sputtered, snorted twice, and began snoring.
Eli. The little old man's magic had kept Grandfather's door shut for two years. And he had knownGrandfather. He might even know how Henry had come into Kansas or which cupboard he'd come through. If Henrietta hadn't chased him away through FitzFaeren, Henry might already know all the answers. He wouldn't be blind in an attic with less than two weeks before he lost his chance to find out who he really was and where he was from.
He shouldn't explore the cupboards. He should look for Eli in FitzFaeren. And he should read Grandfather's journal before he did. Someone should read it to him.
Henry stood up and felt for his doors. When he'd found them, he stepped out into the attic.
“Richard!” he yelled, and while he waited for an answer, he lifted his hand up and watched. Dandelion soul floated through space.
Henrietta slouched on the floor beside the muted television as it worked its way through commercials. Her mother stood behind the couch, wearing yellow rubber gloves still wet from the sink. Her father was sitting in the middle of the couch, separating Richard and Anastasia, and Penny was also on the floor. She was reading. She was always reading.
“I think I should take some food up,” Dotty said. “He needs to eat. Someone should be sitting with him. He shouldn't be alone.”
“I'll sit with him,” Richard said.
Frank slapped a hand on Richard's knee. He was wearing tight pink sweatpants, castoffs from Anastasia.
“Stay here for now,” Frank said. He tipped his head back and looked at his wife behind him. “Dots, we spent the whole day touchin' him and breathin' on him while people he couldn't see stuck him for blood, ran him through tubes, had him pee in a cup, and prodded around his eyeballs. If he wants his space right now, I can't blame him. We can offer him some grub in a bit.”
“Do you think he's okay?” Dotty asked.
Frank looked back down. “No,” he said. “I don't. He'll need to see other doctors, and keep seeing other doctors until one finally says that he's not nuts and that it's just that there's a little beetle that's hatched in his head, and it's put its foot in just the wrong spot. Henry's got a lot more prodding ahead of him. But it doesn't have to start till tomorrow.”
“Can that happen?” Anastasia asked. “A beetle inside your head?”
“No,” Dotty said. “It can't.”
Frank nodded. “It happens.”
“You'd have to inhale an egg or something,” Penelope said. “When it hatched, it'd just crawl the wrong way in your sinus cavity and get into your brain.” She put down her book. “Dad, I could go read to Henry. I wouldn't be crowding him.”
Frank shook his head.
“Frank, I'm really worried about him.” Dotty lifted a yellow hand to her forehead. “But there's not a beetle in his brain.”
“Something's in it,” Frank said. He reached back and found his wife's hand. “I'll check on him in a bit.”
“Richard!” Henry's voice found its way into the room.
Richard jumped up off the couch and looked at Frank. Frank smiled and nodded, and the skinny, pink-legged boy hopped over Henrietta and ran for the stairs. After a minute, when the television's sound was back on and her mother had left the room, Henrietta rolled onto her knees, crawled to the door, stood up, and walked quietly after him.
Henrietta didn't have to climb the attic stairs. She could hear perfectly well from the bottom.
“No,” Henry said. “We're not going for good. I just want to look around. Well, I want you to look around for me.”
“What if we see him tonight?” Richard asked. “Will we chase him like Henrietta did?”
“No. We won't chase him like Henrietta did. I just want to talk to him. And I don't think we'll see him, anyway.”
“Then why are we looking?”
“Listen, Richard. I want to find Eli. But I don't just want to rush off into a strange world. We need to check it out first, get a feel for the place, is it
Eli. The little old man's magic had kept Grandfather's door shut for two years. And he had knownGrandfather. He might even know how Henry had come into Kansas or which cupboard he'd come through. If Henrietta hadn't chased him away through FitzFaeren, Henry might already know all the answers. He wouldn't be blind in an attic with less than two weeks before he lost his chance to find out who he really was and where he was from.
He shouldn't explore the cupboards. He should look for Eli in FitzFaeren. And he should read Grandfather's journal before he did. Someone should read it to him.
Henry stood up and felt for his doors. When he'd found them, he stepped out into the attic.
“Richard!” he yelled, and while he waited for an answer, he lifted his hand up and watched. Dandelion soul floated through space.
Henrietta slouched on the floor beside the muted television as it worked its way through commercials. Her mother stood behind the couch, wearing yellow rubber gloves still wet from the sink. Her father was sitting in the middle of the couch, separating Richard and Anastasia, and Penny was also on the floor. She was reading. She was always reading.
“I think I should take some food up,” Dotty said. “He needs to eat. Someone should be sitting with him. He shouldn't be alone.”
“I'll sit with him,” Richard said.
Frank slapped a hand on Richard's knee. He was wearing tight pink sweatpants, castoffs from Anastasia.
“Stay here for now,” Frank said. He tipped his head back and looked at his wife behind him. “Dots, we spent the whole day touchin' him and breathin' on him while people he couldn't see stuck him for blood, ran him through tubes, had him pee in a cup, and prodded around his eyeballs. If he wants his space right now, I can't blame him. We can offer him some grub in a bit.”
“Do you think he's okay?” Dotty asked.
Frank looked back down. “No,” he said. “I don't. He'll need to see other doctors, and keep seeing other doctors until one finally says that he's not nuts and that it's just that there's a little beetle that's hatched in his head, and it's put its foot in just the wrong spot. Henry's got a lot more prodding ahead of him. But it doesn't have to start till tomorrow.”
“Can that happen?” Anastasia asked. “A beetle inside your head?”
“No,” Dotty said. “It can't.”
Frank nodded. “It happens.”
“You'd have to inhale an egg or something,” Penelope said. “When it hatched, it'd just crawl the wrong way in your sinus cavity and get into your brain.” She put down her book. “Dad, I could go read to Henry. I wouldn't be crowding him.”
Frank shook his head.
“Frank, I'm really worried about him.” Dotty lifted a yellow hand to her forehead. “But there's not a beetle in his brain.”
“Something's in it,” Frank said. He reached back and found his wife's hand. “I'll check on him in a bit.”
“Richard!” Henry's voice found its way into the room.
Richard jumped up off the couch and looked at Frank. Frank smiled and nodded, and the skinny, pink-legged boy hopped over Henrietta and ran for the stairs. After a minute, when the television's sound was back on and her mother had left the room, Henrietta rolled onto her knees, crawled to the door, stood up, and walked quietly after him.
Henrietta didn't have to climb the attic stairs. She could hear perfectly well from the bottom.
“No,” Henry said. “We're not going for good. I just want to look around. Well, I want you to look around for me.”
“What if we see him tonight?” Richard asked. “Will we chase him like Henrietta did?”
“No. We won't chase him like Henrietta did. I just want to talk to him. And I don't think we'll see him, anyway.”
“Then why are we looking?”
“Listen, Richard. I want to find Eli. But I don't just want to rush off into a strange world. We need to check it out first, get a feel for the place, is it
Similar Books
