“I’m not sure,” said Archer. “But it can’t be more than a month or two.”
“That’s a long time,” said Oliver.
“Especially with one change of clothes,” said Adélaïde.
“Well, it is the bottom of the world,” said Archer.
“What keeps the blood from rushing to our heads?” Oliver asked.
“Gravity,” said Archer. “There is no real top or bottom to the world. Someone drew it that way and everyone agreed to keep doing so.”
“Either way,” said Oliver. “It’s a long trip. I’ve never traveled anywhere for that long.”
“What do you think the captain will do when he finds out we’ve snuck aboard?” Adélaïde asked.
“We’ll have to hide out for a few days,” said Archer. “At least until we’re far enough away that they won’t turn back. Then we’ll make ourselves known and I’ll explain.”
“We’ll need to pack food for that,” said Adélaïde.
Oliver, who’d been looking a little uncertain, brightened after hearing that and dug into his sleeping bag. He pulled out a bag of marshmallows and three sticks and they toasted them in silence. Adélaïde poked the gooey end of her stick into the embers and twisted it slowly.
“What if your grandparents are frozen to the iceberg?” she asked.
Archer leaned back on his sleeping bag. He knew it was a possibility, but he didn’t like to think about it.
“I’ll chip them free and bring them home,” he said. “They deserve a proper burial.”
Adélaïde nodded, but continued twisting her stick in the embers.
“I think you should leave them,” she said. “You were right when you said their trunks didn’t belong in a hole in the wall. They’ve spent their entire lives traveling the world and they could continue doing so on their iceberg. I think they’d like that better than being stuck in the ground.”
Archer straightened and, though he wasn’t hungry, poked another marshmallow onto his stick.
“You’re right,” he said, putting his marshmallows into the flames.
The trio continued talking long into the night until eventually, they all fell asleep.
In the morning, all three of them woke a little chilled and a little damp, but only Archer woke up with a pigeon nesting on his face.
“Don’t move,” whispered Oliver, inching toward him with a stick.
Archer shooed the creature away—more afraid of Oliver’s stick than a pigeon. There were feathers in his hair and feathers on the pillow. He brushed them away while trying to figure out why the bird chose him. Oliver and Adélaïde were too busy laughing to offer any good suggestions.
“Didn’t you feel it?” Adélaïde asked.
“He’s a sound sleeper,” said Oliver.
After shaking away their morning stupor and the last of the feathers, Oliver went downstairs to get a kettle and a pot for oatmeal. Archer also went downstairs to make an appearance so his mother wouldn’t come looking for him. But in the kitchen, he kept his distance, afraid his mother would smell the smoke.
Adélaïde stayed on the roof staring at her house across the gardens. She didn’t think about ballet anymore and was surprised this didn’t bother her as much as she thought it would. But she was growing more uncomfortable with lying to Archer and Oliver. Only her father knew the truth—her father and Miss Whitewood. It had slipped out one afternoon.
“It was a bakery truck,” she said. “A bakery truck and a lamppost.”
“Did you really think I believed the crocodile story?” Miss Whitewood asked.
Adélaïde didn’t. “That’s why I wanted to say it,” she replied. “But everyone else believes it and I don’t want to lie anymore.”
“Do you think everyone believes it?”
Adélaïde didn’t know who believed it and who didn’t. But Archer and Oliver did and they were the ones she wanted to tell, but couldn’t. Not now at least.
When Archer and Oliver returned to the roof, they made a second fire and boiled the tea and oatmeal. It didn’t taste as good as when they made it in the house but they ate it all the same.
“I feel good after sleeping on a hard surface,” said Oliver.
Archer agreed. Adélaïde said she felt stiff. She stood up to stretch, and both Archer and Oliver were impressed at how well she did—standing on the tip of her wooden leg and sticking the other straight out. But then she lost her balance and fell back onto her sleeping bag.
“Where did you learn how to do that?” Archer asked.
“You almost looked like a ballerina,” said Oliver.
“Girls can stretch better than boys,” she said, searching her oatmeal for a raisin while Oliver watched her from the corner of his eye.
None of them wanted to leave, so they stayed together and talked and laughed and let the morning pass without a word about Antarctica or what was coming tomorrow. But as morning turned into early afternoon, and because tomorrow was the day of days, they eventually cleaned up and went their separate ways.
♦ QUIET ♦
Archer spent the rest of the day in his room. He took a bath to wash away the smoke, but afterward decided not to return downstairs. He stretched out on his bed wondering what tomorrow would bring. He wasn’t certain. But he was certain that if something went wrong, if they didn’t make it onto that ship, he would be in more trouble than he’d ever been in before. He was disobeying his parents, he had forged their signatures, he was running away from Willow Street, and he was boarding a ship to Antarctica. It was a lot. But it was worth it. He only wished they were more ready.
A paper airplane floated in through the window and landed next to him. Archer, now used to this form of communication, read the note without sitting up.
Archer,
My father smelled me and asked if the Glubs’ chimney was broken or if that’s what their house always smells like. I’ve packed the food. We’ll need a good breakfast. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I want to thank you for asking me to help. And I know you don’t think we’re ready, but we’re more ready than you think we are.
Adélaïde
Archer left his bed and sat down at his desk to write a letter back.
Adélaïde,
I was afraid my parents would smell the smoke too, but I don’t think I’ll go back downstairs. I sometimes think they can read my thoughts. I agree. We’ll be okay tomorrow, but if we don’t make it, there’s a good chance I’ll be locked away in a hole like the trunks or worse—probably worse. So I want to thank you now just in case.
Archer
Oliver stopped by Archer’s room later that evening and they both climbed to the rooftop.
“I’m going to miss this place,” Oliver said.
“I’m glad you’re coming,” said Archer. “Are you ready?”
“I’m not,” Oliver replied. “Though I’ll never be ready so it’s fine. But I hope you are.”
“I’m ready,” said Archer.
There was nothing else they could do except sit and wait, and that’s never an easy thing. When you’re busy with preparations, you don’t have time to second-guess yourself. But when you’re sitting quietly with the task still ahead of you, your mind begins to warn you of all the things that can go wrong. They were all correct to think they were underprepared. It was obvious they were. But Oliver and Adélaïde were right. They were more prepared than they thought they were, and they would never be fully prepared because that’s impossible. Still, when night fell on crooked, narrow Willow Street, Archer, Oliver, and Adélaïde all struggled to fall asleep. They had all slept much better when they were together around the fire.
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
♦ A SOUTHERN GALE ♦
The wind blew leaves from the trees and howled across the roofs as the sun rose over Willow Street. It was the morning of the escape. Archer, Oliver, and Adélaïde went about their separate businesses. Adélaïde left her bag by the door and stepped into the kitchen. She sco
oped a heap of dog food from a sack. Her father was rummaging through the cabinets.
“Have you seen my espresso cups and spoons, Adié?” he asked.
“I haven’t,” she replied, and poured the food into a bowl.
A dirty Fritz galloped in through the garden doors and plopped his face into that bowl. Adélaïde stared at her father, unsure what to say, but knowing she couldn’t leave without saying anything.
“I’ll be going away for a while,” she said as her father bent down to check beneath the sink. “But it shouldn’t be too long.”
“That’s nice,” said Mr. Belmont, straightening himself and pressing his hands to his back. “Where could they have gone?” he mumbled.
Across the gardens, Oliver was having a difficult time finishing his breakfast. He’d been up late the night before trying to figure out everything that could go wrong, but the list went on and on and his hand cramped and he fell asleep on his desk.
“You’ve barely eaten a thing,” said Mrs. Glub.
“Less to lose later,” said Oliver.
Mr. Glub poured himself a large cup of coffee and sat down. “Are you planning on losing it?” he asked.
“I don’t know what I’m planning on,” said Oliver.
Next door, Archer was having a much easier time finishing his breakfast. You’d never know it by looking at him, but he was bursting with excitement. He was finally about to do something great. Mr. Helmsley had left for work and his mother was seated across from him. He finished his breakfast, told her he’d be upstairs reading (while the rest of his class was at the museum), and grabbed the badger on his way up the stairs.
“Where are you taking me?” asked the badger.
“I need you to be me,” said Archer.
“I’d rather eat hot coals than be you,” said the ostrich when Archer came back for the fox.
Archer nodded. “We finally agree on something,” he replied.
Archer shut his bedroom door. Oliver was on the balcony. He stepped into the room. Archer pulled aside his bedsheets and placed the badger and the fox head to toe.
“What do you think your mother will do when she finds out?” Oliver asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “But we have to get to Rosewood Port before she does. We’ll have time.”
Archer scribbled two notes. One he gave to Oliver, who turned it into an airplane and sent it to Adélaïde. The other was a letter of explanation to his parents. He placed that letter in the badger’s paw before pulling the covers over its head.
Archer and Oliver climbed the ladder to the roof, took one final look into the gardens, and ducked into Oliver’s house. Archer waited just inside the front door for Oliver’s signal before slipping out of the house.
The wind whirled down the sidewalk. Adélaïde’s hair, which usually fell neatly across her forehead, was swirling with it, every which way at once. Oliver thought she looked like a madwoman, but he and Archer were glad to see her. The crocodile girl gave them confidence and a chocolate croissant each. They finished them before arriving at the Button Factory. Students were assembled on the front steps. Mrs. Murkley towered over them, keeping a watchful eye.
School trips are supposed to be exciting affairs, but the students’ expressions would make you think otherwise.
“I don’t think we’re going to the museum,” said Charlie H. Brimble. “She’s probably taking us to Rosewood Cliffs to hurl us into the ocean.”
“Let’s pretend to be sick,” said Molly S. Mellings.
“I don’t have to pretend,” said Alice P. Suggins.
♦ ACCORDING TO PLAN ♦
Archer, Oliver, and Adélaïde joined the miserable group and stood as far from Mrs. Murkley as they could. Archer opened his notebook to review the plan one last time.
The first step was to sneak away during their tour of the museum. Archer would go first, followed by Adélaïde, and Oliver would pull up the rear. They would meet next to Tappenkuse with their masks in place and, once they were all together, make for the back exit and Rosewood Park. After winding their way through the unruly park, they would follow the canal to Rosewood Port, where they would wait for the guard to leave his booth. Then they would locate Dock E7, where hopefully the research vessel would still be loading cargo. They would climb atop a pallet and wait to be loaded onto the ship. Once aboard, they would find a place to hide until the ship was too far out to sea to turn back. Adélaïde had packed enough food to last them three days. After that, they would make themselves known. Archer would ask to speak to the ship’s captain and would explain why they were there and what they came to do. And whether the captain liked it or not, they would be on their way to Antarctica. That was their plan.
Mrs. Murkley ordered the class into two lines and they followed her down the sidewalk, into Rosewood Park, and up the museum steps.
♦ THE GREAT HALL ♦
The students pushed through the museum doors and stared with eyes wide at the brilliant great hall. It was massive, with all manner of beasts and insects and ornate murals. Everyone began whispering. Archer was quiet. Mrs. Murkley approached the counter to get their tickets.
“I’ll need sixteen,” she said, but was handed thirty-two.
“And what’s this?” she huffed, eyeing the extras.
“We’re currently in a partnership with the Rosewood Zoo,” chirped the woman behind the counter. “Each week they bring a different species of animal into our special exhibit space and discuss the creatures. You will then be able to see displays about the animal’s evolution and historical significance elsewhere in the museum. Everyone will love it. All the classes have.”
“Very well,” said Mrs. Murkley, making it quite clear she wouldn’t love it. “And what’s this week’s creature? Newts?”
“Tigers!”
Mrs. Murkley glanced over her shoulder at Archer, Adélaïde, and Oliver, who were all too busy staring around the great hall to notice.
“Tigers,” she mumbled. “Perfect.”
With the tickets in hand, Mrs. Murkley barked and the students followed her down the corridor to the special exhibit space. Archer grabbed three maps from the counter and handed one to Oliver and one to Adélaïde.
“This is where Tappenkuse is,” he said, circling the spot on both their maps with a pen. He looked at Mrs. Murkley. She didn’t know where she was going. He nodded, pulled his bag tight, and gave his friends an uncertain smile.
“This is it,” he said. “I’ll see you on the other side.”
Archer dashed into the Hall of Reptiles and put on his badger mask. Mrs. Murkley didn’t see a thing.
The class turned a corner and continued down another corridor. Oliver was growing pale.
“Don’t worry,” said Adélaïde, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll be brilliant.”
She hesitated a moment, then clomped down the Hall of Night Creatures while securing her lion mask.
Oliver continued on alone. And that’s exactly how he felt.
♦ A SPECIAL EXHIBIT ♦
Archer hurried down a corridor and entered the Egyptian Wing to take his position next to Tappenkuse. He felt strange with everyone staring at him so he pushed the badger mask up on his head. While he waited for Adélaïde, he unzipped his bag and pulled out the jade elephant house. He was thinking about his grandparents when Adélaïde tapped his shoulder. He nearly screamed.
“Sorry,” she said, lifting her lion mask. “It’s a little difficult to see in these, isn’t it?”
“I thought so too,” he replied. “And everyone was staring at me.”
They fell silent. Both of them were anxious to escape the museum and began looking around the room, hoping Oliver wouldn’t be far behind.
The students arrived at the special exhibit space as expected. Oliver was still with them, which was unexpected. He’d been too afraid to leave and didn’t know what to do. Mrs. Murkley began handing out the special exhibit tickets, but had two left over.
“All right,
” she growled. “Who doesn’t have a ticket?”
No one said anything.
“Hold up your tickets!”
Everyone had a ticket. Mrs. Murkley scanned the group and spotted Oliver standing alone. He wasn’t alone when they began. He was never alone.
“You!” she barked. “Where are your comrades?”
Oliver was panicking on the inside, but tried his best to look calm.
“Who, me?” he asked. “They’re not with me. Please don’t put me on your list.”
Mrs. Murkley plowed toward him, looking as though she might hurl him into the Hall of Invertebrates. Oliver thought about running, but froze instead.
“I can see they’re not with you,” she snapped. “But they were with you when we started. And if you don’t tell me where they are, you’ll be with them on my list.”
Oliver’s inner turmoil overtook his outer calm, but he couldn’t betray Archer and Adélaïde. He had to stick to the plan.
“They’re in the bathroom,” he said, wishing they’d thought up a better excuse. “If you give me their tickets, I can wait here and—”
“They’re going to Antarctica!” Charlie Brimble shouted.
Mr. Murkley glared at him. Charlie shrank.
“At least—I think they are.”
“That’s impossible,” said Oliver.
Mrs. Murkley grabbed Oliver by the shoulders and ushered him into the special exhibit room. Once everyone else was inside, she threw the tickets at the guard and said, “None of them are to leave.” Then she stormed off in search of trouble.
♦ GAUDY LITTLE FELLOW ♦
Archer and Adélaïde were still next to Tappenkuse. Archer was growing worried.
“He should have been here by now,” he said.
“I’m sure he’s on his way,” Adélaïde replied.
They stepped away from the sarcophagus and searched a corridor, hoping to see Oliver or a gazelle. They didn’t. But they turned back just in time to see Mrs. Murkley march into the room.
“Something’s happened!” said Archer.
“To Oliver?” said Adélaïde.
“We have to go.”
The Doldrums Page 17