The If Game Read Free Page A

said, ‘All right. Let’s have a look.’
    As they walked the length of the road, Stephen looked sideways at Alex and tried to guess what he was really like. He couldn’t tell much from the face. An ordinary face above an ordinary body. Alex was almost a head shorter than Stephen and a great deal thinner. He had eyes that very slightly slanted upwards at the outer corners, and he seemed to be using them all the time, constantly turning his head this way and that. But he did not speak until they were opposite Number One, Bridge Street. Stephen slowed down.
    â€˜Which house did you want to look at?’ Alex asked.
    â€˜That one.’ Stephen pointed.
    â€˜Is there something special about it?’
    â€˜I can’t make out whether it’s real or not.’
    â€˜What d’you mean, real?’
    â€˜It’s too thin, see? The way the road slopes off, there isn’t room for a proper house. I mean, one that’s got a real inside.’
    â€˜Let’s ring the bell and ask whoever lives there,’ Alex said, and before Stephen could stop him, he had leapt across the road and pressed the dim brass bell button beside the door.
    Stephen waited to see if any angry householder opened the door. But nothing happened. Rather slowly, he crossed the road and stood beside Alex. Alex pressed the bell again.
    â€˜If they catch you . . .’ Stephen said. Alarmed.
    â€˜I don’t think there’s anyone in there,’ Alex said.
    â€˜I don’t think it’s a real house,’ Stephen said again.
    â€˜I wish we could get in, then. I’d like to see the inside that you say isn’t really there.’
    Stephen hesitated.
    â€˜It’s a pity we haven’t got a key. There’s a whopping great keyhole down there,’ Alex said.
    Stephen didn’t want to admit that he had a key thatmight fit. Although he still had that urgent feeling that he must open this door, he didn’t want to do it with this unknown boy beside him. But the need to know what was the other side of this door was stronger than his reluctance to see it with anyone else. Without speaking, he put his hand into his pocket and took out the key.
    â€˜Fantastic! Where’d you get it?’ Alex asked.
    â€˜Found it.’ He wasn’t going to explain.
    â€˜I like its top. And look at the wards!’
    Stephen did not know what he meant. Wards? Like in prisons? He said, ‘What about the wards?’ Alex put out a finger and touched the key. Stephen realized that ‘wards’ was the name for the complicated, maze-like shapes on the key which would match whatever lock it had been made for.
    â€˜Think it’d fit?’ Alex asked.
    â€˜Don’t know.’ He squatted down in front of the door and tried the key in the keyhole. It fitted perfectly and turned as smoothly as if the lock had been oiled.
    â€˜What’s the matter?’ Alex asked, as Stephen still hesitated.
    â€˜I’m not sure there’ll be anything inside.’
    â€˜You won’t find out unless you look,’ Alex said, and without waiting, he pushed the door open. Stephen was standing inside before he’d had time to think.

3
    Stephen was astonished to see what looked like a path leading away from where he stood. A long path. He hadn’t supposed there could be anything like so much space between the front of the house and the back, which overlooked the railway line below. He took a step forward and stood inside the open door. Then, impelled by curiosity, he walked a yard or so further.
    The door suddenly banged shut behind him. He turned, and saw that Alex wasn’t with him. He must have been shut out. Perhaps it had been Alex who had shut the door and had purposely stayed outside. Stephen was annoyed. It had been Alex who had egged him on to enter this house, and now had left him alone to face whatever it contained.
    He looked around. He was relieved that no one appeared to ask