STORY SO FAR: It’s 1972. Jamie, having joined a state trooper, races to Mansfield to search for Gillian. But it is growing dark, and they have yet to find her.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

What Happened in Mansfield

It was dark and getting late, and still they hadn’t found Gillian. Despite all his effort to keep his eyes open, Jamie could feel them beginning to close. At one point he did doze, but when he felt his head drop forward he jerked back. The trooper, noticing, flipped on a blower. A cool breeze blew into Jamie’s face and revived him.

Mansfield, Jamie kept telling himself. I’m sure she meant Mansfield. Even so, he began to doubt himself.

His head felt heavy, and he was no longer sure if he was awake or dreaming. He thought he saw Gillian again, and by her side was the man. Must be imagining it, he told himself. Then he snapped his head up.

“There!” he shouted, pointing down the road. The trooper slammed on his brakes, throwing Jamie forward against his seatbelt.

Sure enough, along the sidewalk, walking side by side and coming toward them, were Gillian and a man who was limping. With one hand he carried a bundle. The other hand was on Gillian’s shoulder. A stick was under his arm.

The squeal of the trooper’s car coming to a halt caused the man to look up and stop short, eyes big. His hand lifted from Gillian’s shoulder. In that instant she sprang away. The man made a grab at her, but she had moved too quickly and was running toward the lights.

With a yank, Jamie pulled back the door handle and jumped out. “Gillian!” he shouted. “Here!”

The trooper sprang out from his side just as quickly, pistol drawn. He aimed it at Goddard. “Don’t move!” he cried. “Police orders!”

Surrounded by the light, Goddard stood motionless. The money bag was clutched to his chest.

The trooper edged forward. Goddard remained motionless, peering into the headlights. Standing, staring at him, mere shadows in the brightness, were the trooper, Gillian, and a boy. Goddard recognized Jamie. He’s the one who saw me, he told himself.

With a grunt, he pulled open the satchel and flipped it over. The money poured out and lay at his feet. He was still staring at the heap of bills when the trooper gripped his arm.

Jamie gazed at Goddard. He looked sad. As if he were lost. Defeated. Jamie almost felt sorry for him. Then he remembered how he had stood over Gillian, threatening her with that stick.

Jamie was still staring and taking everything in when he felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Gillian.

“Thanks,” she said, “for being such a good reader.”

It was two days later. The clouds were piling up overhead. Jamie, head thrown back, arms extended, began to see what he was looking for. “Okay, now pretend you’re flying!”

Standing right next to Jamie, Gillian mimicked his gestures and stared up at the clouds.

“The good knight is rushing forward,” cried Jamie. “His lance is down. The evil knight is holding his ground. Don’t you see them?”

“Nope. I see somethingsomething different,” she shouted back.

“What?”

“Letters. Look, there’s a fantastic M . . . two O’s and an N.“

“Where?”

“Right there, sky reader. In those clouds.”

“What do they spell?”

“Moon.”

“Is there an arrow pointing to it?”

“You bet.”

“Let’s go for it!” cried Jamie.

“You mean, go to Cloudcuckooland?”

“Where’s that?”

“Straight up!”

Laughing, Jamie held out his hand. Laughing with him, Gillian took it.

Newspaper shall publish the following credit line in each installment of the work:

Text copyright 2004 by Avi

Illustrations copyright 2004 by Joan Sandin

Reprinted by permission of Breakfast Serials, Inc.

www.breakfastserials.com

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