Jennifer Scales and the Messenger of Light by MaryJanice Davidson; Anthony Alongi

Author:MaryJanice Davidson; Anthony Alongi
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: & Magic, Social Issues, Magic, Mythical, Family, Science Fiction, Social Issues - Adolescence, Juvenile Fiction, Family life, Fantasy & Magic, Dragons, Fiction, Fantasy, Metamorphosis, Adolescence, Girls & Women, Animals, General, Contemporary
ISBN: 9780425210116
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2006-06-06T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Suspicions

Page 92

“I’d be happy to take you over to the site,” Jonathan assured them the next day. He was doing weekend gardening, snipping the brown stalks of several plants—“winterizing,” he called it, though Jennifer didn’t see the point of “winterizing” plants that looked dead this time of year. “How does next Thursday work for you?”

Skip bent over to pick up the dead plants from Jonathan’s hand and stuff them in the plastic bag Jennifer was holding open. “Thanks, Mr. Scales. My family feels pretty strongly about math, and I’d like to ace this paper. I don’t want to disappoint them, or Mr. Slider.”

Jonathan spoke carefully. “I noticed mathematics is pretty important to your family, and…others like you.”

“Yeah. Spatial relationships, quick measurement—it’s in our blood, you might say.”

Jennifer stared off into the bare branches of oaks and maples, torn between boredom and tension. Why was her father picking at Skip’s spider family? And did Skip really just use the term spatial relationships?

“My daughter tells me she’s learning about logic in Mr. Slider’s geometry class. I have to admit, I’ve tried to apply some logic to what Evangelos is doing, and who he really is. I could use another brain on the case, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure. Where do we start?”

“Well.” Jonathan gave Jennifer a quick glance, long enough for her to see his concentrated effort to draw information out of Skip. “Evangelos hasn’t been here forever. I’m guessing he showed up a few weeks, maybe a month or two, before Jack Alder died.”

“Okay.”

“We could look at the most recent arrivals in Winoka—see who’s been here only a month or so, and maybe pare down the list of suspects.”

“But wasn’t that—” Jennifer stopped herself before she added, “what the beaststalkers were doing at the trial we stopped?” “Wasn’t that what we figured Evangelos was afraid of? Winoka, and all the beaststalkers around here? Why would he be living in this town?”

“I think we need to separate the beast from the person,” Jonathan suggested. “In proper disguise Evangelos would have little to fear from anyone. He could walk anywhere, talk with anyone. In fact, it’s probably how he’s getting acclimated to being around the rest of us. It’s just in his other form that he’d be more cautious.”

“But how could someone so hell-bent on hurting you manage a calm disguise of some guy just living in Winoka? Wouldn’t he just go nuts if he saw you on the street?”

Jonathan shrugged. “I’ve been pretty careful not to spend much time out in the open. I pretty much stick to home, the work site by the hospital, and the cabin. Besides, history is full of people who manage to lead seemingly normal lives—but aren’t normal at all.”

“You mean, like, leading a double life?” Skip’s voice was soft, but the words still sounded hard.

“If you’re suggesting that Jennifer and I might already know something about leading a double life, then Page 93

you’re right, Skip. What Evangelos does isn’t much different in character from what we weredragons do, or werachnids—what you will do someday yourself.

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