The Mystery of the Tiger's Eye Read Free Page A

Edward, patting his round stomach.
    Half spilling his too-full glass of tea, Dorsey slid into the swan chariot he had been sharing with Melanie.
    â€œMe first,” he demanded, watching Iona serve the chicken.
    â€œGuests first,” Edward gently admonished.
    The corners of Dorsey’s mouth turned down and he rapped the table impatiently with his fork.
    Before Edward could correct his great-nephew’s behavior, a wheezing sound started up behind the beaded curtain.
    The mechanical fortune-teller was moving! Cackling, she nodded and waved her gnarled fingers over the crystal ball.
    Edward frowned. “Who dropped a token in Madame ZaZa?”
    â€œNot me,” Dorsey said quickly.
    â€œWell, it wasn’t any of us,” said Edward. “We’ve been sitting here the whole time. Only you, Iona, and Melanie got up from the table. And Melanie has gone for the day.”
    â€œMaybe somebody accidentally bumped Madame ZaZa,” Iona said smoothly. “It’s a mechanical device, Edward. And a very old one at that.”
    â€œShe only works if you drop in a token,” Edward insisted. “Someone made her start up.”
    Someone, thought Violet. Or something.
    â€œThis is the kind of thing I’m talking about,” Edward said to Grandfather. “Somebody is making these things happen. But I don’t know who. Or why.”
    â€œLook.” Benny drew a yellowed card from the fortune-teller’s brass tray. “Here’s the little card. What does it say, Violet?” He was still learning to read.

    Violet squinted at the faded printing. “It says, ‘You are in for a big change.’ ”
    â€œWho?” Benny wanted to know. “Who is in for a big change?”
    â€œMaybe Edward is,” Iona said with a coy smile.
    â€œWhat kind of change?” Benny pressed.
    Grandfather stood. “It’s getting late, kids. We all need to get to bed.”
    The children went upstairs to their rooms. Dorsey went with them.
    His room was across the hall from the bedroom Jessie and Violet were sharing. A large trunk stood outside the door.
    â€œStupid trunk,” he said gloomily. “All I ever do is pack and unpack my stuff.”
    Benny tapped the hollow trunk. “If you stayed here, you wouldn’t have to pack.”
    Dorsey stared at him. “Are you nuts? Stay in this weird house?” Without another word, he went into his room and shut the door.
    Before the door closed completely, Violet caught a glimpse of something on the floor of his room. It looked like a metal box with wires coming out of it.
    What is that? she wondered. Some kind of an invention?
    Before she could mention it, Benny said, “I wonder what’s wrong with Dorsey. I like this house!”
    â€œMaybe he’s homesick,” Jessie suggested.
    Henry nodded. “He might miss his parents.”
    Jessie and Violet said good night, then went into their own room. It was very nice, with rose-covered wallpaper and two canopy beds.
    Violet was almost asleep when she heard something overhead.
    Thump, thump. Scrape, thump.
    She sat up. “What was that?”
    â€œI don’t know.” Jessie had heard it, too. “Sounded like somebody moving furniture.”
    â€œWho’d be moving furniture this time of night?” Violet threw back the covers and slipped into her bathrobe. “I think we’d better check it out.”
    Dorsey Pindar was standing in the hall.
    â€œDid you hear the noises, too?” Jessie asked him.
    â€œYeah,” he said. “Sounds like somebody is in the attic.”
    â€œWe’re going to see,” Violet told him.
    â€œI’ll show you the attic door.” Dorsey went ahead of them.
    Down the hall, they met Benny and Henry coming out of their room.
    â€œWe heard something,” Benny reported.
    â€œSo did we. We’re going up into the attic to see what it is,” Jessie said.
    Dorsey opened a