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reassuringly. He wanted nothing so much as to run from that room as quickly as he could, but first he
needed to know what he was up against.  Just tell me what happened, he said, trying to sound calm.
Elizabeth sniffed back her tears and sobs and faced him.  The watch told Michel about you, just as I
was afraid they would. They came up to us just after dinner to make their report and happened to
mention it to him. They remembered it because they saw me standing there, and one of them asked if I
still had the dog. He mentioned the odd clothes you were wearing and the way your paws didn t quite
look like paws. He described you. Michel got this funny look on his face and started asking me
questions. He asked me where I found you, and I... Well, I couldn t lie to him, Abernathy, I couldn t! He
has this way of looking at you, kind of mean, like he can see everything...
She broke into sobs again, and Abernathy quickly hugged her against him, holding her until the tears
began to subside.  Go on, he urged.
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 Well, I told him I found you near the art room. I didn t tell him you were in it or anything, but it didn t
matter. He went right to the art room, telling me to stay where I was, and when he came back he was
furious! He wanted to know what had happened to his bottle. I said I didn t know. He wanted to know
what had happened to you. I said I didn t know that, either. I started crying, telling him I just wanted
someone to play dress-up with and that when I found you, you were wandering about in these old
clothes, so I just put you on a leash and took you for a walk, and... Then he wanted to know if you said
anything to me! He seemed to know you could talk, Abernathy!
Abernathy felt as if the walls were closing in on him.  Hurry up, Elizabeth, he urged.  Tell me the rest as
quick as you can!
She took a deep, steadying breath.  Well, as I told you, I couldn t lie not completely, not to him. So I
said,  Yeah, he did!  as if I was real surprised he knew. I said that was why I sent you away, because I
was afraid of you. I just turned you loose and you ran off. I said I hadn t seen you since. I said I hadn t
said anything to anyone because I was afraid they wouldn t believe me. I said I was waiting to tell my
father when he came back Wednesday. She took hold of him with her hands.  He believed me, I think.
He just told me to go to my room and wait there for him. He ordered the watch to start a search. But he
was yelling at them like he was crazy, Abernathy! You have to get out of here!
Abernathy nodded wearily.  How do I do that, Elizabeth?
The little girl s hands tightened on his arms.  Just the way I said you would except that you have to go
down to the laundry room right now!
 Elizabeth, you just said they were searching for me!
 No, no, Abernathy listen! Her roundish face bent close, brow furrowed with determination. Her
nose freckles seemed to dance.  They ve already searched the laundry room. That s where they started.
I told them that was where I let you go. So no one s there anymore. They re looking around everywhere
else. The laundry room is down the hall, around the corner to the right, on the ground floor not far. If
you go out the window... listen to me... if you go out the window and down the vines, you can slip
around the corner and through the window!
 Elizabeth, I can t climb down...
 The catch is off, Abernathy! I took it off over the weekend when I was playing hide-and-seek with
Mrs. Alien! You can slip right through the window into one of the hampers and wait! If not, just wait in
the bushes; I ll come down and open it as soon as I can! Oh, I m so sorry, Abernathy! This is all my
fault! But you have to go! You have to hurry! If they find you here, they ll know I lied, that I helped
you...
There was the sound of voices and footsteps in the hall beyond, rapidly approaching.
 Abernathy! Elizabeth whispered fearfully.
Abernathy was already moving for the windows. He released the catch, pushed open the twin
latticework frames, and peered down. It was dark, but he could just make out a thick tangle of trailing
vines. They appeared strong enough to hold him.
He turned back to Elizabeth.  Good-bye, Elizabeth, he whispered.  Thank you for your help.
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 It s the fifth window around the corner! she whispered back. Then she put her hands to her mouth in
horror.  Abernathy, I haven t given you the money for the airplane ticket!
 Never mind that, he said, already swinging carefully out the window, testing his weight on the vines.
His fingered paws gripped poorly. He would be lucky if he didn t break his neck.
 No, you have to have the money! she insisted, practically beside herself.  I know! Meet me tomorrow
at noon at the school Franklin Elementary! I ll have it then!
There was a knock at the door.  Elizabeth? Open the door.
Abernathy recognized the voice immediately.  Good-bye, Elizabeth! he whispered again.
 Good-bye! she whispered back.
The latticework windows swung silently shut above him, and he was left hanging in the dark.
It seemed to Abernathy that it took him an impossible amount of time to get down. He was terrified of
being caught out there, but he was equally terrified of falling. He compromised his fears by making his
way at something of a snail s pace, taking time to find each handgrip and foothold as he inched
downward through the vines, pressed as close as he could get to the stone block. Lights had come on in
the courtyard below, electric lamps he had read about them and the darkness was no longer quite so
concealing. He felt like a fly waiting for the swat that would end its purposeless life.
But the swat didn t come, and he finally felt the reassuring firmness of the ground touch his feet. He
crouched down instantly, eyes sweeping the yard, searching for movement. There was none. Quickly, he
made his way along the wall, staying close against its dark shadow, out of the illumination of the lamps. A
door opened from somewhere behind, and he heard voices. He scurried along faster, reaching the bend
in the wall that would take him to the promised laundry window. It was darker here, the wall turning back
into a deep, shadowed alcove. He slipped along silently, counting windows as he went. The fifth window,
Elizabeth had said. One, two... [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]