duck just before it can clobber you.

"We're not scavengers," you assure the kid. "We're lost."

The boy eyes you curiously. "You do look out of place." He approaches you slowly. "My name is Tim. Do you need help?"

"What happened here?" Arnie asks. Tim stares at you. "You really are strangers. Everyone knows about Chronos the Destroyer."

Your mouth drops open. "Who?" Tim's eyes darken at the horrible memory. "This crazed genius, Chronos, discovered a way to control time. He destroyed any Time Frame that didn't follow his orders. Some kids helped him."

You have a terrible feeling you know who those kids were.

Turn to PAGE 42.

13

The pain gets fiercer as the twins tug harder. "Stop!" you scream. "I got it. Because the clock is bugged?" ·

"Wrong, wrong, wrong," they chant together. They start twisting your arms again. "Wait, wait," you plead. "Let me try another." They glance at each other and shrug. "Okay. When do clocks die?" they ask in stereo.

You try to concentrate. Which is doubly hard to do with the twins' bad breath in your face. When do clocks die? When they come unplugged? Nah. Is it something about springs? Hands? Tickers?

The giant twins twist your arms super hard. "Agh!" you scream. "I don't know. I give up!" The twins give an evil laugh. Simultaneously. "Clocks die," they boom, "when their time is up." They bring their big, ugly faces down to yours. "And your time is up too!"

Too bad you didn't know the answer. But you can guess what time it is now. That's right. Time to close the book. Because you've come to

THE END

14

You peer up the stairs. "But we didn't do anything!" you protest.

"You are in this Time Frame illegally," one of the Time Policemen announces.

The other Time Policeman notices the watch in Pat's hand. "Aha! Possession of an illegal weapon!" he cries, cutting you off..

"I'm not surprised," the first one grumbles. "They are accomplices of the notorious Time Terrorist, Chronos."

"And terrorists must be neutralized at once," the other Time Policeman announces.

"Neutralized?" Arnie squeals. "What does that mean — ?"

The Time Policeman points his watch at Arnie. He presses the button. Arnie becomes as stiff and motionless as Pat.

The Time Policeman turns his watch on you. "Look, can't we work something out?" you offer desperately. "You know — a deal of some kind? Community service or something?"

"We never make deals with terrorists," he replies. His thumb presses the button on his watch.

Z-Z-ZAP!

Turn to PAGE 108.

15

You, Pat, and Arnie watch the movie from the lobby. You and Arnie take turns lifting Pat to the window.

"This is such a gyp," Pat complains. "I can't hear anything."

"And my arms are getting sore," Arnie adds. "Look," you snap. "If we save the world we'll have plenty of time to come back and see the movie." That shuts them up. Soon, the lights go on in the theater. The Time Police head up the aisle. They're chattering like crazy.

It's as if they've forgotten all about you! As everyone pours out of the theater, you, Pat, and Arnie try to blend into the crowd. But the Time Police spot you right away. Uh-oh. You're backed up against a wall. There's nowhere to run.

Turn to PAGE 22.

16

"I'll be right back," you shout to Pat and Arnie. "Hurry!" Pat wails. You scan the edge of the clearing. On one side the ground slopes upward and becomes rockier. It gives you an idea. You'll shove a boulder downhill toward the clearing. The crab might be startled enough to drop Arnie and Pat.

You wind through the tumbled rocks. Then you freeze. Out of the corner of your eye you notice a movement.

You slowly turn your head toward it. A chill prickles all the way from your scalp to your toes. A gigantic scorpion creeps around a boulder. It's almost as big as your brother! You've never seen one before, except on the astrology page, but you know what it is.

The monster's tail curves up over its back, poised to strike. Deadly poison drips from the stinger at the end of the tail.

Yikes! Turn to PAGE 30.

17

You, Pat, Arnie, and Tim are instantly surrounded. Officers fire questions at you. You hold up your hands to quiet them.

"If you'll give us a chance, we'll tell you everything." You explain all you know about Chronos and how you got to this world. "We want to help you stop him," you repeat. "But how?" an officer asks. "What can you do?"

You scratch your head. You're not actually sure. "We can lead you back to him," Arnie offers. "You might be able to return to a time before he destroyed this world."

"That's a great plan!" you exclaim. You wish you thought of it. "What do you think?" you ask the officers.

A woman steps forward. She snaps a copper bracelet around your wrist. "This is a homing device," she explains. "You return to Chronos. We'll get your signal and attack."

You gulp. The plan is a good one. Good — and dangerous.

Still, you have to do what you can to stop Chronos.

"I'll take them back to where they came in," Tim offers. "Ready?"

Put the plan into action on PAGE 76.

18

"So where is this bomb?" you ask. "How do we find it?"

"This always points toward the Hub," Chronos explains. He hands you a sickle. The handle is smooth wood. The crescent blade is dark blue. It vibrates in your hand.

"It will help guide you," he continues. "But take care. It cannot warn of dangers in your path. And the most direct route is not always the swiftest or the safest."

"Dangers?" Arnie gulps. "What dangers?" Chronos ignores him. "I must get back. The Time Lock I set on the Time Police will wear off soon. I will try to distract them. I want to keep them from discovering your mission. Now go!"

He turns — and vanishes. You blink. How did he do that? "I guess we should get going," Arnie says. "But which way?"

Just ahead, the path forks. The left branch leads into the meadow, which would leave you exposed. The right branch enters a forest where you could get lost. The sickle points straight between them. "Thanks a lot, Chronos," you grumble. "This sickle isn't much help."

"So pick a path," Pat says.

Take the path to the meadow on PAGE 109.

Take the path into the woods on PAGE 45.

19

Trying to lose the ram might create more problems, you decide. You'll just have to stay out of the way of falling trees!

You reach the banks of a rushing river. "Now what?" Arnie asks. He has to shout to be heard over the crashing and churning water.

You hold out the sickle. It grows warm in your hands. It drags you to the edge of the river. "We're definitely supposed to cross the water," you announce.

The ram spins around on its hooves. You watch Aries vanish back into the woods. You, Pat, and Arnie are on your own again.

"What's with Aries?" Arnie wonders. He sounds nervous.

"Maybe he's afraid he'll shrink if he gets wet," you reply. "You know, like a wool sweater."

"How do we get across?" Pat stares at the wild water.

You glance up the river to a waterfall. Your eyes widen.

You discover why the current is so powerful. This is no normal river.

The water is gushing out of an enormous clay water jug. And the jug is being held by the shoulder of a towering giant!

Turn to PAGE 85.

20

This is not your fight. You're out of here! You dart toward the side door. Arnie and Pat are right behind you.

"Hold it right there!" one of the Time Police shouts.

You glance over your shoulder. The guy aims his watch at you as if it were a weapon.

Chronos leaps at you. He drags you to the floor. You crash into Arnie and Pat, knocking them over. A purple beam passes over your heads. It hits a clock on the shelf. The clock collapses into a little pile of dust.

Yikes! What if the beam had hit you? Chronos saved you! Arnie and Pat scramble up and dash out the door. Chronos helps you to your feet. "Take this," he whispers. He slips a wooden box into your pocket. "It may help you survive."

What does he mean? You don't have time to ask. You, Pat, and Arnie race out the door.

You stand in a narrow alley lined with garbage cans. A huge Dumpster blocks your view to the street. Uh-oh. You hear shouting on the other side of the door. The doorknob turns.

Do you have time to run out of the alley? Or should you hide?

Duck down behind the garbage cans on PAGE 51.

Race out of the alley on PAGE 10.

21

"Come here!" You, Pat, and Arnie huddle close together. You hold the watch out in front of you. Aiming it yourself, you hit the button to speed things up.

A searing heat burns through your body. You feel as if every muscle — every cell — is on fire!

"Aaagh!" you scream in agony. You hear Pat and Arnie shriek beside you. Uh-oh. Your body just can't take it! You speeded yourself up so much that you're about to explode... from the inside out!

Didn't you ever hear the expression "Haste makes waste"...or "Slow and steady wins the race"...or even "Take the time to stop and smell the roses"? They all make a whole lot of sense to you now. By trying to go faster you destroyed all hope of survival.

Next time, don't be in such a hurry!

THE END

22

The Time Police rush over to you. One of them grabs your hand and shakes it. The other slaps Arnie on the back.

"That movie was fantastic!" the bigger guy exclaims.

"And that food," the other one declares. "Delicious."

"Thanks for bringing us here." The big one grins. "This Time Frame is a lot more fun than ours!"

The other one nods. "No way will we do anything to destroy this world. In fact, we want to stay here!" You gape at them. You try to grasp what they're saying. The big one lowers his voice. "Listen," he whispers. "I have an idea that will make all of us very happy."

You listen to the guy's plan. "Are you in?" he asks. You check out Arnie and Pat. They're smiling broadly.

"You bet!" you reply. With the help of your new partners, you save your Time Frame. But even better — you become billionaires! You do it by opening a movie multiplex in their world.

The very first film you show is Starship Avengers. And you finally manage to watch it all the way through to

THE END.

23

You turn and start to run. You know you can't beat the ram in a race. So how can you escape?

Then it hits you. You'll confuse the huge creature! A few weeks ago, you and Pat went to a rodeo. You saw a clown dodge a charging bull. You'll have to try to do what he did.

Pat runs alongside you. He looks worn-out. "Pat!" you cry. "Remember the clown at the rodeo? Copy him."

You whirl around. You wave your hands in the air. "Nyah, nyah, can't catch me!" you shout.

Pat watches for a minute. Then he jumps up and down on the other side of the path. "Baaa, baaa!" he shouts.

It's working. The ram slows down and stares at you. You zigzag across the path, winding up behind the ram. Pat swerves in a wide circle around you. Uh-oh. Arnie doesn't get the idea. He stands frozen on the path. Then he turns and dashes up the path ahead of you.

The ram thunders after him. Lowering its head, it butts Arnie — hard!

Arnie screams. Your eyes widen as you watch his body sail through the air. He disappears over the top of the next rise.

The ram turns its head and gazes at you. Gulp.

Turn to PAGE 57.

24

Pat's arm falls to his side. He blinks a couple of times, then licks his lips. "Whoa!" he mumbles. "That was so weird! What happened?"

"Later," you mutter. "We have a problem to solve." You take a quick peek up the street. The Time Police stamp toward you. They are less than a hundred feet away. Both hold watches, the kind that pulverized the clock back in Chronos's shop. You are trapped. Unless... Can you use Chronos's watch to defeat them? You study the marks next to the buttons again. Left arrow, to slow time. Right arrow, to speed it up. And an arrow that curls around into a circle.

Hmmm. Could that send time into a loop? You could speed yourselves up in order to get away faster. Or maybe you should slow down the Time Police. Or, if you send them into a loop, that might give you a decent head start.

Which button should you push?

Push the circle button on PAGE 103.

Slow them down on PAGE 96. Speed yourselves up on PAGE 21.

25

The bull lets out another fiery blast. Whoa! That was close. The heat nearly melts your sneakers. "Next time, Taurus, just draw me a map," you mutter. You glance over your shoulder.

Bad move. Your foot hits something. You tumble to the ground. The hourglass — it goes flying! CRASH!

Oh, no! The hourglass shatters! You've heard of record-breaking times in sports? Well, this time you've broken time itself. And, like a broken record, you hear two words pounding in your head: THE END THE END THE END…

THE END

26

Maybe Arnie is right. Maybe he can make friends with the ram. Anything is possible in this bizarre world.

The ram charges down the path. You and Pat fling yourselves into the tall grass. You feel Pat trembling beside you. You hope he can't feel you shiver with fear.

Arnie plants himself at the side of the path. He's ready to leap out of the way if he has to.

The ram is only yards away now. It lowers its head to attack. The huge, curling horns glitter.

"Hey, wait, we're friends," Arnie calls. "My sign is Aries. That means we're practically related, right?"

You hold your breath. Will it work?

Turn to PAGE 80.

27

The crab scoots sideways and opens its claws. Arnie and Pat tumble to the ground. Frantically they crawl to your side. You help them to their feet. The three of you hurry toward the path.

The scorpion rushes at the crab. The crab sidles sideways again. Its jaws move. Sounds come out. You stop. Your eyes widen in shock. Those aren't just sounds the crab makes. They're words. "Those two are mine," the crab declares. "You take the troublemaker."

Whoa! It's talking about you! You're too stunned to run. Pat and Arnie stand beside you. Staring.

The crab grabs Arnie and Pat in its claws again. The scorpion stops a few feet away. Its tail strikes so fast you don't even see it happen. All you know is that you can't move. You are paralyzed for the rest of your life.

Don't get upset. The rest of your life won't take too long. You and your friends aren't going to complete your mission. That bomb is going to go off. If Chronos is right, all of Time will come to an end, any minute now....

THE END

28

You hike up the hill to the bridge. As you get closer, you notice the bridge is very narrow. It has no handrails. It is more like a wide plank than a real bridge.

The water pours out of Aquarius's jug. It shifts from the river to the bridge and back. It makes so much noise you can't think. When it hits the bridge, it booms like thunder. When it hits the river, it hisses like a thousand snakes.

BOO-OO-OOM! SS-SSSS-S! BOO-OO-OOM! SS-SSSS-SS! BOO-OO-OOM! SS-SSSS-SS!

Arnie puts his mouth close to your ear. "Do you notice something?" he yells.

"Yeah!" you shout back. "It's got rhythm!" Can you work out the giant's timing? If so, you can cross the bridge while the water from the jug hits the river.

You watch and count. Finally you think you've figured it out.

"Okay," you shout. "Get ready! One... two... three... GO!"

It's all in the timing! Quick, look at a clock. If the hour is odd (1, 3, 5... ), turn to PAGE 81. If the hour is even (2, 4, 6... ), turn to PAGE 128.

29

"Let's check out the store," you decide. "Come on." You hurry down the alley toward the door into Chronos's shop.

WHAM! The door flies open. You grab Pat and Arnie and drag them into a shadowy doorway.

Three figures hurry out the door. They glance around nervously. They don't seem to see you.

"Wha... !" Your jaw drops and your eyes widen in shock.

Arnie grabs your arm and squeezes it hard. "That... " he gasps. "That's us!"

The three kids turn and duck down behind some garbage cans.

"I don't get it!" Pat wails. "I'm not there, I'm here!"

"I think that was us when we left the shop before," you whisper. "It's as if we're stuck in some weird time loop!"

Loop over to PAGE 32.

30

Terrified, you turn to run. Then you hesitate. You came up here looking for a weapon. What if you just found what you were looking for?

If you lure the scorpion to the clearing, maybe it will fight the crab — while you and your friends escape! As the scorpion approaches, you start down the slope. You can't let the scorpion get close enough to sting you. But you need to keep it interested in chasing you.

Now you know how fish bait feels. Sweat runs down your forehead into your eyes. Finally, you reach the edge of the clearing. The crab hasn't moved. Neither have Pat and Arnie. They're still trapped in the crab's claws.

"Help!" they shout when they see you. "Hel-l-lp!" Then they see the scorpion. They go silent. You race around to the other side of the clearing. Now the crab is between you and the scorpion. You pick up a rock the size of an orange. You hurl it at the scorpion, over the crab. Bull's-eye! The rock bounces off the scorpion's shell. The scorpion scuttles forward to attack.

Your plan is working! It thinks the crab did it! "Get ready to run!" you call to Arnie and Pat.

Turn to PAGE 27.

31

You try to concentrate on the movie. Pat was right — the dangers you face are a lot like those in Starship Avengers. Too bad you don't have a director to yell "cut" when things get hairy.

A movement in the aisle catches your eye. You glance over.

The flickering light from the screen makes it hard to make out their faces. But you're pretty sure those two guys at the end of the row are the Time Police.

They still haven't spotted you. Should you sneak away before they notice you? Or should you use the element of surprise and attack them?

Sneak away to PAGE 79. Launch a surprise attack on PAGE 117.

32

"It's impossible!" Arnie murmurs.

How can they be us... and us be us?" You try to keep the panic out of your voice. "I-I don't know," you reply. "Maybe they're earlier versions of us. From before. But we're here, right now. You can see that for yourself."

You realize that you really can't be in two places at once. And in this weird time loop, those other versions of you are more real than you are.

You turn to glance at Arnie. You gasp! You see the brick wall of the building — right through Arnie! You whirl around. Pat is transparent too!

You reach out to steady yourself against the wall. Your hand! It's as see-through as a ghost in a scary movie.

You're fading fast. And Pat and Arnie are disappearing right in front of you!

There is something else you see. You see that this must be

THE END.

33

A candy bar smacks one of the Time Policemen in the forehead. Ketchup-covered fries hit his partner. Red goo slides down his face.

"You're grown-ups!" a kid hollers. "You're supposed to know better!"

A hot dog whacks one of the Time Police on the side of the head. They turn and run out of the movie theater. You, Arnie, and Pat settle back into your seats. Well, at least you got rid of them for now!

You're a little worried, though. Those Time Police will be waiting for you when you get out. And they're going to be very, very angry....

Turn to PAGE 129.

34

You blurt out your sign. "Water sign," the fish declares. "Good." You don't know what the fish means. You do know you have to get out of the water.

The current pulls you down again. You burst back up to the surface. "Help me!" you cry.

With a flip of its tail, the fish dives under you. You straddle it and hang on to its fin. It swims across the river. Moments later, it dumps you on the bank. "Good luck!" it calls. Then it sinks back underwater.

Arnie and Pat run toward you. "Are you okay?" Arnie yells. "We thought you drowned!" Pat cries. You sit up and cough. "I nearly did," you tell them. You feel beat up and wet, and your lungs burn. But at least you're on solid ground again.

Wait. What are Arnie and Pat doing on this side of the river? Did they cross while you were riding the fish?

You glance around. No! You're right back where you started.

Time to try Plan B (for Bridge). Turn to PAGE 28.

35

"They're heading this way!" you cry. "Freeze!" The Time Police wander into the carousel. They stroll along the platform. Will your pounding heart give you away?

Oh, no! They stop at the sled. You feel their eyes on you.

How long can you stay frozen? Your nose itches. Your legs cramp from holding one position for too long. You need to blink. This is torture.

The Time Police saunter around the sled. They lean over the high back. One of them reaches out and... tickles you!

"Agh!" You jump. "Ha!" the Time Policeman guffaws. "I knew you were faking."

"Wh-what are you going to do to us now?" you stammer.

"That depends," the Time Policeman tells you. "If you help us, we'll go easy on you."

"Help you?" Pat repeats. "How?"

"You help us catch that dangerous criminal, Chronos."

The other Time Policeman gazes at you. "You would be doing the entire universe a favor. He has committed terrible crimes."

Chronos? A criminal? Can it be true? Are you fighting on the wrong side? What should you do?

Agree to help the Time Police on PAGE 111. Refuse on PAGE 67.

36

The three of you climb onto the crab's back. It's so large each sideways step covers a lot of ground.

"Look!" Pat whispers. "We're being followed." You turn and gasp. You see a young woman in a silver robe, and a goat with horns of light, a bull, a lion…

"The zodiac creatures," Arnie murmurs. "They're all here. Just as Chronos said."

The crab stops. You spot a marble slab set into the ground. A silver pillar rises from its center. On top of the pillar is a twisted mass of black wire. Looking at it makes your stomach lurch. You know that must be the bomb.

"The Hub of Time," the crab tells you. "The Center of All."

"Quick, Arnie," you urge. "Put the hourglass on the pillar."

Arnie approaches the marble slab and stops. His foot is poised a few inches above the ground.

"I can't," he declares. He sounds frightened. "I can't get any closer. There's something stopping me!"

Go to PAGE 116.

37

"What if he just wants to lure us to his cave in time for lunch?" you whisper to Arnie.

"Don't be dumb," Arnie retorts. "If Leo wanted to eat us, he could do it right here and now. Could you stop him?"

You glance at the lion. You study your only weapon, the sickle. It seems awfully puny.

"Maybe not," you admit. "I guess we have to trust him."

Arnie holds up the hourglass. Half the sand has fallen to the bottom section. "We better hurry," he says. "We're running out of time."

"How can Leo help us?" you ask. "Leo tried to show me a shortcut before," Arnie replies. "It's through the forest." You glance toward the dense woods. It looks really dark. And scary. Pat must be thinking the same thing. "We should stick to the original path," he declares.

Which way should you go?

If you return to the path you were on, turn to PAGE 131.

If you try Leo's shortcut, turn to PAGE 118.

38

"This way!" you shout. You lead Arnie and Pat through the zoo entrance. You search for a place to hide. There! That exhibit has a little cave you can hide in. You help Pat over the fence, then jump down. Arnie climbs in after you. You dash into the dark cave.

"Grrrrrrr! " The hairs on your arms stand up. "I thought everything was frozen!" you gasp. Mistake. The weapon the Time Police used works on people. Not animals. That pack of wolves is very much unfrozen. And not very happy about intruders. Wolves are very territorial. They don't like humans barging in without being invited.

They don't like it at all. Might as well shut the book now. Things are going to get a little gory. But don't worry. It will all be over quickly.

Why, in no time at all, it will be

THE END!

39

Flames roar past you on the left. "Yahhh!" you scream. The bull is blowing fire at you. Arnie's plan isn't working.

Frantic, you veer to the right. A moment later, another burst of flame and smoke. Right beside you — on the right this time!

"Hey—Taurus!" you hear Arnie shout behind you.

"Over here!" Pat cries.

But the bull ignores them. Another snort sends you veering off again. It's as if the bull wants you to go a certain way.

You run faster, hoping to stay ahead of the flames. What is with this bull? you wonder. Is it playing some kind of game — like a cat with a mouse? Will the next blast hit you?

Another burst of flame. As you leap away from it, you notice a barrier beside you.

Hey! That was totally transparent from the front. You would have run right into it.

Then it hits you. The bull guided you past it. It's trying to help you!

Turn to PAGE 25.

40

Before you can duck, glittering rays shoot out of the Time Police's weapons.

"Oomph!" You feel as if you've been shoved hard in the gut. Harder than you ever thought possible. So hard, you go flying. Really flying!

Yeeoooh! You soar up into the sky.

Far below, you spot the Time Policemen. They still hold their weapons trained on you and Pat. You can see one of the sparkling beams from a weapon pushing up against Pat. The other beam continues to zoom you up... up... up!

Suddenly, the light beams click off.

Uh-oh. What goes up must come down....

But where is the land? Or the sea? Or anything solid?

Frantic, you glance around. All you see are stars!

You peer down at your feet. Hey! They're starting to glow! The blue-white fire spreads up your arms and legs as you hurtle through space. It brightens as it takes over your body. As it reaches your head, you have one last blinding thought.

You always wanted to be a star... but this isn't exactly what you had in mind.

THE END

41

"That must be Taurus, the Bull," Arnie whispers. "My cousin's sign is Taurus."

"Too bad your cousin isn't here to help us," you murmur.

"Hey, Taurus!" Pat shouts. "We're friends of Chronos!"

Taurus doesn't seem to care. He lowers his head and sends flames out of his nostrils. Whoa! You've never seen a fire-breathing bull before!

"Here." Arnie hands you the hourglass. He takes off his jacket.

"What are you doing?" Pat asks. "I'm going to make like a matador," Arnie explains. "Like in a bullfight. That should keep Taurus busy. Meanwhile, you put the hourglass on the Hub."

"And let you get trampled? No way!" you reply. "I say we stick together, no matter what!"

"But what about our mission?" Arnie demands. "Isn't that the most important thing?"

He has a point. What should you do? Let Arnie put himself in danger? Or do what you can to protect your friend, even if it means your mission fails?

If you let Arnie try to distract the bull, turn to PAGE 43.

If you decide you should stick together turn to PAGE 72.

42

"Listen," you tell Tim. "We come from another Time Frame. We might be able to stop all this from happening." Tim's eyes widen.

"Really? You can make things go back the way they were?"

"Maybe," you reply. "Can you take us to the Time Police?"

Tim nods. "It's not far," he assures you. You, Pat, and Arnie follow Tim through the ruins. You shudder. Will this happen to your world if you don't stop Chronos?

You come to a partially demolished building. The top floors have crumbled. Tim leads you over the rubble and through the door.

As soon as you cross the threshold a Time Policeman aims a weapon at you. "State your business!" he orders.

"We want to help you stop Chronos," you announce.

Turn to PAGE 17.

43

"You're right," you tell Arnie. "The mission is what counts. If we blow that, it's all over for everyone. Go for it."

Arnie dashes away from you. He whistles loudly. When the bull glances his way, Arnie waves his jacket like a bullfighter's cape.

The bull watches for a moment, as if it can't believe what it sees. Then it takes a deep breath. When it exhales, flames shoot from its nostrils. The grass blackens in a line leading straight at Arnie.

Whoa! You didn't plan on that happening. You stand frozen, staring. Wondering what to do next. You feel a sharp blow to your ankle. "Yeow!" you cry. You glare at Pat. "What did you kick me for?"

"Move!" he yells. He points at the Hub. "The bomb, remember?"

He's right! You can't worry about Arnie and Taurus. You have a bomb to disarm!

You sprint toward the Hub. Only a few grains of sand remain in the upper part of the hourglass. Will you reach your goal in time?

Hurry to PAGE 39.

44

You pull out the box and flip it open. Inside is a watch covered in dials and buttons. You remember the Time Police zapped a clock with a watch like this! Maybe it will work.

You don't even try to figure out what button to push. You press all of them!

ZAP! Chronos freezes midlunge. He hangs in the air for a moment. Your eyes widen as his body cracks in half, then shatters. He crumbles into a pile of dust.

You collapse to the floor. Arnie and Pat drop down beside you. Your heart pounds. You struggle to catch your breath.

A dozen Time Police burst out of a Time Gate. They clutch weapons, poised to fire. "Are you all right?" one calls.

You sit up. "We're fine." You point to the pile of dust. "That's all that's left of Chronos."

"You did it!" someone shouts. "You saved our world!"

"Three cheers for the kids!" The Time Police start chanting and whooping. You grin. Being a hero feels good.

A few days later you all receive medals — just like Pat wanted. And the best thing is, the medal is a watch. Now Pat will have no excuse to be late! You'll never miss another movie again.

THE END

45

You set off through the forest. The trees meet overhead, blocking the light. You stumble along the murky, overgrown path. Roots trip you and branches reach out to rake your face.

"I don't like it here," Pat complains. "Why did we come this way?"

You wonder that yourself, but you don't say so. "I think I see a clearing," Arnie announces. He starts to trot. Pat runs to keep up with him. You pick up speed. "Oops!" You trip over your shoelace. You go sprawling.

You catch your breath, then scramble to your feet. You double-tie your shoelaces. You glance around.

Arnie and Pat are nowhere in sight. The path narrows and threads between two huge, mossy boulders. You can't see the other side. They must be through there, you figure. You hurry through.

Yikes! Two big, ugly giants leap down from the rocks. They look exactly alike. Each grabs one of your arms.

"Mine!" they declare at the same time. They start to pull you in opposite directions. Whoa! These ugly dudes are strong!

Tug yourself over to PAGE 77.

46

You grab Pat's hand and wrestle the watch out of his grip.

You stare at the dials. The one labeled X — SLOW has changed. It now reads -24. That must mean the watch made Pat go twenty-four times slower. You need to speed him up again.

"Hurry!" Arnie says. "The Time Police are turning this way!"

The button Pat pushed is marked with an arrow pointing left. So you should push the one pointing right. Right?

You aim the face of the watch at Pat. Will it work? What if it does something else to him that's even worse than being stuck in slow motion?

"They're coming after us!" Arnie shrieks.

No time to decide. Just press the button!

Turn to PAGE 24.

47

You burst through the swinging doors. You scan the lobby.

Where can you hide? Your heart pounds. "Can I help you?" the popcorn seller asks. You wish! But this is your problem. You're the only one who can solve it. Those Time Police will be coming through the doors any second.

In fact, why aren't they already on your trail? You dart back to the swinging doors. You peer through the round windows.

"What are you doing?" Al·nie demands. "We have to go."

"Hold on." You squint, trying to see into the dark theater.

This is so weird. The Time Police are on their hands and knees. They seem to be scooping up spilled popcorn and candy.

You wave Pat and Arnie over. "Check this out!" Arnie lifts up Pat. The three of you watch the Time Police.

Gross! Now they're eating the stuff they picked up off the floor. They glance up at the screen. Then they settle into seats.

"What are they doing?" Arnie asks. You shrug. "Who cares? As long as they're not chasing us. Let's keep an eye on them. This should give Chronos plenty of time to fix things in his Time Frame."

Turn to PAGE 15.

48

"We'll try to stop the Collectors in our own Time Frame," you decide. You would rather fight them on your own turf.

"I'll send you there at once," Chronos responds. "You'll arrive five minutes before you left. The Time Police will be looking for you — so be careful!" He pulls an object out of his robe. It looks like a glowing silver pencil. He waves it at the wall.

Wow! Images appear on the misty wall. It's as if you're watching a really blurry movie.

"That's the movie theater!" Pat points at the picture.

You recognize the street. Instantly it changes to another view. Now you're seeing inside the store. Then the picture switches back outside. Chronos studies the images. "Get ready!" You glance at Arnie and Pat. Pat's face flushes with excitement. Arnie grows pale with fear. What's going to happen?

"NOW!" Chronos cries. "Jump!"

Jump to PAGE 130.

49

"Perhaps," Chronos tells you. He doesn't sound very sure. That makes your stomach hurt even more.

"Who are those people? What's going on?" Arnie asks.

Chronos sighs. "You are in the middle of a terrible battle," he explains. "The Time Police are the enforcers of the Collectors — a terrible group of dictators who rule by taking over other Time Frames. I am leading the Rebellion. That is why they were trying to capture me."

There goes your stomach again. "We don't want to be in your stupid war," Pat snaps. "We just want to go home!"

You agree with Pat. But you have a feeling it isn't going to be that easy. "Is that possible?" you ask Chronos.

"You won't like my answer," he admits.

Hear his answer on PAGE 6.

50

You pull a shiny silver watch from the box. "A watch?" Pat gripes. "How's that supposed to help us? I wanted a ray gun."

"I don't think it's an ordinary watch," you argue. You remember the Time Police used a watch as a weapon. But it looked different from this one.

You examine the watch closely. It has four sets of hands, a readout window, and a row of buttons along one side. One dial is labeled X — FAST. Another is marked X — SLOW.

"Let me see!" Pat grabs for the watch. "Not a chance," you snap. You hold it out of his reach.

"Aw, c'mon," he pleads. "I won't hurt it." You hesitate. Pat's a champ at computer games. Maybe he'll figure out something you would miss. On the other hand, he's not exactly careful. He could break it — or worse!

Pat reaches for the watch again.

If you let Pat have the watch, turn to PAGE 93.

If you keep the watch, turn to PAGE 69.

51

"Down here!" You yank Pat behind a garbage can. Arnie drops beside you. Please, don't find us, you think.

Eew! It stinks! You wrinkle your nose and try not to breathe.

The Time Police thunder past you. Their footsteps fade. You peer over the garbage cans.

"They're gone!" You stand and brush off your jeans. "Good," Pat declares. "The smell almost made me puke."

"Do you think they'll come back?" Arnie wonders.

"They might," you reply. "I know! Let's sneak back through Chronos's shop. They'll never guess we went back there!"

The three of you head back down the alley. You stop and stare at the wall.

Hey! Where's the door? You came out of it a minute ago!

"This is weird," Arnie murmurs. "Way weird," Pat agrees. You shove your hands in your pockets. Your fingers close around something. You pull out the box Chronos gave you.

You hold the box flat on your palm. It start s to hum! The glowing outline of a doorway appears on the wall in front of you!

Turn to PAGE 9.

52

"Arnie," you shout into Arnie's ear. "Sagittarius needs to slow down. Pass it on."

Arnie nods. He leans into Pat. But before Pat can try to shout at Sagittarius, the centaur skids to a stop.

You, Pat, and Arnie tumble to the ground. Ow! That's hard. "This is the Hub," the creature announces. You stand and rub your bruises. You gaze around. The ground is smooth and shiny, almost like glass. Fifty feet away, on a little knoll, is a silver pillar standing on a flat slab of white marble. It's about your size.

Can that really be the center of the universe? Sagittarius turns and trots away. "Thanks for the lift!" you call after him. He swishes his tail in reply. You turn and face the Hub. Your real mission is at hand. Your heart pounds as the enormous responsibility hits you.

You are about to save all of Time. Or not. You shudder. Get on with it, you tell yourself. If you think too much, you'll freak yourself out.

You heard yourself! Turn to PAGE 87 !

53

"Let's find the Time Police," you declare. "They'll know what to do."

You race out of the building. This time you don't care if anyone sees you. In fact, you hope someone does. Maybe you'll get arrested. That would speed things up. You, Arnie, and Pat race along the streets. Your eyes search for the Time Police uniforms, a patrol car, anything. The streets are deserted. You dash back and forth. You peer into windows on one side of the street, then the other.

WHOOP! WHOOP! Blaring sirens startle you. Three patrol cars drive up. Their lights flash. They screech to a stop. Three Time Police leap out of their cars. They grab your arms. "You're under arrest for jaywalking," one of the Time Police informs you.

"Sheesh, what took you so long?" you complain.

Ride over to the station house on PAGE 132.

54

Time out! You're kidding, right? You're refusing to help save the world as you know it?

How selfish can you get! They're all staring at you. Pat is totally disgusted. Arnie seems embarrassed. Chronos looks disappointed.

You really blew it this time. Because, thanks to you, the Collectors have now stolen your Time Frame. They can manipulate time in your world any way they want. So they send you back to the time when you had that wicked case of poison ivy. And they keep you there. You're going to spend eternity covered in calamine lotion, and itching.

Hey! Make a better choice next time!

THE END

55

"They've seen us. It's too late to run away," you whisper to Pat. "We have to fight them somehow."

"No!" Pat argues. "Let's give up. Maybe they'll send us home."

"We can't give up!" you protest. "What about Arnie? What about saving Time?"

"We're not saving Time, we're wasting Time," Pat snaps. "I say we turn ourselves in. Besides, I think Chronos is weird." You hesitate. Maybe Pat is right. You have only Chronos's word that your mission is so important. What if he is some sort of criminal, and the Time Police are really the good guys?

But what if Chronos did tell the truth? What will happen to the universe if you surrender now?

If you decide to surrender, turn to PAGE 61.

If you decide to.fight, turn to PAGE 11.

56

"I know!" You pull out the sickle. You hold it in front of you. It should show you the way to the Hub.

"Great," Arnie mutters. The sickle points directly at the cliff face. "All we have to do is climb straight up."

"There has to be a path around the cliff," you declare. You gaze around. "Let's try that one."

You lead Pat and Arnie along the path. Instead of winding around the cliff it veers back the way you came. Face it. Instead of losing Aries, you lost yourselves. Don't worry. You'll find your way back — eventually. Because when that bomb destroys the Hub, time will stop.

Then you'll have all the time in the world!

THE END

57

You know the ram is about to charge again. Any minute. Pat knows it too. "Let's go back the way we came in," Pat pleads. "Maybe the ram won't follow us."

"We can't," you argue. "We have to help Arnie. He might be hurt. Besides, what about saving Time? Arnie has the hourglass. We can't carry out our mission without it."

"I didn't ask for any mission." Pat sulks. "And I don't want it. I don't care what you say. I'm going home!"

"You don't know how to get there," you point out. Pat ignores you. He spins on his heels and jogs back the way you came. The ram watches but doesn't move.

Great, you think. Now what? Should you go after Pat? He's your kid brother. Who knows what trouble he'll get into by himself?

Then there's Arnie. He's your friend — you can't just leave him. Besides, he has the device to disarm the bomb. You don't want to think about what will happen if you fail in your mission.

But to go after Arnie also means getting past the ram....

If you go back after Pat, turn to PAGE 84.

If you go forward after Arnie, turn to PAGE 63.

58

The three of you step back through the Time Gate. A moment later, you are back in Chronos's underground chamber.

You shake your head, trying to clear it. This time jumping really does a number on the system, you think.

You feel the homing bracelet vibrating on your wrist. You hope that means it's working. "Time to get Chronos," you announce.

Go after Chronos on PAGE 125.

59

"Should we just walk in the front door?" Pat asks. You glance up and down the street. No one is around.

You shrug. "Why not?" you reply. "If we act as if we have nothing to hide, maybe they won't bother us." You, Arnie, and Pat scramble up the steps. You push open the heavy doors. You scan the hall. "The coast is clear," you whisper.

"For a research lab, they don't have much security," Arnie comments. "There's something weird about all this."

A clicking sound gets your attention. You glance up toward the ceiling. A camera. Tracking your every move.

Uh-oh.

Turn to PAGE 107.

60

Sagittarius sets off at a gallop. "Whoo!" you yelp. You grip Arnie's waist. You almost fell!

Arnie clutches Pat's belt with one hand. He holds the hourglass in the other. Pat grabs the centaur's quiver of arrows.

Riding bareback is hard! You feel yourself slipping and sliding. You press your legs against the centaur's flanks with all your strength, desperate to stay on.

Scenery whizzes by. Sagittarius leaps over roots and rocks. Each time he jumps, you and your friends bounce. Hard!

Arnie gasps. "Almost lost the hourglass that time!"

You need to get Sagittarius to slow down. He's going so fast that you would really hurt yourself if you fell off. And you can't risk breaking the hourglass!

"Hey, Sagittarius!" you shout. He doesn't seem to hear you. In fact, he speeds up! You have to do something.

'Tugging his tail could get his attention. Or it could make him mad. Maybe you could get Arnie to get Pat to yell at Sagittarius.

But will they hear you in time?

Pull Sagittarius's tail on PAGE 62.

Get Arnie to make Pat scream at Sagittarius on PAGE 52.

61

"Okay, let's try it your way," you tell Pat. Pat raises his hands over his head. "We give up!" he yells.

The Time Police come closer. Now that they're closer you can see they hold strange devices in their hands. Some kind of weapons, you figure. "We won't fight," you shout. "We surrender!"

"You have entered this world as Time Terrorists, working with the Rebellion," one of the Time Police declares.

"No, no!" you protest. Your heart pounds triple-time. This isn't going well. They don't understand! "We're sorry!"

"Now you will accept your punishment," the other Time Policeman announces.

They aim their weapons at you and Pat.

Turn to PAGE 40.

62

You reach back around with one hand. You can't quite make it. You're going to have to let go of Arnie. You need to twist all the way around.

You release Arnie and turn. You grip Sagittarius's tail with both hands. You tug hard.

Too hard. "Nyeahhhhh!" Sagittarius lets out a strange braying sound. He rears up, his front hooves leaving the ground. "Yahh!" You slide right off the centaur's back. You tumble to the ground and roll.

When you scramble back up to your feet, Sagittarius is gone.

You're all alone.

Turn to PAGE 134.

63

You have to find Arnie. He might be badly hurt. And you need the hourglass for your mission. You'll worry about Pat later. The ram blocks your way. You feel yourself getting mad. That big, stupid sheep may have hurt your best friend. And destroyed your hope of saving Time itself.

Now it's right in the middle of the path! You narrow your eyes. Your anger is starting to boil over. Before you can stop yourself, you march up to the giant creature. "That was really mean," you shout. "My friend's sign is Aries too. You should be ashamed of yourself. You're just a big bully!"

The ram's head droops a little. Wow, you think. Maybe it does feel bad. You shake the sickle as you stalk past the huge sheep. Its eyes follow you, but it doesn't budge.

"That's right," you holler. "You just stay clear of me — if you know what's good for you!"

You reach the top of the slope and scan the area. No Arnie. How far did the ram hurl him? Could Arnie survive?

And even if he's okay — what about the hourglass? If it broke, your mission is doomed... and all of Time with it!

Turn to PAGE 124.

64

"We don't get it!" you hear the twins shout behind you. While the giants try to figure out your riddle, you race away. You spot a clearing up ahead. You hope you'll find Arnie and Pat there.

You break through the bushes. Oh, no! They're there all right. Each is trapped in a claw of an enormous crab. It's another zodiac creature, and not very friendly! They spot you. "Help!" Pat wails. "It's squishing me!"

"Ow!" Arnie yelps. "These claws are sharp." The crab's eye stalks twist around and stare at you. It's really gross to watch. You are grateful it has only two claws. Or you'd be trapped like Arnie and Pat. "Don't worry," you call. "I'll think of something."

But how do you deal with a crab the size of an army tank?

The only weapon you have is the sickle. And it's so small compared to the crab! Of course, the sickle does have magical powers. Too bad you don't know what they are.

You might find a better weapon in the woods. But will Arnie and Pat be seafood snacks before you return?

If you go look for a weapon, turn to PAGE 16.

If you attack the crab with the sickle, turn to PAGE 95.

65

Sweat beads form on your forehead. You struggle against the arrows, but they're too deeply embedded in the tree. You're trapped. Your heart pounds. Who shot the arrows at you? Are they going to shoot again?

Ten centaurs leap out of the bushes. All of them aim bows and arrows straight at you. Their tails flick and their hooves stamp.

Relief floods through you. All you have to do is explain and everything will be okay. "Hey, guys!" you call.

"I'm glad it's you."

"This human will be useful for target practice," one of the centaurs declares. The other centaurs neigh in agreement. "No!" you shout. "Wait! I'm a friend of Sagittarius. He —"

VWIP! VWIP! VWIP! VWIP! VWIP!

A volley of arrows cuts you off. Forever. Oh, well. Too bad these centaurs take their archery practice so seriously. You would have. been better off if they wanted to just horse around!

THE END

66

"We'll help you," you tell Chronos. "What should we do?"

"You were warned!" The Time Police nod at each other. You back away in terror. What will they do to you? Chronos points his scythe at the Time Police. You hear a crack of thunder. A bolt of lightning shoots from the tip of the blade. Your heart pounds as you duck and shield your eyes.

The lightning passes between the two Time Police. The room fills with the odor of scorched hair. They fall to the floor. "Quick! Go through the back door," Chronos orders. "I will join you in a moment to tell you about your mission."

"You heard the man," you say to Arnie and Pat. "Move it!

Move it to PAGE 97.

67

Chronos saved you when these dudes blasted the little clock back in his store. You won't help them. "No way!" you shout. You leap onto the sleigh seat. You shove one Time Policeman into the other. They stumble backwards and go sprawling. "Let's go!" You, Arnie, and Pat jump out of the sleigh. You race toward the exit. You hear shouting behind you. "You'll never get away!"

"We'll get you sooner or later!" That's weird, you think. They sound funny. You glance over your shoulder. Whoa! The Time Police! They're fading! Chronos must have managed to destroy the Collectors' technology! The plan worked! You kept the Time Police distracted long enough to save Time!

The carousel lurches into motion. The music starts up again.

"Are you in line for a ticket?" a girl behind you asks. You grin at Arnie and Pat.

"Why not?" you say. "I think we have time for a ride!"

THE END

68

You can't let Pat and Arnie drown! You take a deep breath and rush back out onto the bridge.

"Pat!" you shout. "Give me your hand! Follow me!" The powerful stream of water is just yards away. It shifts toward you.

Pat blinks. His eyes finally focus on you. He reaches out his arm. Slowly.

You grab his hand. "Come on!" You hurry back toward the bank. You can't move too quickly — you don't want to fall off the narrow bridge. Pat stumbles along behind you.

You feel drops of spray on the back of your neck. In a few seconds, you'll be caught by the waterfall! You stand aside and shove Pat in front of you. You practically throw him onto the bank. Then you leap after him. Arnie is right behind you.

A moment later, the force of the water knocks you flat.

Turn to PAGE 73.

69

"Keep your paws off!" you tell Pat. You jerk your hand away.

Oops! You pulled back so hard the watch flies out of your hand.

It hits the sidewalk and smashes into a gazillion pieces.

And time goes berserk! The past, present, and future all collide. You see dinosaurs taking bites out of spaceships from the future. Stagecoaches rumble past skateboarders.

Whoa! You recognize that woman sewing a flag. She's Betsy Ross! And she's chatting with former president Gerald Ford.

There's your grandpa — talking to himself as a little kid!

What a mess! There's no way you can fix this. Your mom was right. If you and Pat could just learn how to share, you never would have brought about this horrible

END!

70

"We'll go into the past," you decide. You figure if you go where things have already happened, you'll have some idea of what's coming next!

"Thank you for your help," Chronos says. He points his hand downward. Whoa! A section of the floor dissolves!

Through the opening, you see a narrow shaft that leads straight down. A ladder is fastened to one wall of the shaft.

"This leads to a secret underground system of Time Gates," Chronos explains. "One of the gates will transport you to the past. There you will destroy the Collectors' technology and prevent their terrible scheme."

Pat scrambles down the ladder. Arnie follows him. You bring up the rear. The moment all three of you are in the shaft, you hear loud shouting and banging.

"They've found us!" Chronos cries. "There's no time to lose!"

Turn to PAGE 78.

71

"Heroes?" Pat asks eagerly. "Will I get a medal? And a uniform? It will be just like in Starship Avengers!"

"Not so fast!" You turn to Chronos. "What is this Rebellion?"

"Yeah!" Arnie chimes in. "And why do you want us? We're just kids. Besides, we don't even know where we are!"

"You are in a different Time Frame," Chronos explains. "A world parallel to your own."

"This is exactly like in Starship Avengers!" Pat exclaims. "This is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me!"

"It may prove to be the deadliest," Chronos warns. That shuts Pat up. You fall speechless too. "We are battling the Collectors," Chronos explains. "They gain power by taking over other Time Frames."

"What are Time Frames?" you ask. "Simultaneous time worlds," Chronos replies. "The past operating at the same time as the present. A few are alternate universes that splinter off at specific moments in time."

Gee. You're kind of sorry you asked. Your head swims.

Turn to PAGE 6.

72

"We stay together," you declare. "Let's get this done!"

You lift the hourglass in your right hand and the sickle in your left. You hold them high over your head. You hope that Taurus the bull will recognize Chronos's stuff and leave you alone.

You march toward the Hub. Your heart thuds so loudly you wonder if the bull can hear it. You pass a few feet in front of Taurus. Pat clutches your belt loop. You feel his fingers tremble.

"Nice and calm, buddy," Arnie urges. You're not sure if he's talking to you or the bull.

The bull snorts and paws the earth, but it doesn't attack.

Only a few grains of sand are left in the upper part of the hourglass. But you can't rush. That might make the bull charge. And if you shake the hourglass, the last grains might fall faster.

When you reach the pillar, you discover a round indentation in the top of the crystal globe. Carefully, you place the base of the hourglass in it. It fits perfectly.

The sparks inside the globe blaze up, then go out. The globe turns dark like a used-up lightbulb.

You lift the hourglass in your right hand and the sickle in your left. You h
old them high over your head. You hope that Taurus the bull will recognize Chronos's stuff and leave you alone.

Is that good or bad?

Find out on PAGE 110.

73

You shut your eyes and hold your breath. Mud goes up your nose. In your eyes.

Just when you are sure your lungs will burst, the stream passes. Dazed, you sit up and wipe the mud from your face.

Arnie pushes wet hair away from his face and grins. "Who has the towels?" he jokes. Then he glances at the hourglass. His face becomes serious. "We better hurry. We don't have much time."

"I'm tired," Pat complains. "I want a rest."

"You'll get one," you promise. "When we reach the Hub."

"And unless we reach the Hub in time," Arnie adds, "you'll rest forever!"

The path becomes hilly and winding. You hurry along, scanning both sides for new dangers. You're wet, cold, and scared. Each rock and bush seems to threaten you. Even the clouds look menacing.

Suddenly Pat yells, "There it is!" He points up the path.

A pillar of silver gleams at the top of a grassy knoll. "We did it!" you shout triumphantly.

"No! We're nearly out of time!" Arnie declares. You whirl around and stare at the hourglass. Only a tiny bit of sand remains in the upper section.

Turn to PAGE 86.

74

You wave the sickle in front of you. You bring it down in a karate chop. You swing it frantically back and forth.

"Do something!" you yell at the sickle. You jab and poke the air. Your hand jerks. As if the sickle wedged into something.

You release the sickle. Your eyes widen. It hangs in the air in front of you. Slowly, a cage appears around the Hub. "This must be the barrier I felt," Arnie exclaims. The sickle is jammed into a lock. You grab it and turn it as if it were a key. A door pops open!

You hurry inside. You place the hourglass on the bomb — just as the final grains of sand trickle down. CRACK! The bomb shatters. It falls to pieces onto the ground.

A cheer goes up behind you. "We did it!" Pat shouts. "We saved time!" You grin. It feels good to be a hero. And you definitely learned something. You're never going to believe in astrology again.

Sure, these zodiac creatures are real. But they were hardly any help! So why should you take their advice?

Horoscopes may be fun, but they can be so unreliable!

THE END

75

"Oh, no!" you gasp. You jump between the lion and Pat. You clutch the sickle, ready to... well, you're not exactly sure what you're ready to do. But the sickle is all you've got.

"Hey, guys," a familiar voice calls. "Meet my new pal, Leo!"

It's Arnie! He's okay! Relief floods through you. But wait — where is he? And does he mean that the lion is his new pal?

Arnie darts out from behind some bushes. He pauses to scratch the lion behind the ears.

Did Arnie call the lion Leo? You've heard that name before. Your mom's astrological sign is Leo. This must be another zodiac creature.

The huge cat settles onto the grass. Leo the lion seems much friendlier than A1ies the ram!

"Pal?" Pat repeats doubtfully. He gets to his feet, but stays far away from the lion.

"Yeah," Arnie replies. "Leo made sure I was okay when I got slammed by that ram. I told him all about the bomb. He wants to help us get to the Hub."

Terrific... if it's true. But how does Arnie know all this? And can you think of any good reason you should trust a huge lion?

Turn to PAGE 37.

76

Tim leads you back across the desolate landscape. The more you see of this ruined world, the more you know you're doing the right thing.

Pat and Arnie trudge silently beside you. They seem a little freaked out about the task at hand. You push the scary thoughts out of your mind. Almost...

Tim stops. "We're here," he announces. He glances around. "Where's the Time Gate?"

"I see something!" Pat cries. He points at empty space.

You narrow your eyes. Shimmering lines wiggle a few feet away. "He's right!" you cheer. "Come on!"

"Good luck!" Tim shouts. "And thanks!"

Go through the Time Gate on PAGE 58.

77

"Ow! That hurts!" you cry. "Cut it out!"

"It talks," one gasps. The tension in your arms eases.

You gaze up — and up and up and up! You realize the giants are identical twins. Larger than life and twice as ugly. Isn't your uncle's sign Gemini, the Twins? That explains the double vision in front of you. "Of course I talk," you tell them. "I'm here on an important mission. Please let me go."

"You can't pass unless you answer our riddle," the one gripping your left arm says. "It's a rule."

Uh-oh. This sounds like double trouble. "Why shouldn't you say secrets near a clock?" the one on the right demands. He smiles, revealing long yellow teeth.

You hesitate. The twins pull your arms again. Your shoulders feel as if they are about to come apart.

You better come up with an answer. Before they tear you in half!

If you think the answer has something to do with hidden microphones, turn to PAGE 13.

If you think it has something to do with an old saying, turn to PAGE 121.

78

"I'll hold them off as long as I can," Chronos declares. "Good luck! We're all counting on you."

Chronos waves his hand. The opening to the shaft glides shut.

"Wait!" you cry. You pound your fist against the ceiling. "You didn't tell us anything!"

"How do we know which is the right Time Gate?" Pat wails.

"Or what we're supposed to do?" Arnie asks. "I guess we better try to complete the misson, anyway," you say at last. "We don't know when Chronos will be back."

"Or if... " Pat mutters. The three of you climb down the ladder. You stand in a dark, circular room. Two glowing doorways face each other. Those must be the Time Gates, you figure.

A humming sound fills the room. You hear garbled voices. Images appear and vanish within the Time Gates. "How do we know which is the right one?" Pat asks. You study the images flickering in the doorways.

You give up. You'll just have to leave it to chance.

If it's Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, turn to PAGE 12.

If it's Tuesday, Thursday, or the weekend, turn to PAGE 83.

79

You poke Arnie and point at the Time Police. Even in this dim light you can see him grow pale. You tip your head toward the exit. He nods and nudges Pat.

Keeping your heads down, you stumble along the row.

"Ouch!" someone yelps. "My foot!"

"Quit blocking the screen!" another person scolds.

Oh, well. Any hope of sneaking away is out of the question.

You make it to the exit and glance back at the two guys. They slip into your seats. Relief floods through you. They were just latecomers.

But then... where are the real Time Police?

You push the exit door open.

"Hold it right there," a voice snarls. The Time Police! They're right outside the door!

"Yah!" you scream. You fling your popcorn at them. Pat and Arnie hurl their snacks and sodas in their faces.

You spin around and dash up the aisle.

Dash to PAGE 47.

80

The ram screeches to a halt. It eyes Arnie carefully.

Then it butts him, very gently, in the stomach. "It's okay. You guys can come out," Arnie calls. "We're friends now."

"Come on." You help Pat to his feet. He gets up slowly. You can tell he's still scared. You're kind of shaky too. But you don't want Pat to know that. You dart over to Arnie.

"Say hello to Aries." Arnie grins. "Hi, Aries," you respond. "Bye, Aries." You want to get back to the mission. Besides, just because Aries is friendly now doesn't mean he'll stay that way. "Let's go!" You and Pat hurry along the path. Arnie follows more slowly. He seems reluctant to leave Aries. The feeling is mutual. Aries trots along behind you. The ram crashes through bushes, knocks over trees. If you hoped to make it to the Hub without being noticed, this isn't the way to do it.

Should you try to lose the ram? Or should you just stick to the path and keep going?

Lose the ram on PAGE 89.

Ignore the big sheep and keep going on PAGE 19.

81

You dart forward. The stream of water moves off the bridge.

You got the timing right! The damp wood is slippery. You take quick, careful steps. You keep your eyes fixed on the far bank.

You made it! You leap onto dry land and sigh with relief. You glance back to see how Arnie and Pat are doing. You gasp. Pat stands in the middle of the bridge. He stares down at the river, thirty feet below. He is obviously too scared to move. Arnie, trapped in back, pushes him forward.

Pat teeters back and forth on the narrow bridge. His mouth opens wide to scream.

Horrified, you notice the stream from the jug start to move back toward Pat and Arnie. If it hits them, they will lose their balance and fall. Below them are jagged rocks and the raging river.

This is so not good....

Turn to PAGE 68.

82

"What happened?" Pat murmurs.

"I think the Time Police did something weird to time. So now everyone's frozen," you guess. "Or slowed way down."

You peek over the top of the sleigh. You gasp.

It's not just the carousel.Joggers, babies in baby carriages, skateboarders, Rollerbladers. Everyone in the park has been slowed down so that you can hardly even tell they're moving. It's as if the whole park was filled with statues. Except you, Amie, and Pat.

"Now what do we do?" Arnie wonders. "Should we pretend to be frozen too?" That's an idea. But they might recognize you once they find you. And then what?

"Maybe we should find a different place to hide," you suggest. "Only they might catch us before we get there," you add.

"I don't like those ideas," Pat complains. "Me, neither," you admit. "But I can't think of anything else, can you?"

Pat thinks. Then he shakes his head. So does Arnie.

Do you freeze and hope they don't find you? Turn to PAGE 35.

Or find a new hiding place on PAGE 92.

83

You step through the Time Gate. Your stomach flops over. Mist blinds you. But it's over in seconds. You open your eyes and find yourself in... another world!

"Cool," Pat exclaims. "It's like the movies!" He's right. This looks like the future. A monorail circles a brightly lit city. Cars hover a few inches above the ground. You let out a low whistle.

"No wonder these people invented time travel," Arnie comments. "Their technology is really advanced." You shudder. That probably means their weapons are too. But you keep quiet. "I guess we should track down the time travel equipment."

"It looks as if we landed in the right spot," Arnie declares. He points to a large building looming nearby. "That's looks like a research lab."

"Chronos must have managed to send us here," Pat guesses. "So let's go!"

Go into the research lab on PAGE 59.

84

You hurry back up the slope after Pat. You can't let him get lost in this weird world. You'll find Arnie later.

The ram trots after you, but it doesn't try very hard to catch up. Maybe it's satisfied that it chased you from its territory. You hope.

When you reach the top of the rise, you spot Pat below you. He has a long lead on you. You put on speed. Your muscles burn.

You spot the entrance into the meadow. You know that's where you came in. You can see the beginning of the path. But beyond the edge of the meadow is nothing but a dense gray fog.

Where is the door to Chronos's shop? You come to a stop. Your heart pounds hard — and it's not from running. It's from fear.

Is there any way back to your world?

Turn to PAGE 90.

85

Arnie gasps. "That's Aquarius," he exclaims. "The Water Carrier. Another zodiac sign. He must be creating the river."

"How do we get across the river? Swim?" you ask. "I can't swim," Pat reminds you. "Can we walk on the rocks?"

You peer down at the rocks. They look slippery. "Can we ask Aquarius to stop for a minute?" Pat asks.

"He's really far away," you point out. "It could take days to reach him. We don't have that kind of time." ·

"Hey!" Pat tugs your sleeve. "Why don't we go across that bridge?"

You spot one good reason. Aquarius turns slowly back and forth, filling the river. Some of the time the stream of water thunders onto the rocks at the head of the river. The rest of the time it hits the bridge.

"We have to get across," you mutter. "But which way do we go?"

Cross over the rocks on PAGE 115. Cross the bridge on PAGE 28.

86

You snatch the hourglass from Arnie's hands and race up the path. The pillar stands in the center of a slab of white marble. On top of it is a shiny black box. That must be the Time bomb!

Your toe catches on the edge of the slab. Off balance, you hurtle forward. Your forehead slams into the side of the pillar. You slump to the ground. With the last of your strength, you reach up and set the hourglass on the top of the black box. Everything fades out. Until you hear voices above you.

"Wake up! Are you all right?" You open your eyes. Arnie and Pat bend over you. They look very worried.

"Who hit me?" you mumble. "Nobody," Pat replies. "You turned around to yell at me and you walked into a lamppost."

You sit up and glance around. Yes, there's the lamppost. And there's the theater, just up the block. But weren't you somewhere else, just a moment ago? It all seems so hazy....

"Come on," Arnie says. He helps you to your feet. "The movie's about to start. We got here just in time."

THE END

87

"If that's the Hub, where's the bomb?" you ask Arnie and Pat.

"What do you think it looks like?" Arnie replies.

"Round and black with a fuse coming out the top," Pat suggests. "Or else a metal box with lots of dials and wires."

"Well, there's nothing like that over there," you say.

You move closer. You notice a crystal globe on top of the silver pillar. Blue and green sparks dance inside it. Is that the bomb? How do you balance the hourglass on top of it? And what if there are invisible rays or something protecting it?

"Uh-oh." Arnie nudges you. "We have major trouble." A gigantic bull appears from behind the knoll. Its horns gleam like polished brass. White smoke and orange flames jet from its red nostrils. Its front hoof paws the ground.

Well, you got your answer. There's something protecting the bomb all right. And it's very, very visible.

Charge over to PAGE 41.

88

"We're supposed to keep the Time Police distracted," you declare. "Let's lead them far away from Chronos and that store."

"Deal," Pat agrees. Arnie nods.

You race out of the alley. You stop at the corner and glance around. Which way should we go? you wonder.

"Now what?" Pat asks.

"Let's act as if we don't know they're after us," you suggest. "Pretend everything is normal."

"Normal?" Arnie squeaks. "Nothing about today is normal."

"Don't freak," you order. "We need to figure out what to do."

"I want to go back to the movie," Pat declares. "That's what we were supposed to do today."

Arnie snorts. "No way. We'll be trapped in the dark. If they're coming after us I want to be where I can see them."

"Do you have a better idea?" Pat challenges. "The park," Arnie states. "Stay out in the open."

Arnie and Pat start arguing. It's up to you to decide. Before you have to worry about Arnie and· Pat getting into a big fight — on top of everything else.

Go to the movies on PAGE 133.

Head for the park on PAGE 123.

89

"Let's ditch Aries," you whisper to Arnie. Pat nods his agreement. He tugs your hand, raring to go.

"Why?" Arnie stares at you, surprised. CRASH. Yikes! Aries just toppled a small tree. You all leap out of the way.

"That's why," you tell Arnie. "Okay," Arnie mutters. You spot a narrow path twisting through a rocky outcropping. Aries will never be able to make it through. "This way," you urge.

You, Pat, and Arnie squeeze through the boulders. You hear Aries bleating behind you. But soon you don't hear him anymore.

The path runs alongside a steep cliff. After many twists and turns it opens into a forest. "Which way do we go?" Pat asks. "I'm all turned around."

So are you.

Find yourself on PAGE 56.

90

You watch as Pat slows down. He must be wondering the same thing.

"Pat, wait!" you shout. "Wait for me!" Pat stops and glances around. He spots you and slumps over. He looks defeated.

You race up to him and grab his arm. "You can't go off by yourself," you scold. "It's dangerous! What if you got lost?"

"I'm sorry," he replies. "But this place is too scary." Then two figures appear out of the fog. A chill runs along your back. The scare-scale just went up a notch. The Time Police! They tracked you down! What will they do? They know you're on Chronos's side now.

One of them points at you and Pat. He shouts something. You can't hear the words — but you're pretty sure they weren't "Congratulations! You just won the lottery."

Turn to PAGE 55.

91

"Aaghh!" you shout. You shove Chronos as hard as you can.

Chronos's arms wave wildly as he tries to maintain his balance. He loses the fight with gravity. He falls backwards.

Through the Time Gate!

You grin at Arnie and Pat. "I think we showed—"

You never finish your sentence. A deafening rumble fills the room. Then a loud C-R-A-C-K! You stare into the Time Gate. You're nearly blinded!

Whoa! Whirling planets and stars spiral, then explode. The room around you shakes... then melts. Your world is collapsing!

You'll never know where you sent Chronos. All you know is it didn't turn out to be so good for your universe in

THE END.

92

"Let's sneak out of here," you whisper. "Before they get down the hill."

You, Arnie, and Pat slip out of the carousel. You weave your way through the frozen people.

You shudder. Is this what it will be like if the Collectors take over your Time Frame? Have they succeeded already? You wish you knew what Chronos and the Rebellion were doing.

ZAP! A tree beside you bursts into flames! You glance behind you.

The Time Police! They're shooting at you! You, Arnie, and Pat dash down the hill. You spot the zoo. Maybe you could hide in there. Or is it too far away?

The lake is right in front of you. How do the Time Police feel about water?

ZAP! There goes another tree! Pick a direction and run!

Run straight into the lake on PAGE 120.

Head for the zoo on PAGE 38.

93

"Okay." You hand Pat the watch. "But be careful. You don't know how it works."

"Cool!" Pat peers at the watch face. "This doesn't look too hard to figure out."

Arnie peeks around the wall of the hut. "The Time Police!" he gasps. He jumps back. "They're coming this way!"

"Hey, no problem," Pat declares. "I'll take care of them."

He holds the watch out in front of him.

"No!" you shout. "Are you nuts? You don't know how it works."

"I know what I'm doing!" Pat snaps.

He presses a button on the side of the watch.

Press on! Turn to PAGE 106.

94

"Chronos sent us," you hear Arnie shout. The hooves stop. You open your eyes. The centaur stands a few feet away, pawing the ground with his front hooves. He lowers his bow. A bit.

"That's right," you add. You wave the sickle. "Chronos asked us to go to the Hub to save Time."

"He practically begged us," Pat puts in. "I recognize Chronos's tools," Sagittarius declares. "If he trusts you, then so do I."

He puts the arrow back in his quiver. "Climb aboard," he offers. "I will take you to the Hub."

This is amazing! You're about to ride on the back of a centaur! You feel as if you stepped into a mythology book. You lift Pat onto the centaur's back. He seems a little nervous. "Hey, how do I hold on?" he asks. Good question. No saddle. No reins.

And you're not exactly a centaur cowboy. "Ready?" Sagittarius asks. His hooves stamp impatiently. Well, there's no time to worry about it. Arnie scrambles up behind Pat. You climb up behind Arnie.

You'll all have to do the best you can.

Turn to PAGE 60.

95

You pull the sickle from your belt. You raise it high over your head. The blade gleams.

The crab's jaws move. "Chronos," it croaks. You stare.

Did you imagine that? It sets Arnie and Pat down on the ground. "Friends of Chronos," it says. "Friends of Time."

The sickle! That's what changed the crab's attitude! Maybe its magic is letting you understand what the crab is saying.

"Uh — right," you agree. "Friends of Time, that's us. You bet. Arnie, show our pal the hourglass."

Arnie pulls the hourglass from inside his shirt. When he holds it up, your heart sinks. Most of the sand has already flowed into the lower compartment.

"We've got to hurry!" you declare. "We have to get to the Hub, right away!"

"I will take you," the crab announces.

Catch the next crab to PAGE 36.

96

You aim the watch at the Time Policemen and push X — SLOW. The beam catches them in midstride. Their legs stop moving. They crash forward to the ground. They don't do anything to break their fall.

Ouch! you think.

"What did you do to them?" Pat demands.

"Slowed them down, I think," you reply. "Way down."

"All right!" Arnie cheers. "Let's move! Before whatever we did wears off those dudes."

"But we don't know where to go," Pat wails. "Which way is home?"

You bite your lip. "I have a feeling the only way to answer that question is to go back to Chronos's shop."

"Sounds good to me," Arnie says. Pat looks sulky for a moment. "Okay," he finally mumbles.

Turn to PAGE 104.

97

You herd Arnie and Pat through the door and follow them.

Arnie stops short and gasps in amazement. You bang into him.

Your eyes widen and your jaw drops. In front of you is what looks like a whole new world. This sure isn't any downtown street! You see a meadow, dense forest, even craggy mountains covered with snow! Overhead, hundreds of stars gleam brightly.

Wait. How can you see the stars, when the countryside in front of you is so well lit?

It must be some sort of magic. "Where are we?" Pat asks. His voice quavers with fear. "How did we get here?"

"I... I don't know," Arnie replies slowly.

"More important," you murmur. "How do we get back?"

Chronos appears beside you. "That depends on you!" he announces. "You must succeed in the mission before you. If you do, you'll return home safely. If not..."

Gulp.

Turn to PAGE 101.

98

If you continue to play the twins' guessing game, sooner or later you will lose. And you can't afford to lose. You have a duty to save Time.

But what you can you do? You can't fight them. The twins outnumber you two to one, and each of them is twice your size as well. That makes them twice as dangerous.

You'll have to outsmart them-which shouldn't be too hard. It seems as if they have only half a brain between them!

"My turn to ask a riddle," you tell them. The twins look stunned. Then they release your arms and clap their hands. "Goody! No one ever asks us to guess!"

"Okay, here goes," you announce. "You're walking through the woods and you meet an enormous hungry lion. What time is it?"

They rub their chins. They scratch their heads. They blink.

"Give up?" you demand. "It's time to run!"

And you do!

Run to PAGE 64.

99

Hoofbeats thunder down the path. You whirl around. A man on horseback charges toward you. As he comes closer, your mouth opens in amazement.

You were wrong. He is not on a horse. He is the horse. His torso rises up where the horse's head should be. "It's a centaur!" you gasp. "I thought centaurs were a myth!"

"It's another zodiac creature," Arnie replies. "He's called Sagittarius, the Archer." He frowns. "I think." Well, the guy is definitely an archer. As if to prove it, Sagittarius puts another arrow in his bow and takes aim.

Awe immediately turns back into fear.

"Why are all these zodiac guys out to get us?" Pat wails. "Don't they know we're trying to help?"

That gives you an idea. "Arnie, show him the hourglass. Maybe if he knows we're working with Chronos he'll back off."

"It's worth a shot!" Arnie raises the hourglass over his head. "Look! We're friends!"

Sagittarius gallops closer. He aims his arrow straight at you. You hold your breath and shut your eyes tight.

Are you about to become a shish kebab?

Turn to PAGE 94.

100

Chronos appears. "Well done!" he cries. "The mission was a success. You kept the Time Police distracted. Time is safe again."

You, Arnie, and Pat wade back to shore. You gaze down at the Time Police.

Eeewww. Their faces melted! "What happened?" you ask.

"Jumping between Time Frames makes their electrical field very unstable," Chronos explains.

"Very clever of you to realize that water would harm them. And now I must return to my Time Frame."

He vanishes. You, Arnie, and Pat gape at one another.

You run your hands through your wet hair. Your mom is going to go ballistic when she sees you and Pat.

When you get home you explain to your parents that you fell into the lake. But you're still grounded. Your parents don't understand why you can't get home on time!

THE END

101

"If not, what?" you demand. "If you fail, no one will survive," Chronos responds. "The whole universe will be destroyed!"

Your mind reels. Can he be telling the truth? Is the fate of the universe in your hands?

That is seriously scary. "Where are we?" Pat asks. "What is this place?"

"You are in the world of the zodiac," Chronos explains.

"You mean, like horoscopes and signs?" Arnie asks. "Cool!"

"The 'signs' you speak of only represent the zodiac," Chronos replies. "Here, around the great Time Hub of the universe, the creatures of the zodiac are real and alive."

"But what about us?" you wonder. "Why do you need our help?"

"Time Thieves have planted a bomb at the Hub," Chronos tells you. "It is where all Time originates. Only someone from a different Time Frame can get through the Hub's barricades."

"What do the Time Thieves want?" you ask. "They want us to break the rules of Time so they can steal from other Time Frames," Chronos replies. "If the bomb explodes, the Time Thieves are the only ones who would survive."

"This is some mission," you murmur.

Hear the rest on PAGE 114.

102

"We do exactly what Chronos told us to do," you whisper. "We destroy the technology."

You open the door a crack. Silence. You step out of the closet. Arnie and Pat follow you on tiptoe. You sneak back to the lab. You peek into the window.

No sign of Chronos.

You enter the lab. Computers sit on steel desks. Humming machines loom over you. Blinking lights flash on and off.

"Which is the Time Collecting machine?" Pat asks.

You shrug. "I think we should destroy it all," you declare. "We don't want Chronos coming back and reinventing everything again in a couple of days."

"I agree." Arnie nods.

"Let's get to it!" You grab a computer monitor. You hurl it at a wall of terminals. SMASH! The room crackles with electricity.

Arnie and Pat throw chairs at the shelves. Glass shatters.

Chemicals pour onto the floor. Smoke fills the room. The sky outside blackens and then turns orange.

Uh-oh! When you released the Time Energy you disrupted the balance of all the Time Frames in the universe.

Thanks to you, all the worlds come to

THE END!

103

Arnie jumps up and down with anxiety. "Do something," he urges you. "Do something!"

Pat catches Arnie's panic. "Quick!" he wails.

You press the button next to the circular arrow. Nothing happens.

You feel horribly disappointed. "It doesn't do anything at all," you announce.

You press the button next to the circular arrow. Nothing happens.

You feel horribly disappointed. "It doesn't do anything at all," you announce.

You press the button next to the circular arrow. Nothing happens.

You feel horribly disappointed. "It doesn't do anything at all," you announce.

You press the button next to the circular arrow. Nothing happens.

You feel horribly disappointed. "It doesn't do anything at all," you announce.

You press...

THE END

104

You sprint up the street. Your heart pounds as you race by the Time Police. You're terrified one of them will grab you. But you make it back to Chronos's store without being followed.

You shove the door. The three of you dash inside.

Z-Z-ZAP! A lightning bolt explodes against the wall.

"Hey, hold it!" you yell. "We're friends!"

Chronos lowers his scythe. "I didn't expect to see you again," he booms. "And the Time Police? Where are they?"

You hold up the watch. "We slowed them way down."

You see a gleam in Chronos's eyes. "Excellent!" he thunders. "What happened out there?" you demand. "Everything's different."

"It's as if we were transported to another world," Pat adds.

Chronos's eyes narrow. "I was afraid of that." Uh-oh. This sounds serious. "Afraid of what?" Chronos waves at a pile of dust on a shelf. "When the Time Police destroyed this clock they disrupted time. The world outside is a new Time Frame."

"C-can we g-get home?" you stammer.

Find out the answer on PAGE 49.

105

You stop and rub your forehead. You feel as if you are in two places at once. But that's not possible, is it?

Why am I running? you wonder.

Then you remember. The movie.

Your friend Arnie dashes along behind you. "Everybody wants to see this movie," he pants. "It's awesome!"

Your kid brother Pat has stopped to look in the window of a bicycle store.

"Come on!" Arnie yells to him. "We don't want to be late."

"Hey, relax," you tell Arnie. "We'll get into the movie. I'm not sure why — but I have a feeling the stars are in our favor."

THE END

106

Nothing happens. Nothing at all.

"See!" you whisper hoarsely. You don't want to attract the attention of the Time Police. "Quit messing around. Give me the watch!"

Pat ignores you. "Give me back the watch," you repeat. Pat stands there like a statue. One arm stretches out in front of him. The one holding the watch.

Uh-oh. You grab Pat's arm and try to move him. He doesn't budge.

He's frozen! Not frozen like an ice cube, but stuck in one position!

Oh, no! How will you explain this to Mom?

Turn to PAGE 122.

107

You point out the camera to Arnie and Pat. Arnie looks relieved. "It makes a little more sense now," he explains. "Let's find the technology and get out of here," you urge. You pass a door with a large window. You do a double-take.

Chronos! What is he doing here? You're about to go in when you realize he's not alone. You shove Pat and Arnie against the wall. You press your ear against the door. "I've done it!" Chronos cries. "I have mastered Time Energy!"

"Excellent," a woman declares. "With all this technology, we shall be able to collect all the Time Frames we want." You stifle a gasp. Oh, no! Chronos is the enemy! He's the one who is trying to take over time! "Let's celebrate," Chronos says. You hear him push his chair away from the desk. You, Arnie, and Pat dash into a storage closet. Your heart pounds.

"What do we do now?" Arnie wonders. "We have two choices," you declare. "Either we go to the Time Police — or we destroy Chronos's technology right now."

Hide and then smash Chronos's technology on PAGE 102.

Help the Time Police catch Chronos on PAGE 53.

108

You are in an endless tunnel. The walls are streaks of colored light. They flash by and vanish in the distance. You notice two figures nearby. You recognize Pat and Arnie. You try to call out, but your voice doesn't seem to work.

"Attention, terrorists!" The speeded-up voice sounds like a chittering chipmunk. It speaks so quickly you have trouble understanding the words. "You are sentenced to one week of Slow Time."

Gulp! A week of this? Still, it could have been a lot worse. All in all, you figure you got off with a pretty light sentence.

"Your Slow Time ratio is ten thousand to one," the chirpy voice adds. "For each day of your sentence, you will serve ten thousand normal days. You can expect to be released in approximately one hundred ninety-two years."

Oh, man! This is going to be the longest end in the whole book!

THE END

109

You walk down the path to the meadow. The grass comes up to your waist. Unusual flowers send out strange scents.

You follow the path over a rise and down into a valley. It's so quiet all you can hear are your feet crunching the grass.

This isn't so dangerous, you think. Did Chronos exaggerate? Maybe he wanted to make your mission seem more important so you would do what he says. You glance around. Oh, man! Where is Pat? Falling behind, as usual. How did you end up with such a slowpoke for a brother?

"Pat?" you call loudly. "Pat?" You glance back. Pat appears at the top of the rise. He races down toward you. You've never seen him run so fast. He must have decided to listen to you. For a change.

"Help!" Pat screams. "HELP!"

Run to PAGE 126.

110

You stare at the darkened globe. Nothing blew up! You successfully completed your mission! "It worked!" Arnie cries. "We saved Time!"

"Whoo-hoo!" you exclaim. You and Arnie slap high fives.

"Look!" Pat whispers. He pokes your side. The twelve zodiac creatures surround you in a circle. Some you've already met. Others you recognize from astrology books. "Do you think they're friendly?" Arnie murmurs.

"I — I hope so," you stammer. "Well done!" Chronos appears suddenly in the middle of the zodiac creatures. "Now — come this way! Quickly!"

Just behind him is the mouth of a cave. You hurry over. As you pass through the zodiac circle, all the creatures bow.

You, Arnie, and Pat enter the cave. "You will be remembered in the stars until the end of time," Chronos tells you. "Thanks to you, that is far, far into the future."

"Yeah, well, we're not about to forget you, either," you tell Chronos. "I mean, this has been the most incredible adventure of my life. I'll never forget it!"

Chronos says nothing. He simply smiles at you.

And then the cave entrance closes.

Turn to PAGE 105.

111

You decide to help the Time Police. After all, you only have Chronos's word on all this. Besides, what else can you do? "Okay," you agree. "We'll help you. What do we do?" The Time Police exchange a satisfied look. They attach strange devices to your arms. They look like weird Walkmans.

"What are these?" you ask. The Time Policeman tightens the straps. "Energy Collectors."

That doesn't sound good. "Good thing we found these kids," the other Time Policeman declares. "My weapons needed recharging. Now we'll have enough energy to last for weeks. And these kids will be finished." Uh-oh. "No!" you cry. "You double-crossed us!" The Time Police don't reply. They push the buttons on the Energy Collectors. ZZZZZZAPP!

The world goes dark as the devices suck all the energy out of your bodies. You, Arnie, and Pat collapse to the ground.

Do you have enough energy to put the book down? Because this is

THE END.

112

You tell the fish your astrological sign. "Bad sign," the fish gurgles. "Earth, air, fire — all bad, bad, bad!"

It opens its jaws. Its throat looks as big and dark as a highway tunnel. Once you get past the razor-sharp teeth, that is.

"Hey, wait!" you cry. "Can't we work this out?"

The giant fish lunges at you. Everything goes dark. There's something fishy about this situation! This must be...

THE END!

113

You gaze around at the bizarre sight. "This is too weird," Pat mutters. "I want to go home."

"Me too," you reply. "But I think home is very far away."

"Come on," Arnie urges. "We have to avoid those Time Police!"

The three of you race down the street. "Hey, a bus shelter," Arnie pants. "Let's hide in there."

You all duck inside the little hut. You collapse onto the flip-up seat.

"Yow!" You jump up. What did you sit on? You feel around in your pocket. You pull out a little box. You glance down. You forgot about the box Chronos gave you.

"What's that?" Arnie asks. You shrug. "Chronos said it would help us," you explain. "We could use some help," Arnie states. "Open it."

"Maybe it's a ray gun," Pat blurts. "That would be cool!"

You hope whatever is inside isn't dangerous. You lift the heavy lid.

What’s in the box? Find out on PAGE 50.

114

"What about those two Time Police?" asks Arnie. "Why did they try to arrest you?"

"They are nothing but tools of the Time Thieves," Chronos snaps. "Pay no attention to them. Here." Chronos pulls an hourglass from the folds of his robe. He gives it to Arnie. It is about a foot high, made of dark polished wood and greenish glass with tiny bubbles in it. The upper part is filled with pure white sand.

"What is that?" you ask. "The etheric vibrations of this device are keyed to those of the bomb," Chronos explains.

Huh? The what?

"Set this on the Hub before the last grain of sand falls," Chronos continues. "In that way you will disarm the bomb." Arnie stares at the hourglass and grows pale. You gulp. You, Pat, and Arnie, responsible for saving Time? What if you fail? Chronos gazes deeply into your eyes. "You are our only hope."

Turn to PAGE 18.

115

"Let's risk the rocks," you decide. "The water is totally pounding that bridge."

"Well... okay." Pat sighs. You know he's scared.

"We'll have to cross one at a time," you declare. "I'll go first." You give Pat a grin, even though inside you're shaking. "It won't be so hard. You'll see."

You take a deep breath. You step onto the first rock. Its thin green coating of moss makes it almost as slippery as ice. You stretch out your arms for balance.

Keep moving, that's the key. You step onto the next rock, then the next, then the next. Hey, this isn't so hard!

Soon you reach the middle of the river. Just a few more steps and you'll be across. From the bank, Arnie and Pat cheer you on. "Go! Go!"

You turn your head and wave. Uh-oh. Bad move. The rock you are on wobbles. You wobble.

SPLASH!

Dog-paddle to PAGE 119.

116

Pat's face flushes red. "Finish the job!" he screams. "I want to go home!"

Arnie whirls around. "Don't you think I'm trying!" he shouts at Pat. "There's some kind of barrier, you jerk!"

Uh-oh. Usually Arnie is the peacekeeper. You better do something before he and Pat get into a serious fight.

You scan the crowd of zodiac creatures. "Does anyone have an idea?" you call. "We're running out of time!"

They all stare silently at you. It gives you the creeps.

"Oooh-kay," you mutter. You scratch your head with the sickle.

Duh! You had the answer all along. The sickle!

You hurry over to Arnie. You hold the sickle in front of you. You tap it against the invisible barrier.

Nothing happens.

Nothing — except a few more grains of sand trickle down in the hourglass.

Will time run out on PAGE 74?

117

You want to have the advantage of surprise. You poke Arnie and nudge Pat. You point at the Time Police.

Uh-oh. They've spotted you. They're heading your way.

You leap to your feet. "Those guys didn't pay!" you shout.

"Sit down!" the person behind you growls. One of the Time Police reaches for Pat. "Quit trying to steal my little brother's popcorn!" you cry. You make as much noise as possible. No way will the Time Police zap you in front of all these people. ·

You hope.... Pat gets into the act. He pretends he's crying. "These big bullies always pick on me!" he wails. Arnie joins in. "Pick on someone your own size!" he hollers.

"Leave the kids alone," someone shouts. Everyone starts yelling. Just as you hoped. "Shut up! I'm trying to watch the movie!"

"Take it outside!"

"Sit down! You're blocking my view!"

You, Arnie, and Pat duck down. Just in time! Snacks start flying from all directions!

Turn to PAGE 33.

118

"We should take the shortcut," you decide. "Dangerous or not, we have to save time. I mean, Time."

The lion nods his head. Turning, he lopes up the path.

The three of you hurry after him. The path leads into the hills. Soon it is no more than a narrow track along a cliff face. The trees on the valley floor are so far below they look like tiny bushes. You gulp and try not to look down. You give Pat your hand and pull him past the scariest parts.

"Grrr-r-r," the lion rumbles. His tail twitches. He seems excited. We must be getting close, you think.

The track curves around a big boulder. It ends at the mouth of a cave. You glance around.

Hey. This doesn't look like the Hub. The lion lets out a short, sharp growl. From inside the cave, you hear a loud, eager roar. Uh-oh. You feel your hair stand on end. "I... I think we made a big mistake," you murmur.

Turn to PAGE 8.

119

Sputtering, you try to hold your head above water. The swift current knocks you down and rolls you around. Two fish swim by. Whoa! They're as big as sheepdogs! You have a feeling these are more zodiac creatures. You remember seeing fish on the horoscope page. You think they were called Pisces.

The rushing river bangs you around. If you don't drown first, you'll knock yourself out on a jagged rock! You need help — fast!

"Hello," one of the fish says. You don't even bother wondering why a fish is talking to you.

"Help me!" you exclaim. "Can't you swim?" the fish asks. Should you try to explain about the powerful current? You decide to keep it simple. "No," you gasp. "Can't swim."

"What's your birth sign?" the fish demands. What does that have to do with anything? Still, you better answer the fish. You're about to go under! Again!

Do you know the astrological sign for your birth date? If you don't, look it up in the horoscope column of a newspaper. If your sign is Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces, turn to PAGE 34.

If it is any other sign, turn to PAGE 112.

120

"Keep going!" you shout to Arnie and Pat. You plunge into the lake. You hope their weapons can't hit you underwater.

The Time Police race to the water's edge. Phew! They don't follow you in. They seem... afraid.

On a hunch, you splash water at them. They shriek and jump back. It gives you an idea.

"Splash them," you cry. You, Arnie, and Pat start splashing water. You kick up waves. You cup water in your hands and hurl it at them.

ZZ-ZZTT! VZZITT! Sparks fly out of the Time Police! Their bodies jerk violently. It's as if they're short-circuiting! Smoke pours out of their ears. They collapse beside the lake.

Turn to PAGE 100.

121

"I know," you declare. "You shouldn't say secrets around a clock because Time will tell!"

They release your arms and point at each other. "You told him the answer!" they accuse each other.

"Did not!" they reply. "Did so!" they retort. You shake your head. These two argue worse than you and Pat. And they yell everything simultaneously. It's twice as annoying.

They grab your arms again. "You cheated," they announce. "You have to answer another riddle."

What? You don't have time for this! You have to do something — quick. But what?

Think of something on PAGE 98.

122

You stare at your brother. You have to do something, quick. But what? You're not even sure what happened.

You notice Pat's eyes are shut. Were they like that before? As you study his face, his eyes open. Slowly. Ver-r-ry slo-o-wly.

"He's moving in slow motion!" you realize. "Pushing that button on the watch must have slowed him down!"

"Well, you better speed him up again," Arnie warns you. "And fast! Before the Time Police find us."

Pat's hand clutches the watch. His thumb is still on the button he pressed. Should you try to use the watch to undo whatever it was that Pat did?

Maybe it would be smarter for you and Arnie to grab your brother and run. You can always check out the watch later. When you don't have the Time Police hot on your trail.

What's your decision? Carry Pat? Turn to PAGE 127.

Try to use the watch? Turn to PAGE 46.

123

"Arnie's right," you decide. "I don't want to be trapped indoors with those guys."

The park is only two blocks away. As you run you glance over your shoulder.

Oh, no! The Time Police are less than a block behind you!

"Hurry!" you shout. You, Arnie, and Pat dash into the park. Up ahead you spot the carousel. That would make a decent hiding place.

"Follow me." You put on speed. You dart through the line and duck into the carousel. It's so packed no one notices you.

You leap onto the turning platform. Wooden horses move up and do\vn around you. You, Pat, and Arnie scramble into a sleigh.

Kids laugh and wave to their parents. Grown-ups take photos. Music blares. It's all very loud and confusing.

"It will be easy to miss us in this crowd," you whisper.

Suddenly — everything stops. The horses. The people.

Everything. Uh-oh. This can't be good.

Turn to PAGE 82.

124

You head down the other side of the hill. "Arnie!" you cry.

"Hey! Up here!" Arnie calls. "I'm caught!" You peer up. Arnie is trapped in the tangled branches of a tree. "Are you okay?" you ask.

"Yeah," he replies. "But my jacket is stuck on something."

You climb up and free him. Then you scramble back down.

Arnie holds up the hourglass. "Phew. It's a]l right." He glances around. "Hey, where's Pat?" As you start to explain, you hear a yell. · "Don't go! Wait for me!" Pat runs up the slope. He dashes over to you. "I changed my mind," he pants when he reaches you.

"Don't run off again," you scold. "It's too dangerous."

Arnie glances at the hourglass. "We better move it," he announces. "We don't have much time!"

You march quickly along the path. At the edge of the meadow, the countryside becomes hilly. Your leg muscles burn. Sweat streams down your back, your face. Finally you call a rest.

"I can't move another step!" Pat mumbles. He collapses on the ground at the foot of a huge tree. KA-THUNK! An arrow zips past Pat's head. It buries itself in the tree.

Turn to PAGE 99.

125

You scramble back up the ladder. Arnie and Pat are right behind you. The plan is to hang out with Chronos until the Time Police show up. You just hope he's not suspicious. Or sends you home before the Time Police arrive.

You pound on the ceiling. "Chronos!" you shout. "We did it! We stopped the Time Police. Let us out." The door in the ceiling slides open. Chronos peers down at you. You reach up to climb out. Chronos stops you.

"No," he orders. "I'll come down. It's still not safe." Chronos climbs down the ladder. You don't want him to notice your bracelet. You shove your hands into your pockets. You feel the box Chronos gave you. You almost forgot about it.

"So you were successful?" Chronos asks. It's hard to read his face in the pulsating glow of the Time Gates.

"Yes," you declare. "We did everything you told us."

"Did I tell you to lead the Time Police straight to me?" he shouts. He lunges at you.

Oh, no! He's onto you. Think quick. You can either shove him into a Time Gate — or you can try using what's in the box. After all, he said it would help you survive!

Shove him into a Time Gate on PAGE 91. Open the box on PAGE 44.

126

Uh-oh. Why is Pat so frightened? you wonder. A moment later you find out! An enormous white ram appears at the top of the hill behind Pat. Your eyes widen. It's as big as a truck. Its curled horns shimmer like gold. It pauses at the top of the low hill. Its fiery red eyes stare down at you.

"What is that thing?" you gasp. Arnie snaps his fingers. "Remember what Chronos told us? In this world, the zodiac creatures are real! That ram is Aries!" Pat rushes up to you. He grabs your arm to steady himself and tries to catch his breath. He's too winded to speak. "What should we do?" you say. "I think it thinks we're trespassing."

"I have an idea," Arnie replies. "My astrological sign is Aries. It's like I'm related. Maybe I can make friends with it."

"Friends?" you repeat. "I don't know.... " The ram lowers its head. It's charging! Do something!

Run from the ram on PAGE 23. Tell Arnie to try to make friends with the ram on PAGE 26.

127

"We'll have to carry him," you tell Arnie. You figure you can fix this mess after you find a hiding place. "You grab his legs. I'll take his shoulders." You and Arnie tilt Pat sideways and lift him. It feels like carrying a heavy log. You try to run, but all you can do is stumble forward. After a few yards, Arnie gasps. "Wait! I can't keep this up!" You glance back. He's panting for breath. His face is flushed and wet with sweat.

He's not going to last much longer, you realize. We need to hide, fast. You spot a set of stairs leading to a basement entrance. "Down there," you exclaim. You and Arnie carry Pat down the steps. You hear boots pounding along the sidewalk toward you. The Time Police! You hold your breath. The sound comes closer and closer. Suddenly it stops. "Come out at once," a harsh voice shouts. "You're under arrest!"

They found you!

Turn to PAGE 14.

128

Arnie and Pat rush out onto the bridge. You bring up the rear. The damp wood is slick, but you don't have time to be too careful.

The roar of the rushing river fills your ears. The thick mist fills your nose. It's hard to breathe. You wipe the droplets from your eyelids and blink to clear your eyes.. Oh, no! The stream of water from the giant's jug is moving back toward the bridge! Did you get the timing wrong? Did he change his pattern? Either way, you are in major trouble.

"Back!" you scream. "Come back!" Pat and Arnie can't hear you over the noise. They don't realize the terrible danger they are in. You lunge forward and grab Pat's sleeve. Your feet slide out from under you. You and Pat tumble toward the river. The full force of the water hits Arnie. He plummets from the bridge. Oh, well. Looks as if this choice was all wet....

THE END

129

The movie finishes and the lights go up. You, Arnie, and Pat sneak out the side exit. You want to avoid the Time Police. You hope Chronos has set things right in his Time Frame by now.

Awesome! You spot Chronos heading toward you. He's smiling! The plan must have worked!

"You did great!" he congratulates you. "What happened?" you ask. Your stomach feels much lighter, now that the danger has passed.

"The Time Police came back and swore they'd never bother your Time Frame again," Chronos explains. "They seemed terrified. What did you do?"

"Not much," you confess. "But those Time Police definitely learned their lesson."

"What lesson is that?" Chronos asks. He looks confused. You grin. "Starship Avengers is the coolest movie going," you tell him. "And you should never get between kids and their favorite movie!"

THE END

130

You hold your breath and leap at the misty image. Your stomach flutters and twists again.

A moment later you find yourself in the alley behind Chronos's shop. Arnie's face is greenish. Pat spins in a circle.

"That was fun!" Pat cheers. "Let's do it again!"

"Cut it out," you snap. "This isn't a game. Chronos sent us back to the time when the Time Police were in the store. They could be out here any minute!"

"Our mission is to keep the Time Police distracted," Arnie states. "Should we go into the store to find them?"

"Or let them find us," you suggest. "Act as if we don't know they're on our trail." Pat squints up at you. "So we're like... targets?" Gulp. It didn't sound quite so bad when Chronos said it. But Pat's right. You're the decoys. Suddenly that seems really risky.

"Well, we should do something," Arnie declares. "Either we stay here and let them find us, or we go looking for them."

Those are the choices, all right. So choose!

Go back into the store on PAGE 29.

Let the Time Police come looking for you on PAGE 88.

131

"The sickle showed us this path," you decide. "Let's stick with it."

"Whatever." Arnie shrugs. "Let's do it fast. Come on, Leo."

The three of you hurry up the path. Leo pads beside you.

It feels great to have him along for protection. You notice the ram that attacked you perched on a little hilltop. It stays clear of you now.

On the other side of the meadow, the path starts to climb. The ground is rocky. The lion stops near a scraggly tree. He tosses his head and roars. He points a front paw along the path. "I think he's saying this is as far as he goes," you guess. Leo nods and gives a rumbling purr. You grin. You guessed right! With a swish of his tail, he lopes away. The three of you watch the great cat disappear into the tall grass.

"What do we do now?" Arnie asks. "Keep going," Pat urges. "I don't want to meet that ram again without Leo."

You continue up the path. You wonder how much longer before you reach the Hub. Your thoughts are interrupted.

"Hey!" You feel something whiz by your head. THONK! An arrow buries its point in the tree.

Turn to PAGE 99.

132

At the station you. tell the Time Police your story. About Chronos, the Time Frames. Everything. · Eventually they believe you. Especially when you offer to help them trap Chronos.

"How will you do that?" you ask. The officer clicks a copper bracelet onto your wrist. "This is a homing device. Through it, we will be able to monitor you. Once you contact Chronos we will arrive as backup."

"We have a Time Gate here," one of the officers tells you. "You will return to Chronos's shop from here. We can track you."

Gulp. Volunteering seemed like a good idea a minute ago. Now you're not so sure.

Too bad it's too late to back out now.

Set the plan in motion on PAGE 58.

133

"The movies," you announce. You figure if you're going to put your life on the line, you might as well be entertained!

You, Pat, and Arnie dash to the movie theater. Crowds swarm around you. As Arnie buys the tickets, you glance over your shoulder. Are the Time Police on your trail yet? You spot two Time Police at the corner. They scan the area. Your mouth drops open. Their uniforms! They're morphing into regular clothes. Now it will be really hard to identify them. They look so... ordinary. Bland. Like all the other adults nearby.

Their eyes land on you. Gulp. Well, the plan was to get them to follow you. You try not to think about what they'll do once they capture you. You hide in the dark movie theater. That should hold them off for a while. Your hand trembles as you hand your ticket to the usher. Maybe this showing of Starship Avengers will sell out too. The Time Police will have to wait until you come out to grab you. By then Chronos will have done whatever he and the Rebellion are trying to do.

You hope....

Buy some popcorn and then get to your seat on PAGE 135.

134

"Hey!" you shout. No answer. Well, the way Sagittarius was cruising along, they're probably already at the Hub by now. At least the mission will be completed, you tell yourself. Once they turn off the bomb, you're sure they'll come back this way to find you.

You gulp. You're pretty sure, anyway. Maybe I should head in that direction, you think. You start walking.

VWIP! VWIP! VWIP! Yikes! A dozen arrows pierce your clothes! They pin you to a tree!

Turn to PAGE 65.

135

You, Pat, and Arnie settle into your seats. The Time Police may have trouble picking you out in the sea of kids. There are plenty of parents around too. Too bad so many of them look like the disguised Time Police.

Your muscles tense, wondering when and how the attack will happen.

The lights go down. Music blares from the speakers. Arnie jumps. He's really on edge. Pat stares at the screen. Then he shifts in his seat and peers around. He's nervous too.

Your heart pounds. Are the Time Police in the theater?

On the screen movie aliens attack Earth. But you don't care. You're in the middle of your own sci-fi adventure. Only in this one you could die — and the world could come to an end!

You wipe your face. Nervous sweat stings your eyes.

Being a decoy suddenly seems like a really bad idea.

If your hands aren't too shaky, turn to PAGE 31.

Table of Contents

- Unnamed
- PAGE 2
- PAGE 3
- PAGE 4
- PAGE 66
- PAGE 20
- PAGE 75
- PAGE 70
- PAGE 48
- PAGE 54
- PAGE 71
- PAGE 7
- PAGE 113
- PAGE 5
- PAGE 42
- PAGE 108
- PAGE 22
- PAGE 30
- PAGE 76
- PAGE 109
- PAGE 45
- PAGE 85
- PAGE 51
- PAGE 10
- PAGE 57
- PAGE 103
- PAGE 96
- PAGE 21
- PAGE 80
- PAGE 81
- PAGE 128
- PAGE 32
- PAGE 27
- PAGE 79
- PAGE 117
- PAGE 129
- PAGE 28
- PAGE 111
- PAGE 67
- PAGE 116
- PAGE 131
- PAGE 118
- PAGE 25
- PAGE 43
- PAGE 72
- PAGE 17
- PAGE 39
- PAGE 77
- PAGE 24
- PAGE 15