Part 7

Everyone squeezed into the back of Mr. Gate's car. Etta was stretched out over Erica and Katie's laps with Abby had curled up with Riley next to the door.

"You could sit on the floor." Erica said to Etta.

"No room. I'm not moving."

"Your dad's got a sweet ride." Riley mumbled and Abby nodded in agreement, burying her face in his neck.

"She's still sitting on me." Erica pointed out.

"I think we should change clothes. We look kind of conspicuous, don't you think?" Ben asked.

"I'd like to go shopping too, but we have no money." Riley said.

"I think I have a nickel in my pocket, but I'm too tired to get it." Abby said.

"Stop talking, it tickles." Riley mumbled.

"Too tired to speak." Abby responded.

"Here, I took this from his house. He usually tucks a few hundred dollars between the pages."

"Common Sense. How appropriate." Abigail said.

"When are we going to get there? I'm hungry. This car smells weird." Riley groaned.

"Seriously get off." Erica said.

"Erica!"


Katie and Erica were asleep in the car while Etta, Abby, and Riley were outside the Franklin Institute, working out the clue.

"I don't get it."

"That's why we're still sitting here."

"Abby, conference… over here." Etta said.

"Yeah?" she asked, heading after her down the sidewalk.

"This thing with you and Riley. I feel the need to remind you… he's a movie character!"

"Shhh. I know, I know." She glanced back at him. "But what's the big deal?"

"I think it's obvious. You're involved with a person that doesn't exist!"

"Etta…" she sighed. "If you were in the same position, I wouldn't be on your case."

"Erica would… Zitta and all that."

"I know. And when she's all crazy about that, I'm on your side. Why can't you just let it go? Please?"

"Whatever. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Got it."

They came back over just as the kid came running across the street.

"Whatcha got?" Etta asked.

"S-S-A-N-D." He read as Riley wrote them down. "No 'N.'"

"That is an 'N.'"

"Doesn't look like an 'N.'"

"He's got a point." Abby said, only to get greeted with a glare.

"Ok, here. One more dollar. Got get the last four letters. Go get 'em, chief."

"What do we have?"

"'The vision to see the treasured past comes as the timely shadow crosses in front of the house of Pass and…' Pass and what?" he looked up across the street. "Pass and Stow!" he cried triumphantly.

"Who?" Etta asked.

"Pass and Stow where the- well c'mon, Ben'll tell you."

"But I thought of it!" Riley whined.

"C'mon Riley. You'll get all the glory." Abby said, grabbing his hand.


"Hey Ben! We got it!" Abby said.

"Yeah. And it's awesome." Erica said, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Hit it Riley." Etta prompted.

"The clue was: 'The vision to see the treasured past comes as the timely shadow crosses in front of the house of Pass and Stow.' Now Pass and Stow, referring to-"

"The Liberty Bell." Abigail picked up.

"Why do you have to do that?" He grumbled.

"I think 'The vision to see the treasured past' must refer to a way to read the map." Katie said.

"I thought the cipher was the map." Riley said.

"No, the cipher was the way to find the way to read the map." Ben explained.

"The way to read the map comes as the timely shadow passes in front of the Liberty Bell." Abigail continued.

"Crosses in front of the house of the Liberty Bell. Independence Hall." Ben added.

"Timely shadow. It must be a specific time." Abby said.

"What time?" Erica, Etta, Katie, and Riley asked.

"What time?" Ben repeated. Suddenly his eyes lit up. "You're going to love this. Excuse me, can I see one of those hundred dollar bills I paid you with?" He asked the cashier.

"No."

"Well, I have this diver's watch, it's called a submariner. I dive with it. It's actually quite valuable. You could use it as collateral."

"Whatever." She said taking the watch.

"On the back of a hundred dollar bill is an etching of Independence Hall, based on a painting done in the 1780's…."

"Hello?" The woman handed him the bill.

"Thank you." he took the bill. "And the artist was actually a friend of Benjamin Franklin. It's wonderful. Hold this." He suddenly hesitated.

"I'm not going anywhere." She grinned.

"If we look through this, we might be able to see the specific time." He said peering through his water bottle.

"What do you see?" Abigail asked.

"2:22." Ben read.

"What time is it now?" Erica asked.

"Almost 3." The cashier answered.

"We missed it." Katie groaned.

"No we didn't. We didn't miss it because…" Riley paused. "Wait you don't know this? I know something about history you don't know."

"Wonderful." Etta said.

"I'd be very excited to learn about it Riley."

"Hold on one second. Let me just… Just take in this moment. This is cool." Riley mused. "Is this how you feel all the time, except for now, of course…"

"Riley!" Abigail urged.

"Alright. What I know is that daylight savings time wasn't established until World War 1. So if it's 3 PM now, in 1776-"

"-it would be 2 PM." Abby finished smiling up as him in awe.

"Riley you're a genius."

"Let's go."

"Do you know who the first person to suggest Daylight Savings time was?" Riley asked.

"Benjamin Franklin." Everyone, even Erica, replied.

Riley stomped angrily.


A few minutes later, the group was stealthily ditching the tour.

"What's this?" Riley asked as they entered the tower.

"Centennial Bell. Replaced the Liberty Bell in 1876." Ben answered. They looked out at the shadow.

"There it is." Abigail said, motioning to the shadow.

"Alright. I'll go down, and you six meet me in the signing room." Ben said, taking off.

"3:22. My idea." Riley said.

"Riley?"

"Coming."


"What'd you score?" Riley asked Ben as he entered the signing room.

"It's some kind of ocular device." Ben held up the glasses. "The vision to see the treasured past? Let me take this." He took the document case as Riley took the glasses.

"They're like… Early American x-ray specs." Riley said quietly.

"Ooo… Getting all Matrix-ey on us." Erica said.

"Wow Erica." Etta groaned.

"I know."

"Benjamin Franklin invented something like these." Abigail said.

"Uh, I think he invented these."

"What do we do with them?" Riley asked.

"We look through them." Ben said.

"Help me." Abigail unrolled the Declaration. Ben sighed.

"What?" Riley asked.

"It's just that… the last time this was here, it was being signed." Ben said.

"Ben, there's another tour coming." Riley reminded him.

"Turn it over."

"What do you see?" Abigail asked.

"Is it a treasure map?" Riley asked.

"It says 'Heere at the Wall'. Spelled with 2 Es. Take a look." Riley reached for the glasses but Abigail grabbed them first.

"Why can't they say got to this place, here's the treasure, spend it wisely?" Riley asked, annoyed.

"Oh no." Ben muttered. Through the window, the group could see Ian poking around outside the building.

"How'd they find us?" Katie asked, nervously.

"Ian has nearly unlimited resources. And he's smart." Ben stated.

"I don't think we can get out of here without being spotted."

"Well we could but-"

"No Erica, we really can't."

"Well, we don't want them to have the Declaration or the glasses, but we especially don't want them to have them both together." Ben stated.

"So what do we do?" Riley asked.

"We separate the lock from the key. We're splitting up."

"Good idea." Abigail agreed.

"I'll take this and those." Ben took the empty case and glasses. "You take that. Meet me at the car and call me if there are any problems."

"Like if we get caught and killed?" Riley asked.

"Yeah. That'd be a big problem." He shouldered the case. "Ok. Watch out for her."

"I will." Everyone said at the same time. "Who were you talking about?

"Ok. We've got to stop doing that." Erica said.