The Bone Flute Read Free Page A

and was feeling downward with one foot when something scrambled up the other side of the tree, something big, with claws that scraped the bark. She yelped and nearly let go.
    Leaves thrashed above her head. A triangular face poked through and black eyes in a black mask glittered down at her. She laughed, and her heart stopped thumping. The raccoon chittered furiously.
    â€œTake it easy! I won’t bother you.”
    It ducked back up. Camrose lowered herself down the rope to the ground. It was an easy dash across the lawn, a scramble to the top of the fence and over, landing with a thud on the grass on the other side. Detour around the patch of tomato plants, climb to the top of the lean-to that sheltered the Shoemakers’ firewood, and from there to the roof of a shed identical to the one on the Ferguson house.
    Two squares of yellow light splashed across the roof. Mark’s was the nearest. She scratched on the screen. Mark, who was dressed now in shorts and a T-shirt, came to the window with a colorful brochure in his hands.
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    He turned it around and held it out.
    WIZARD COMPUTER CAMP
HAVE FUN AND LEARN HOW TO PROGRAM .
    â€œMy parents want me to learn something useful this summer instead of hanging around Uncle Wes’s wood shop.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with your Uncle Wes? I like him.”
    â€œSo do I. But I guess they’re afraid if I hang around him too much I’ll turn out like him.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with that?”
    â€œHe works with his hands. They want me to become a respect–ed professional.” He looked at his own hands regretfully.
    â€œWhy don’t you just tell them what you really want to do?”
    â€œI would, if I knew what that was.”
    â€œAnyway, I’ve got something to tell you. Look at this! It’s a letter from Gilda.” She pulled it from her pocket and waved it.
    â€œAnd Mark, listen! She says I’m an heiress!”
    â€œNo kidding.”
    â€œThat means she left me something special!”
    â€œI know that. But what?”
    â€œGet out here and let’s find out.”
    Mark unhooked the screen from his window, climbed out and placed the screen against the window frame. They sat side by side on the roof. Camrose unfolded the letter and held it up to catch the light from the window.
    â€œ My dear Camrose, ” she read aloud. “ I’m sorry I can’t be there to explain things to you in person. I have learned from a reliable source that my time is nearly over. Luckily, this same source has told me that your time will soon begin. And so—this letter. Now that you’re twelve years old, you have become an heiress. See?”
    â€œWell, go on.”
    â€œShe says, Of course you want to know what you’ve inherited. Of course. It is something very old and very precious —Cool! — an heirloom of our house, though only a few members of our family have ever known of it. And yet it is not yours at all .” She stopped and frowned at Mark. “Not mine? This sounds weird.”
    â€œWant me to read it for you?” He reached for the letter. She pushed him away.
    â€œNo, no. She says, You are simply its Keeper. When the rightful claimant arrives, you must surrender it. Until that happens, you may be in danger .”
    She put the letter down flat on the shingles. “This has got to be a joke.”
    â€œEither that or crazy.”
    â€œSo this is my message from across the chasm. Loony tunes.”
    â€œChasm?”
    â€œJust a stupid idea of mine. I’ll read fast through the rest.” She squared her shoulders and flexed her fingers and then picked up the letter and started cramming out the words. “ Be very careful. It may be hard to know which of the two is the right one. Seventy-seven years ago, when I was your age and had just learned I was Keeper, I made the wrong decision. It was a terrible mistake, and because of