Caught by Haddix Margaret Peterson

Author:Haddix, Margaret Peterson [Haddix, Margaret Peterson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Historical, Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure, Mystery
ISBN: 9781416989820
Amazon: 141698982X
Goodreads: 12861406
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2012-09-01T07:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-TWO

There was no time.

To the extent that Jonah had planned anything about how to deal with Mileva, he’d expected a long, careful conversation, inching toward getting the Elucidator back without giving away any more information. But now he had only a matter of seconds before Mileva’s father—and possibly a lot of other people too—would come bursting in the door.

“Papa!” Mileva screamed again.

Emily was struggling to get away, but Mileva’s grip was too tight. Katherine rushed to help, trying to peel Mileva’s fingers back to let Emily escape. Jonah thought about joining in.

Wouldn’t matter, he thought. We wouldn’t have time to get completely away, out of this room.

But he didn’t run away to hide. He stepped closer to Mileva.

“Please,” he said. “Don’t do this.”

Mileva didn’t even look at him. She was entirely focused on holding on to Emily. She had a wild look in her eyes; her hair stood out crazily; she had her teeth clenched in utter determination.

Well, isn’t that how my mom would look if she was afraid she might lose me and Katherine? he thought.

“Please,” he whispered again. “What do you care about the most? Making sure your dad sees Em—er, Lieserl? Or doing what’s best for your daughter?”

Mileva looked at him this time. And then she let go of Emily.

“Hide,” she said. “Quick. Crouch down by the other side of the bed. But—don’t go away.”

She picked up the lamp and hurried toward the door just as it opened wide, her father storming in.

“Mileva, what—”

“Bad dream,” Mileva said, looking convincingly dazed.

Jonah crouched down on the opposite side of the bed, safely away from the light. He huddled with Katherine and Emily, who seemed to be shaking with fear.

“Oh, Mileva, the bad dream is real,” her father moaned.

Jonah dared to raise his head to see past the tangled blanket, just to make sure that they weren’t coming back toward the bed. Mileva and her father still stood in the doorway, hugging each other.

“Nothing about her life went the way it was supposed to,” Mileva mumbled. She was acting as if she couldn’t even bear to say Lieserl’s name.

“But she was such a gift while we had her,” Mileva’s father said. “A gift we still want to honor—”

“I’m going back to bed,” Mileva said abruptly.

“I’ll send a servant girl in to sit with you,” her father said.

“No!” Mileva said, her tone sulky now. “I need to be alone! Please, just let me stay alone!”

Her father hesitated, clearly wanting his daughter to change her mind. But finally he murmured, “As you wish.”

Mileva eased her father out the door and gently shut it behind him. She stood at the door with her ear pressed against the wood for a few moments—probably listening to make sure he really did walk away. Then she brought the lamp back toward the bed and slumped against the pillows.

“Everyone thinks I have gone mad with grief,” she said. “They think my child is dead and I took her body out into the countryside to hide it. So—so that I could deny that she’s not still alive.

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