Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle Read Free Page B

Sandoval for a moment, she turned to Addison and said, “How do you feel about moving to a new city?”
    Gabriel looked at his friend with surprise. “You’re moving? Why didn’t you tell me?”
    Addison shrugged, thrusting his hands in his pockets. “My dad got a job somewhere else, but I was hoping he might not take it—”
    â€œNot take it? Oh, Addison,” sighed Mrs. Sandoval. “It’s a wonderful opportunity! He’s going to open a new restaurant in Los Angeles. You’ll have a great time there.”
    â€œWhatever,” replied Addison glumly.
    As they left the Sandovals’ house, Gabriel’s mood sank. He thought about his friend being far away, which reminded him of his father’s absence.
    â€œAunt Jaz?” he said as they trudged up their stoop.
    â€œYes, dear?”
    â€œWhere exactly is my dad?”
    â€œOh, goodness, Gabriel, not again!” said his aunt. “I only wish I knew. About three years ago—I remember it so well—your father remarked that he might disappear quite suddenly. I laughed at the time, because it was such an odd thing to say.…” Aunt Jaz put her hand to her cheek with a look of regret. “But a few days later, on a fall evening, like this one, I brought you home from the playground. The house felt cold and strangely empty, so I hurried upstairs to the study and found the curtains blowing freely from the wide-open window. Everything was tidy in the room—unusual for your father—but there was a note with instructions saying that if I should find the window open, I should take care of you until he returned.”
    Gabriel studied his aunt’s expression. “When a person is missing, shouldn’t you call the police?”
    â€œI don’t believe your father is in a place where the police
could
find him,” replied Aunt Jaz. “Gabriel, he promised me he would return as soon as it was earthly possible. Did you take a look at that book I gave you? It explains a lot of things.”
    â€œOh,” said Gabriel. “I forgot about that old leather book!”
    Aunt Jaz glanced around nervously, as if the very trees might be listening. “My dear, it was his
diary.
” Then she hurriedly fumbled with the lock to the front door.
    As soon as he got to his room, Gabriel fished the notebook out of his backpack. He opened it up and squinted at the very small handwriting. It was difficult to get past the first page or two; but slowly, Gabriel grew accustomed to the scrawled lettering, and it became easier and easier to understand, until he was racing along faster than he had read anything in his life.

Baldasarre
    T he things I am going to write in this book will seem unbelievable, but I can promise you that they are true. Each and every thing I describe really happened to me.
    April 1: Today, as I was walking home from school, a big black bird landed right in front of me on the sidewalk. It had a large, blunt beak and black eyes and a strange oily sheen to its wings. It sat at my feet, wobbling unsteadily.
    â€œShoo,” I said, and I stepped forward, expecting it to hop away, the way pigeons do.
    Surprisingly, it didn’t move. And then, even more surprisingly, I heard a voice in my head say very clearly:
    I have one eye but cannot see,
    A long tail always follows me,
    I’m a doctor and a cobbler’s friend,
    Your button I will gladly mend.
    What am I?
    Now, I don’t believe magical stories with animals that talk. But this was amazing. This voice was as clear as could be, in my head, and the bird had a look—very serious—as if it was waiting for my answer.
    â€œWell, what has an eye, a long tail, and mends a button. It must be … a needle!” I said aloud.
    The bird made a sound like a laugh, as if it was pleased with my answer. It limped forward.
    My leg is broken
, said the voice in my head.
    I opened my mouth, but I