Project X-Calibur by Greg Pace Read Free Book Online

was Pellinore.
    â€œIt’s Ben, right?”
    â€œYes, sir,” I gulped.
    Pellinore kept pace with me as we continued through the corridor. “I couldn’t help but overhear that you’re well-versed in Arthurian legend. Where are you from?”
    â€œTexas.”
    â€œAny brothers or sisters?”
    â€œNo, sir.” I felt like I was being interrogated.
    â€œForgive me for the questions. It’s just that I know so little about you. I’ve had a very involved hand in choosing the others here, but Merlin alone has championed you, and quite enthusiastically, at that.”
    Championed me.
I stared straight ahead as we continued walking, unable to meet his gaze.
    â€œWhat do your parents do?”
    â€œMy mom is a waitress. My father . . . is dead.”
    It had been a while since I had had to say that out loud. I think Pellinore noticed, because his eyes softened. Then he turned to everyone.
    â€œThere are no secrets within these walls,” he said, holding out his arms. “The creatures living in the shadows of our universe are very real.
Magic,
however, and some of the other things you may have heard in the legends surrounding Merlin and I, are not.” He stood taller than ever, as if to prove that he was still worthy of our respect.
    â€œBut Merlin’s a wizard,” I blurted. How could there be no such thing as magic when the greatest wizard of all time was standing three feet away from me?
    â€œThe knights of the Round Table were feared and respected in their day, as was I,” Merlin explained as we all continued walking. “But much of our prowess began with creating our own legends. Arthur was particularly creative in that regard—”
    â€œThe best,” Pellinore said to himself fondly.
    â€œDon’t misunderstand us, knights,” Pelinore added. “Not all of the legends are total myths. We
did
fight hard and often, against many worthy foes. We won many battles, went on many real quests. Arthur and I tracked down the Holy Grail, and the holy water I drank from that cup resulted in my very real immortality. But our greatest weapon was the fear our opponents carried before we ever set foot onto a battlefield.”
    Merlin stopped and looked me in the eye. “We’ll need more than bloated myths to defeat what’s coming. We may not have genuine magic, but think about it, Benjamin—the magic of today is our technology. And
that
will be our weapon.”
    I glanced at the other kids. They were entranced, although Malcolm had a cold look in his eyes. I don’t think he enjoyed Merlin speaking directly to me.
    â€œOkay,” I offered softly, even though the closest I’d come to modern technology in my life was my desktop computer at home, an ancient piece of junk that Dad bought for me secondhand. I glanced past Merlin and noticed a door up ahead. Wherever we’d been headed, we’d arrived.
    Pellinore straightened his suit jacket and held a hand forward. “Now that we’ve settled that, let’s proceed. There’s much to do, knights.
Much
to do.”

8
    134:28:11
    I FOUND MYSELF strapped into a strange metal chair that looked like something you’d find at a dentist’s office on Mars. The other four knights were seated in identical ones, all of us lined up in a row.
    Sourpuss was here, overseeing a group of techs as they checked our restraints, while Merlin and Pellinore stayed behind her, watching silently. The room was far taller than it was wide, shaped like an elevator shaft. Even though the metal of the chair itself was cold against my skin, the air in here was warmer than in the atrium; I could feel a light sheen of perspiration on my forehead.
    â€œThese are two necessary stress tests,” Sourpuss explained, all business. “We’re looking for medical anomalies that we might have missed earlier.”
    â€œWhat’s that mean? Medical anomalies?” I