Spiders on the Case by Kathryn Lasky Read Free Book Online Page B

the southwest corner, where one of the most beautiful books in the entire library rested on a velvet cloth. The book, a tenth-century volume from China, was set in a fantastically crafted metal box. On the edges of the book’s pages was a painting that only became visible when the book was shut. The painting depicted a winter landscape of billowing, snow-covered mountains. This type of book art was called fore-edge painting, and the delicacy of the work was remarkable. Edith claimed that although she generally did not like the “great outdoors,” as she called it, she felt quite peaceful when dangling over the fore-edge painting of this book. Her peace was about to be shattered.
    â€œMom,” called Jo Bell. “Felix … uh, Julep and Buster and I have something to tell you.”
    Edith inhaled sharply. “Oh, no! You haven’t been seen. Please don’t tell me that. My poor heart can’t take it.” The anguish in Edith’s voice was so strong, one could almost touch it.
    â€œNo, Mom, we haven’t been seen.”
    In Edith’s mind, there was absolutely nothing worse than being discovered by humans — humans other than Tom Parker. Edith had spent her youth on the run, fleeing E-Men with their gleaming silver tanks of poison attached to snakey fumigation hoses. When she became a mother herself, she vowed this wandering would cease. The worst thing in Edith’s mind was to be unsettled.
    â€œEdith?” Fatty called.
    â€œOh, Fatty, you’ve come back again!”
    â€œI missed all of you so much.”
    â€œWell, I’m afraid you’ve come when …” Edith’s voice dwindled away.
    â€œOh, dear!” Fatty said. “What’s the problem?”
    â€œWe don’t quite know yet. Jo Bell, will you continue?”
    Jo Bell took a deep breath. “I witnessed something pretty awful a few days back. A person tearing a page from the fashion portfolio.”
    â€œWhat?!?” Edith gasped.
    â€œYes, Mom, Agnes Smoot. And that’s not all. Her husband, Eldridge Montague, has been stealing maps out of old books for years. We have to stop them somehow.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell us sooner? We could have helped,” Edith said.
    â€œWell,” Jo Bell’s voice cracked a bit. She wobbled on at least three of her eight legs.
    â€œWhat is it, dear?”
    She began again. “I wanted to do this all by myself. Well, I mean with Buster’s help, but we needed to figure out a plan. These criminals have gone undetected for a long time. No one ever really checks out those old map books or the fashion portfolios. So the problem is how to draw Tom’s attention to the crime.”
    â€œAnd do you have a solution?” Felix asked. There was a hint of huffiness in his voice.
    â€œWe’re going to leave Tom a message.”
    â€œJust how are you going to do that?” Felix asked with a sneer.
    â€œFelix!” Edith said sharply. “I don’t like that tone. Let Jo Bell explain.”
    â€œI think it would be best if I let Julep do the explaining,” Jo Bell said, standing aside to give Julep the floor.
    â€œJulep!” Edith, Felix, and Fat Cat all exclaimed at once.
    â€œYes! Me! Yours truly here. While Felix has been studying military history, and Mom has been crawling through old Bibles, I have spent quite a bit of time in the Egyptian pop-up books. I picked up a bit of hieroglyphics along the way.”
    â€œYou understand hieroglyphics?” Fatty marveled.
    â€œA bit, and I’m learning more every day. And Jo Bell says that I am to teach all of you,” Julep said, with a pointed look at her bossy brother.
    â€œWe have to learn hieroglyphics to do this?” Felix said.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Jo Bell replied. “Not that much. The message should be short and simple. But we don’t have any time to lose.”
    Jo Bell turned to her mother. “This