Edward Everywhere

By Les Blenkhorn

Edward Everywhere is the beautifully illustrated story of Edward McKinnon. When his uncle sails into the jaws of a massive hurricane, Edward is compelled to search for him.

Edward is a smart eleven-year-old living north of Miami. He cares about saving endangered animals and the planet, but he was taught by his father that logic and money rule the world.

When his bohemian uncle, Theo, arrives on his sailboat for a visit, their formerly strained relationship is turned around when Theo teaches Edward that life isn't always about logic, but about believing.

When Theo goes missing on his boat during a hurricane, Edward launches his father's modified golf cart from the roof of his house to search for Theo. The craft is drawn into a wormhole, beginning an adventure through time and space that has Edward traveling to the famous pirates' den Port Royal, Jamaica, meeting Captain Henry Morgan, and helping him defeat the Spanish Main.

Edward uses his intelligence, logic, and science to help himself out of many sticky situations, and he uses his newfound faith in himself to believe that anything is possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Les Blenkhorn
• Release date: Nov 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310461750

Les Blenkhorn

Les Blenkhorn is 56 years old native of Boston, Massachusetts. He has lived in Los Angeles since the age of 6. He has a degree in English literature from the University of Nevada at Reno. He is a self taught speaker of Spanish and has traveled extensively in Latin America. He is the author of two books, The Adventures of Tracker and Edward Everywhere which promote doing the right thing for kids and young adults. He works as a teamster in the movie and television industry in Los Angeles.

Book preview

Edward Everywhere

By Les Blenkhorn

Illustrated by David Filipe

Copyright 2013

Smashwords Edition

To Jill Telford,

The smartest woman I have ever known.

My thanks to my editors, Kyra Lennon and Colleen Wilson.

Formatted for ebook by Jacob Tullos.

Chapter 1—Edward

"Edward! ¡Eduardo! What is this in my house? ¿Qué es esto? ¡Caramba! Here you've got wires coming from your dad's golf cart battery and they're sticking into a jar of water. Oh, I know that can't be good. No, that can't be good at all."

Mom, I was just thinking I should move it to the garage.

Why do you think it would be any better out there instead of in here on my washing machine, Edward? What does it do? Carmen McKinnon asked him raising her eyebrows.

01electrolysis_3000x4229.gif

Edward gave a good natured sigh. His mom never understood his projects, not that he blamed her. He was fully aware he was a somewhat unconventional eleven-year-old. He was just grateful that she didn't ask too many questions when he started hooking up wires from one appliance to another in the name of science.

It makes hydrogen. See, Mom, when the electricity in the wire separates the hydrogen from the water by electrolysis, the balloon at the top of the beaker fills with the hydrogen gas. Hmmm, I don't want it to explode in the house. It shouldn't though, I don't think, Edward said, lifting the bubbling electrode out of the water for a closer look.

"¡Ay, Dios mío! Well then, why is it in here in the first place? Leave it be and get to the dinner table. Your father is waiting and the food is getting cold. Go! Before he gets mad."

There would have to be some source of ignition though, like a spark, so I'm not too worried, Edward reasoned, as if he hadn't heard his mother.

Give me that thing. Go! She nudged him toward the dinner table.

Hey, look at this, Eddie. Pork and onions, looks good, Robert McKinnon said, rubbing his hands together then scooping up servings from his place at the head of the dining room table. Give me your plate, here you go. This is the best, your mom's Cuban food. There's lots of extra with Teresa at summer camp.

Thanks, Dad. Yeah, that's plenty. Edward said, sitting down beside his father; his plate loaded with food.

Well, your sister will be home in a couple of weeks, his mother said, joining them.

Your mom says you're worried about something at school, Eddie.

Well, yeah. Some of the kids tease me. They say I'm too smart, since I'm eleven and in the seventh grade already.

I'm not too concerned with that, Edward's dad said, cutting a big piece of the pork on his plate.

You're not? Edward asked, his expressive blue eyes looking surprised.

I'll worry when they think you're too stupid, his father said, his mouth full of pork and onions. What kind of thing is that to say? How can a person be too smart? No, now I'm sure I'm not worried about you being too smart, hearing you say that. Hey honey, do we have anything but this store soda?

You didn't want me to get the expensive kind, Carmen replied.

What do you have brewing in your jar? he asked, turning back to his son.

It's hydrogen. It's the fuel of the future. Edward answered, enthusiastically.

That's an interesting theory, but don't be so sure about that. Edward's dad paused for a second to shovel more food into his mouth. I don't believe it. There's still a lot of oil in the ground. Big business has gotta finish shaking out our pockets for that first. It's all about the money. Sho'me the money.

Yeah, I know, but this could be a limitless source of cheap energy to help save the planet.

Save it from what? It's just fine. They're never going to give anything away, that's not the way things work, his dad insisted. Don't be silly, it's not logical. He looked to his wife seated across the table. Honey, the pork's a little dry.

It's not fine, Dad, the planet's dying. It's not ours to do with as we please. We're killing the rivers and the oceans. Animals are becoming extinct, and when they're gone we don't even notice the difference. Does anybody even miss the passenger pigeon, the thylacine, or the dodo bird? Edward's voice trailed off, and he stared at his plate.

Thy ... thylacine? What the heck is that? Robert MacKinnon asked.

It was an incredible marsupial wolf that lived in Tasmania and was hounded to extinction not very long ago. It's just not right, Edward answered, pushing his food around.

Who worries about stuff like that at your age?

Nobody ... but I do, Edward replied, looking up. You're right, it is just all about the money and human greed. His voice trailed off dejectedly, and he sighed. Brightening he added, If I had all the money in the world I'd change things. I could, I would.

Don't be so sure about that, his father said.

I'm sure he's going to blow up the house one of these days, Carmen said. He gets it from you, Robert. Crazy Irish blood. The meat's dry because Edward has the freezer set so cold for one of his projects. It took a day to thaw the pork out.

Crazy blood? That's you Cubans, Carmen. Your brother Theo is proof of that. He's not coming over here this time to take any more of my tools that I'll never see again. Probably pawned them all down in Miami. And that mess out in the garage, Eddie! Where's the rest of my golf cart, huh? I was supposed to play this weekend. What, are you sealing it up and giving me air conditioning? Well, that might not be so bad with this crazy humidity.

Edward shoved some onions into a pile on his plate; once his dad got started, no one knew when he would stop.

My brother might have to stay a while with this hurricane heading in, Edward's mother said. He can't go back out in his boat until it passes.

Where does he go every time, Carmen? I don't get it. Maybe he can stay in port a while and get a job. If he cut his long ringlets, got rid of some tattoos, and didn't look so much the part of an ethnic Don Juan ... phil ... phil ... philosopher, Edward's dad stammered out of frustration.

He needs Edward to help him fix some of the electronics on the boat, Carmen countered calmly, looking at her blue eyed son with his thick mop of chestnut hair.

His dad put his fork down. He can stay awhile at the harbor. The storm might not get here at all. Eddie can go down there in the morning and help Theo and that's that. He can spend the whole day there.

Do I have to go, Dad? Edward groaned.

You used to love your uncle, his mother reminded him. He was like a big brother to you.

"That was before he borrowed all the money I was saving for my science project that showed the importance of bio diversity, I never got it back.  And then I couldn't find my Nike cleats for the baseball team tryout, and I know I had them on his boat the last time he came. Do I have to?"

What did I just say? his dad asked. Do we have anything else to eat? Hey, look at me Eddie. Put the remote control for the garage door back in my car before you go.

* * *

Ugh, where did they put Theo's boat this time? Edward walked around the harbor filled with luxury yachts until he saw one that stood out like a sore thumb. There it is. He walked down a gang plank onto a floating dock and approached his uncle's boat.

That's all. Come back later for the docking fee. All you tell them. Whoop! Whoop! And I'm not down here, got it? That's all. Whoop ... whooooooop, whoop, whoop, whoop!

Huh? Edward stood beside the small shabby sailboat in a slip. Uncle Theo! Where's Theo? Is he on the boat?

Jerry, Jerry.

I know you're Jerry. Where's Theo? Edward paused, shaking his head. Why am I asking you? You're a bird! That's not logical. Uncle Theo! Edward called, looking at the gray parrot with the bright red tail sitting