didn’t give him any reason to think it might be her. She had never called him. In fact, she had never even acknowledged his existence on this planet. Or any other planet.
“Anyway, as you know, I like to get it by that all-important second ring. So she doesn’t have to wait. I slid the rest of the way downstairs on the banister. I cut off a lot of time right there. You should have seen me. I was really cooking.”
“Is that when it happened?”
“No, not yet. I was looking good. I ran wide open down that short hall to the kitchen, rounded the turn, and then my mother opened the pantry closet door. I hit it face-first, full blast.”
“How much damage did you do?”
“It knocked me out cold for two hours and left an imprint of my face in the door. Forever. It’s worked out okay, though. My mom’s going to have it framed and use it as a portrait. Save some money.”
“That’s really tough. I mean about your nose. Maybe camping will take your mind off it.”
Several busloads of campers had been steadily arriving. Each camper was assigned a cabin, a camp team, and a counselor.
Dunc read their names off a list on the bulletin board. “We are the Blue Jays, in cabin seven. I’m bunk eighty-eight, and you’re eighty-nine.”
“At least they put us together,” Amos said. “I don’t know if I could handle all this fresh air with strangers.”
They lugged their suitcases and sleeping bags across the exercise yard to cabin seven. Inside the cabin were two rows of metal army cots, a door marked OFFICE , and another marked LATRINE .
“It’s not home, but it’ll do.” Amos yawned. “I’m beat.” He stretched out on his cot.
A piercing whistle filled the cabin.
Amos flipped out of the cot and landed facedown on the cold cement.
“Camper eighty-nine. No lying on the cots except during a designated sleeping time. That will be one demerit
.”
Amos shook himself, tried to straighten his nose, and looked up. A mountain, posing as a man, was walking toward him, holding a silver whistle and carrying a clipboard.
“Camper eight-nine, you obviously have not read the Gitchee Goomee Campers Handbook. It lists all the camp regulations and the punishment for each infraction. See to it that you read it immediately.”
Amos dragged himself up off the floor.
The mountain folded his arms and glared. “I am Counselor Adolf. I am assigned to this cabin. You are answerable to me for each infraction of camp rules.” He turned and marched back to his office.
“Is that guy for real?” Amos whispered. “Did you see the size of his arm? He makes the Terminator look like a sissy.”
Dunc watched Adolf until he was out of sight, then shook his head. “He probably eats cats. Kittens.” Dunc looked at his watch. “I think we’d better get over to the dining hall before we miss dinner.”
“Duncan.”
Dunc knew Amos was serious when he used his full name instead of his nickname.
“Did you know about this? Did you know we’d get demerits for breathing and have a storm trooper for a counselor?”
“You always get way too excited over things, Amos. He’s probably a real nice guy—once you get to know him.”
“I don’t want to get to know him. I’d rather get to know a grizzly bear. Are you holding anything else back from me?”
“Nothing comes to mind, Amos.” Dunc looked out the window. “I did tell you it was strict here, remember?”
“Strict is one thing. Prison camp is another.”
“Things will look up after you eat,” Dunc said. “By the way, did I tell you that we eat at the same time the girls do?”
He knew it would work.
Amos smoothed down his hair and headed for the door. “Well, come on. What are you waiting for?”
• 3
Amos was excited. “I think I see her. At least, I think it’s her. See the one with her back to us in the third row from the left?”
Dunc started to answer when a man at the head table stood up and blew his whistle.
“These guys have a thing about
“Anyway, as you know, I like to get it by that all-important second ring. So she doesn’t have to wait. I slid the rest of the way downstairs on the banister. I cut off a lot of time right there. You should have seen me. I was really cooking.”
“Is that when it happened?”
“No, not yet. I was looking good. I ran wide open down that short hall to the kitchen, rounded the turn, and then my mother opened the pantry closet door. I hit it face-first, full blast.”
“How much damage did you do?”
“It knocked me out cold for two hours and left an imprint of my face in the door. Forever. It’s worked out okay, though. My mom’s going to have it framed and use it as a portrait. Save some money.”
“That’s really tough. I mean about your nose. Maybe camping will take your mind off it.”
Several busloads of campers had been steadily arriving. Each camper was assigned a cabin, a camp team, and a counselor.
Dunc read their names off a list on the bulletin board. “We are the Blue Jays, in cabin seven. I’m bunk eighty-eight, and you’re eighty-nine.”
“At least they put us together,” Amos said. “I don’t know if I could handle all this fresh air with strangers.”
They lugged their suitcases and sleeping bags across the exercise yard to cabin seven. Inside the cabin were two rows of metal army cots, a door marked OFFICE , and another marked LATRINE .
“It’s not home, but it’ll do.” Amos yawned. “I’m beat.” He stretched out on his cot.
A piercing whistle filled the cabin.
Amos flipped out of the cot and landed facedown on the cold cement.
“Camper eighty-nine. No lying on the cots except during a designated sleeping time. That will be one demerit
.”
Amos shook himself, tried to straighten his nose, and looked up. A mountain, posing as a man, was walking toward him, holding a silver whistle and carrying a clipboard.
“Camper eight-nine, you obviously have not read the Gitchee Goomee Campers Handbook. It lists all the camp regulations and the punishment for each infraction. See to it that you read it immediately.”
Amos dragged himself up off the floor.
The mountain folded his arms and glared. “I am Counselor Adolf. I am assigned to this cabin. You are answerable to me for each infraction of camp rules.” He turned and marched back to his office.
“Is that guy for real?” Amos whispered. “Did you see the size of his arm? He makes the Terminator look like a sissy.”
Dunc watched Adolf until he was out of sight, then shook his head. “He probably eats cats. Kittens.” Dunc looked at his watch. “I think we’d better get over to the dining hall before we miss dinner.”
“Duncan.”
Dunc knew Amos was serious when he used his full name instead of his nickname.
“Did you know about this? Did you know we’d get demerits for breathing and have a storm trooper for a counselor?”
“You always get way too excited over things, Amos. He’s probably a real nice guy—once you get to know him.”
“I don’t want to get to know him. I’d rather get to know a grizzly bear. Are you holding anything else back from me?”
“Nothing comes to mind, Amos.” Dunc looked out the window. “I did tell you it was strict here, remember?”
“Strict is one thing. Prison camp is another.”
“Things will look up after you eat,” Dunc said. “By the way, did I tell you that we eat at the same time the girls do?”
He knew it would work.
Amos smoothed down his hair and headed for the door. “Well, come on. What are you waiting for?”
• 3
Amos was excited. “I think I see her. At least, I think it’s her. See the one with her back to us in the third row from the left?”
Dunc started to answer when a man at the head table stood up and blew his whistle.
“These guys have a thing about
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