Joan Hess - Arly Hanks 08 by Martians in Maggody Read Free Book Online Page B

peppered with gray, and pulled back in a ponytail. He'd have fitted in well with the hippies that had run the New Age hardware store until the previous fall -- except that he was likely to be thirty years older than any of 'em.
    "The bar and grill's closed till four," she said in a friendly fashion, seeing as how he might feel the need for a trim one of these days.
    "I have a reservation at the motel, but I can't seem to find the office."
    "This is where you register." Estelle went to the kitchen door and opened it long enough to say, "You got a customer," then returned to her stool and patted the one next to it. "Why doncha sit right here by me, Mr. ah ... ?"
    "Dr. Hayden McMasterson," he said. "I truly am in a bit of a hurry to stow my luggage and get to the field before dark."
    Ruby Bee was drying her hands on a dish towel as she came out of the kitchen. Estelle graciously made the introductions, which appeared to annoy one of the parties, and then offered to draw a map. This seriously annoyed one of the parties. Dr. McMasterson managed to avoid noticing anything amiss and fled with his key.
    Estelle eyed the door. "I wonder if he's a medical doctor or a college doctor."
    "Why does it matter to you?"
    "I was wondering out loud, so there's no reason to get all riled up." She caught a curl and twisted it around her finger. "I was just thinking -- "
    "I was just starting the corn bread."
    " -- that if there really were flying saucers out at Raz's last night, they might come back tonight. All these people from Little Rock and California and Florida and New Mexico seem to think something strange is going to happen. If these investigators are going to be there tonight, it must be because they believe they're gonna see something."
    "Like Marjorie rolling in the corn?" said Ruby Bee as she turned around like she was going back to the kitchen. She wasn't, naturally, because she was curious about what Estelle was gonna say next. "If you were to close up early -- say, at ten -- we could walk up there, cut around the opposite side of the cabin, and slip into the barn. Then we could keep watch out the knotholes in case -- " Estelle stopped and shivered like a wet dog.
    "What if Raz catches us?"
    "What if flying saucers come floating across the cornfield?"
    Ruby Bee had to admit Estelle had an interesting, if halfbaked, point.
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
    Raz grinned as more folks came up the road. His pockets were already stuffed with dollar bills, and in the shack was a whole jarful. Marjorie weren't very happy about all the ruckus, but Raz figgered as long as he kept her locked inside, she wouldn't git riled enough to draw blood.
    He held out a gnarled hand. "Two dollars from each of you iffen you want to come into the yard."
    Cynthia Dodder glanced in horror at her companions, then stepped forward. "Don't be ridiculous. This is Arthur Sageman, director of the ETH Research Foundation in Los Angeles, and his secretary, Brian Quint. Ms. Tant and I represent UFORIA. We are here to conduct a thorough investigation into the configurations in order to -- "
    "Two dollars from each of you iffen you want to come into the yard." Raz spit into the dust, careful to miss her shoe. "And ten dollars fer takin' pictures. Otherwise, you kin hike your tails."
    He collected the fee from the young feller and opened the gate. Before they was out of sight, a girl about as skinny as a poker appeared, her cheeks flushed from the walk and her voice all chirpy. She was a purty little thing, so he let her in for a dollar. The man that came on her heels forked over ten dollars like they was burning a hole in his pocket and asked if Raz would pose for a picture and tell about finding the circles. After some dickering, they settled on twenty-five dollars for what the man called "an exclusive" the next morning. He seemed right tickled when Raz insisted Marjorie be in the picture.
    Raz didn't charge Dahlia on account of her bein' a neighbor and having her driveway