The Trespassers by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Author:Zilpha Keatley Snyder [Snyder, Zilpha Keatley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Usenet, C429, Kat, Exratorrents
ISBN: 9781453271988
Publisher: Open Road
Published: 2012-10-23T01:51:00+00:00

Chapter 23

“COME WITH US?” NEELY stared at Curtis. “We’re going home.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll just walk with you a little way. Okay?”

“Well, it’s okay with me. Hadn’t you better ask your father?”

“Oh, he won’t notice. He never notices any—” Curtis was saying when suddenly his cocky grin faded. “Look out. Here it comes. Here comes that dog.” Grabbing Grub, he whirled him around and held him like a shield between himself and Lion, who was trotting toward them. Lion growled and broke into a run.

“Stop it. He thinks you’re hurting Grub,” Neely yelled. Jerking Curtis away, she stepped in front of him, spreading her arms. As Lion came to a bouncing, snarling stop Grub threw his arms around the dog’s thick neck.

“It’s okay, Lion,” he said. “Down, Lion. Down.”

It took a while for Grub to convince Lion that Curtis was okay and even longer to convince Curtis that it would be safe to have Lion walk with them. And even after they got under way the fuss went on, with Curtis still trying to get them to take Lion back and tie him up, and Lion still growling softly every time Curtis got too near Grub. They were, in fact, almost to the gate before Lion quit being the only subject of conversation.

But at last Neely was able to ask, “Did you say you were going to live here now, at Halcyon House?”

“Yeah, that’s what”—Curtis interrupted himself to put Neely between himself and Lion— “that’s what I said. My dad decided he wanted to come back here... Another pause while Curtis skittered away from Lion. “So here we are. I didn’t want to come.”

“Back here?” Neely asked. “Has he been here before?”

“Yeah, when he was a little kid.” He shrugged nervously, keeping his eyes on Lion. “He says the place was in a lot better shape then. I guess we’re going to have to fix it up a lot if we decide to stay here for a while.”

They had reached the fence by then and Neely, after a moment’s hesitation, led the way to the secret entrance. After all, it couldn’t matter now. They’d surely not be coming back again. Once outside, with no Lion to worry about, Curtis was easier to talk to.

“You said you didn’t want to come?” she asked.

Curtis shook his head. “Hell, no. I liked it where we were, and besides—”

He stopped as if he’d suddenly decided not to finish what he was saying.

Neely waited a minute before she said, “Yeah, well, that happens I guess. Like my friend Lisa. She had to move to Arizona because her dad got a new job. Is that why your dad came here? A new job, or something?”

“Yeah,” Curtis said. “He’s got a great job in Monterey. In a bank. He’s going to have an important job in the bank. Like the manager or president, or like that.”

Neely nodded. “Yeah, that’s the way it goes. Like with Lisa. But I’ll bet you’ll like it here once you get used to it.

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