Hunt Across Worlds by Sherwood Smith

Author:Sherwood Smith [Smith, Sherwood]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781611380521
Publisher: Book View Cafe
Published: 2011-04-22T07:00:00+00:00

Ten: The Chapter of Spies

“Wait here for the count of fifty,” Frederic said to Deirdre when they reached his block. “And when you do come, make sure it’s on this side of my house, not the other side. That neighbor is so nosy I’m surprised the CIA hasn’t hired her. I’m sure she knows what color socks Khrushchev is wearing today.”

“Isn’t it Brezhnev in charge of the Soviet Union now?”

Frederic shrugged his shoulders. “Ask my next door neighbor. She probably knew before the Russians did when those guys did their power switcheroo.” As Deirdre snickered, he went on, “Anyway, if she sees a girl near my house, she’ll burn out the phone wires for the entire city of Chicago within seconds. My mom,” he added in an embarrassed mumble, “would be even worse.”

“Okay,” Deirdre said.

He sauntered down the sidewalk and let himself into his house. His mother was at her usual place in front of the TV, syrupy music for one of her soap operas playing loud. Good. That meant she hadn’t discovered Arthur.

Frederic found Arthur still in his tiny bedroom, lying on the bed in his own summer clothes, which were huge on the other boy. The breakfast Frederic had fixed and set inside the door had been eaten, and the dishes were neatly stacked on the old wooden floor.

Arthur smiled, looking a little less dead than the day before, Frederic was glad to see as he moved to old window and wrestled it open a few inches.

Deirdre was just scrambling up the trellis. Frederic gave a heave, the window’s warped wood gave a screech. Deirdre scrambled in and fell to the floor with a muffled ‘Oof!’ She held her breath, looking in fear at Frederic.

He tiptoed to his door and cracked it. From the direction of his mother’s favorite room came a woman’s voice squawking cheerfully about hands soaking in dish soap. Commercial.

He shut the door. “We’re okay.”

Arthur leaned on an elbow. Since the tiny room only had a battered old dresser and the bed as furniture, Deirdre sat down on a braided rug. Frederic’s rooms were small and the walls a weird non-color much like her apartment, but he kept the floor swept and things fairly neat.

“I thought you were kidding about the neighbor.” Deirdre pointed in the direction of the other house. “But when I snuck up to your house, I heard her at a front window yelling at a couple of kindergartners on their trikes, telling them they were making too much noise singing Car 54 Where ARRRRE You? When they started riding away, she started questioning one of them about why her dad got home so late last night, and where was he, and other stuff.” Deirdre rolled her eyes. “I made sure she didn’t see me.”

“Good,” Frederic said, with feeling. “Now. Arthur, how can we get you to that gate thingio? Where is it?”

Arthur said, “I have been pondering that question. I am very afraid we cannot get safely to the World Gate here.

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