Bum was dirty with a long scraggly gray coat that looked as if it had been dug out of a garbage can. His face was unshaven, his cheeks stained with grease and dirt. His hair was the color of used motor oil. He could have been sixty, but maybe cleaned up he would have looked closer to forty. Although he was thin, his eyes were exceptionally bright and alert. He didn’t look drunk, just hungry.
Finished eating, he regarded them closely, searching Adam up and down.
“You’re the new kid in town,” he said finally. “I heard about you.”
“Really?” Adam said. “Who told you about me?”
“I don’t reveal my sources,” Bum replied, throwing the final crumbs from his sandwich to the birds that flocked around him as if he were Father Bird. Bum continued, “Your name’s Adam and you’re from Kansas City.”
“That’s right, sir,” Adam said.
Bum grinned wolfishly. “No one calls me sir anymore, kid. And to tell you the truth, I don’t care. I’m Bum—that’s my new name. Call me that.”
“Did you really used to be mayor?” Adam asked.
Bum stared out to sea. “Yes. But that was long ago, when I was young and cared about being a big shot.” He shook his head and added, “I was a lousy mayor.”
“I told him that,” Watch said.
Bum chuckled. “I’m sure you did. Now, Watch, what do you want? The secret to the Secret Path? How do I know you’re qualified to learn it?”
“What qualifications are necessary?” Watch asked.
Bum asked them to lean in closer. He spoke in a confidential tone. “You have to be fearless. If you walk the Secret Path and find the other towns, then fear is the one thing that can get you killed. But if you keep your head, think fast, you can survive the road. It’s the only way.”
Adam had to draw in a breath. “Have you taken the Secret Path?” he asked.
Bum laughed softly, mainly to himself. “Many times, kid. I’ve taken it left and I’ve taken it right. I’ve even taken it straight up, if you know what I mean.”
“I don’t,” Adam said honestly.
“The Secret Path doesn’t always lead to the same place,” Bum said. “It all depends on you. If you’re a little scared, you end up in a place that’s a little scary. If you’re terrified, the path is like a road to terror.”
“Cool,” Watch said.
“Cool?” Sally said sarcastically. “Who wants to be terrified? Come on, Adam*
let’s get out of here. Neither of us is qualified. We’re both cowards.”
“Speak for yourself,” Adam said, getting more interested. Bum had a powerful way of speaking—it was hard to doubt his words. “Can the path lead to wonderful places?” Adam asked.
“Oh yes,” Bum said. “But those are the hardest to reach. Only the best people get to them. Most just get stuck in twilight zone realms and are never heard from again.”
“That wouldn’t bother me,” Watch said. “I love that old show, The Twilight Zone. Please tell us the way.”
Bum studied each of them, and even though the smile left his mouth, it remained in his eyes. Adam liked him but wasn’t sure if he was a good man. The words of Ann Templeton, the supposed witch, came back to haunt him.
“There are a few grown-ups who know its real name. You’ll meet another onetoday. He’ll tell you things you might not want to listen to, but that will be up toyou. I give you this warning because you have done me a favor this day.”
“If I tell you the way,” Bum said, “you have to promise not to tell anyone else.”
“Wait a second!” Sally exclaimed. “I never said I wanted to know the secret.”
She put her hands over her ears. “This town is bad enough. I don’t want to fall into a worse one.”
Bum chuckled. “I know you, Sally. You’re more curious than the other two. I’ve watched you this past year. You go out looking for the Secret Path all the time.”
Sally pulled down her hands. “Never!”
“I’ve seen you searching for it,” Watch said.
“Only to block it up so that no one else could find it,” she said quickly.
“The Secret Path cannot be blocked up,” Bum said, and now he sounded serious.
“It’s ancient. It existed before this town was built, and it will continue to exist after this town has turned to dust. No one walks it and remains the same. If you choose to take it, you must know there is no going back. The path is dangerous, but if your heart remains strong, the rewards can be great.”
“Could we find some treasure?” Adam asked, getting more excited. Bum stared him right in the eye.
“You might find wealth beyond your imagination,” Bum said.
Sally brightened. “I could use a few bucks.”
Bum threw his head back and laughed. “You three are a team, I see that already.
All right, I’ll tell you the secret. After you promise to keep it secret.”
“We promise,” they said together.
