Figure in the Shadows, The by Bellairs John

Author:Bellairs, John [Bellairs, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Horror, Juvenile, Novel
Publisher: Unofficial e-book edition
Published: 1975-01-01T02:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

When he woke up the next morning, Lewis found his room filled with bright winter sunlight. The dark figure that had waited for him under the street lamp seemed like something he had read about or dreamed about. As he dressed, the pirate-movie feeling flowed back into him. He felt like a million dollars. Should he tell Rose Rita, after all? Lewis hesitated. Yes, maybe he ought to, just to get it off his chest. He could call her up before breakfast to catch her before she left the house. But when he got to the phone, Lewis's resolve melted. He stood there with the receiver in his hand while the operator said, "Number please? Number please?" and then he hung up. Oh well. He could talk to her at school.

Lewis saw Rose Rita several times that day at school. But each time, as he was working himself up to say something about the amulet, something tightened up inside him, and he wound up talking about the Notre Dame football team, or the galley they were building, or Miss Haggerty, or anything but the amulet. When he went home from school that day, Lewis still had not managed to tell Rose Rita what he wanted to tell her. But as he walked home in the winter dusk, Lewis saw that the street lights were on. He stopped. Beads of sweat were breaking out on his forehead. The horror of the figure under the lamp swept over him like an icy wave. Lewis pulled himself together. He clenched his teeth and doubled his fists. He was going to have to tell Rose Rita about the amulet, and he was going to tell her tonight.

That evening in the middle of dinner, Lewis laid down his fork, swallowed several times, and said in a dry husky voice, "Uncle Jonathan, can I invite Rose Rita over to stay tonight?"

Jonathan did a double take. "Hmph! Well, Lewis, this is rather short notice, but I'll see what I can do. I'll have to ask her mother's permission first."

After dinner, Jonathan phoned up Mrs. Pottinger, and got her permission for Rose Rita to spend the night over at the Barnavelts' house. Quite by accident, Jonathan discovered that Lewis had not yet asked Rose Rita if she wanted to come over. So he dragged Lewis to the phone and got him to make a formal invitation. Then everything was settled. Lewis and Jonathan went upstairs to one of the many spare bedrooms and made the bed, and laid out the guest towels. Lewis was excited. He was looking forward to a long evening of card games and stories and conversation. Maybe he could even get in a word about his amulet.

When Rose Rita got to Lewis's house, the dining room table was all laid out for poker. There were the blue and gold cards with CAPHARNAUM COUNTY MAGICIANS SOCIETY stamped on them; there were the foreign coins that Jonathan used as poker chips. On a plate with a bright purple border was a big pile of chocolate-chip cookies, and there was a pitcher of milk.

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