The Amazing Flight of Darius Frobisher by Bill Harley Read Free Book Online Page A

hadn’t had much experience with computers. He was glad to be with someone who had. His spirits rose as Ms. Bickerstaff continued to search. But finally, she shook her head.
    “I’m not finding anything, Darius,” Ms. Bickerstaff said. “Maybe she doesn’t have a new phone or address yet.”
    “Maybe not,” Darius said, his heart sinking. “She might be living with someone else. I’ll just have to keep looking.”
    Before he left, Ms. Bickerstaff gave Darius a library card, then helped him pick out an atlas and two books about travel adventures to take home. He wanted to take some of the large atlases, but Ms. Bickerstaff said he’d have to read them in the library. “Those are reference books. They stay here.”
    “I’d like to stay here, too,” said Darius.
    Ms. Bickerstaff laughed. She thought he was kidding. She didn’t know he really meant it.
    “Let me know if I can help with anything else, Darius,” she added.
    “Sure,” he answered. “Thanks.” As he headed out of the library, he could feel Ms. Bickerstaff watching him. Withouteven thinking, he reached in his pocket and pulled out the silver wings Miss Hastings had given him. “I’m going to find you!” he whispered.
    It seemed silly and ridiculous to think that he could fix the old bike in the basement, escape Aunt Inga, ride for ten days, find Miss Hastings, and run away with her.
    “It sure would help if the bike flew,” Darius said to himself, looking up at the sky. It seemed almost impossible that he would ever get there.
    But when you’re desperate, almost impossible is not bad odds.
    Darius should have stayed in the library. As he lugged the books up the back stairs into the house, he heard Aunt Inga’s voice over the blare of the television.
    “Where have you been?” she called.
    Darius stuck his head into the living room and found her holding her hand over the receiver of the phone.
    “I went to the library,” he said, holding out the books. “I got these.”
    “Without my permission?” she asked.
    “Well, um … yes,” said Darius.
    “Fine. Just fine.” She uncovered the mouthpiece and spoke to someone. “I’m sorry. I’ll have to call you back…. Yes. Of course I will. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll take three subscriptions…. Of course I’ll bother to call you. I have to. Do you think I like this?”
    She hung up.
    “Now look what you’ve made me do. I’ve lost at least threesubscriptions and probably won’t get them back, all because you bothered me. What’s all this about the library?”
    “I got some books to look at.”
    “Well, you’ll just take them right back. I don’t want all of your books and things cluttering up my house.”
    “I’ll be careful. I’ll keep them downstairs.”
    “Sure you will. I know how this goes. You’ll forget all about them, and you know who’ll end up paying the months and months of fines? Do you? I’ll tell you who. Me. I knew this was going to happen—one burden after another falling on me. Every single book will go back tomorrow, or you won’t be going to the library at all. One more thing for me to keep an eye on. I just knew it. Now let me get back to work.”
    Tears filled Darius’s eyes. “I’m keeping the books!” he said, almost shouting. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll take them back on time.”
    Aunt Inga began to sputter. “Oh, well, look at Mr. Snootypants now. Been here one week and thinks he’s ruling the roost. Thinks he can do whatever he wants at my expense.”
    “I just want to look at these library books!”
    “You will take those library books back tomorrow! This is my house and I won’t have any books in here cluttering up the place, making it look like a
pig sty!”
    The walls rattled with Aunt Inga’s shrill voice.
    “All right, all right,” Darius said, turning to escape to the basement. “Sorry.”
    “SORRY. NOW HE’S SAYING HE’S SORRY! NOW THAT EVERYTHING IS IN AN UPROAR, HE’S SAYING HE’S SORRY. A