The Haunted Igloo by Bonnie Turner Read Free Book Online Page A

wiggled back and forth. She knew she wasn’t to
beg at the table, but no one had said anything about begging from
the other side of the room. Jean-Paul glanced at her and winked,
sending her a mental message that he would save her a bite of his
food.
    Lise laid down her fork and
looked at Jean-Paul seriously. “Are those the boys who tease you so
much? I’m not sure I want you with them, since they’re always
picking on you.”
    But Jean-Paul was excited.
“It’s different this time, Ma! They asked me to join their Ice
Patrol. I’ve always wondered what they do in their club, and now
I’ll find out.”
    Lise shook her head. “I
don’t know . . .”
    Cordell laughed. “Ice
Patrol, eh? Maybe I should write a story about a group of boys who
patrol the ice. Pass the meat.”
    Lise pushed the platter
toward him. “You could write a story about your big toenail,
Cordell Ardoin!”
    Jean-Paul giggled. “That
would be a very tall tale, huh, Ma?”
    Cordell narrowed his eyes
at Jean-Paul. He helped himself to the food and started eating
again. Jean-Paul looked from his father to his mother. Was he going
to get an answer or not? They were sitting there eating as though
he didn’t exist.
    “ Well?” he asked,
impatiently.
    Cordell looked up. “Eh?
Well what?”
    “ The club! The club! Do I get to join
Ice Patrol or not?”
    “ I don’t think so,” said Lise. “I just
don’t know enough about those boys.”
    “ Aw, Ma.”
    Cordell came to his son’s
rescue. “A boy’s got to have fun, Lise. I belonged to a club when I
was his age. There’s not much else to do in this godforsaken
country.”
    Lise looked at her husband.
“ You brought us to
this godforsaken country.”
    Cordell reached over and
patted her hand. “And you followed right along like a lemming to the
ocean!”
    “ To fall in and drown,” she
whispered.
    Lise silently picked at her
food. Then suddenly she jumped up and went into the bedroom.
Cordell stared after her. He became lost in thought as Jean-Paul
tried to recapture his attention.
    “ Chinook said they’ll bring me home
right after the club meeting. So you won’t have to come for
me.”
    Cordell’s mind was far
away. “Um-hmmm,” he mumbled.
    “ They said I have to join right after
school tomorrow. I have to be initiated.” Cordell still wasn’t
listening, so Jean-Paul tugged on his sleeve. “Pa?”
    “ What? Oh, well, I guess it’s all
right.”
    “ Thanks, Pa. And tell Ma she won’t
have to worry. Sasha will be with me.”
    At the sound of her name,
Sasha stood up and barked.
    “ See?” Jean-Paul exclaimed. “She knows
we’re talking about her.”
    “ She only wants the food you pushed
under the edge of your plate,” said his father.
    When Cordell disappeared
into his bedroom a moment later, Jean-Paul cleared the table and
put a kettle of water on to heat for the dishes.

    ____________

    T he next day, after school was dismissed, Jean-Paul hurried
outside to find Sasha. Happy as always to see him, the pup bounded
up against his chest and licked his face, whining and wiggling.
Jean-Paul scratched her ears and laughed. “Today’s going to be
great fun! They’re finally treating me like one of them. I get to
be in their club, Sasha, and you can come, too. I think the boys
all like you, especially Chinook.”
    A couple of dark-eyed Inuit
girls came out the door and scampered off, laughing, in the
direction of their homes. Chinook came out next and squatted down
to pet Sasha.
    “ She’s really a great little husky!”
he told Jean-Paul. “But she isn’t going to be very big. She might
have trouble pulling a sled by herself.” He looked up at Jean-Paul.
His friendly face was lighted by the glow from the schoolhouse
window. His eyes were shiny, black marbles.
    Jean-Paul said, “It’s not
size that counts, Chinook, but strength. That’s what Pa
says.”
    “ I think your father’s right,” agreed
Chinook. “That’s a good point.”
    The schoolhouse door