Touch the Sky (Young Underground #8) by Robert Elmer Read Free Book Online Page B

he called him ‘ captain. ’ ”
                  “ You heard what he said? ”
                  Peter repeated as much as he could remember, filling in his story with the details of the dark man with the twisted nose who had followed Matthias.
                  “ Well, then, if Matthias is really a smuggler of some sort, the way you say, who was that man? ”
                  “ That ’ s the part I can ’ t figure out. I have no idea who would be spying on Matthias. ”
                  “ Besides two kids. ”
                  “ Right. Besides two kids. ” Peter grinned and nodded in the darkness of their living room.
                  “ Well, Peter, ” said Elise, “ I ’ m still not so sure that you and Henrik are right about this. But you have to tell Mom and Dad everything in the morning. ”
                  Peter paused and took a deep breath. He hadn ’ t yet heard a sound from the direction of his parents ’ room.
                  “ Peter? ” she asked once more. “ You ’ ve got to promise, or else I ’ m going to tell them myself. You can ’ t keep all this a secret. ”
                  “ Okay, I promise. In the morning. ” Somehow Peter couldn ’ t imagine himself telling his parents everything he had just told his sister. But he knew she was right, the way she usually was.
                  Elise padded slowly down the hallway in her slippers. Peter slipped off his mismatched pair of shoes and returned to his room. Before he dove back under the covers, he pulled up the string from the emergency bell ringer.
                  “ Tomorrow, ” he whispered to himself. “ Tomorrow I have to figure out how to tell them. ”
     

4
     
    S ecret Agent Ship
     
                  The next time Peter awoke, another bell was ringing somewhere in the apartment, only different from the bell next to his bed. His room was light, and he raised his head to check the time on his clock.
                  “ Who ’ s calling us at six - thirty? ” he wondered aloud. The telephone rang twice more before someone out in the living room answered.
                  “ Karen, it ’ s Ruth, ” Peter ’ s father called out. “ She wants to talk to you. She sounds upset. ”
                  Peter stuck his head out of his door at the same time Elise did, and they watched their mother whisk by them in the hallway. Why would Henrik ’ s mom be calling so early?
                  “ Hello, Ruth? ” Their mother didn ’ t sound completely awake, but she listened for a long time.
                  “ That ’ s quite all right, ” she said, her voice soft.
                  Peter looked over at Elise in her doorway, but she could only shrug.
                  “ Please don ’ t apologize. I ’ m glad you felt free to call. Uh - huh. Yes, I know.... ”
                  Peter pulled on his green bathrobe and stepped out into the hall with his sister while their mother kept talking. They could tell the conversation was about Matthias, and it was serious. But there were too many long periods of silence to know exactly what was going on.
                  “ Well, if you ’ re not sure about marrying him, ” continued their mother in a serious tone. “ I know it ’ s a big decision.... Yes, that does seem like it could be rushing things. Oh ... I don ’ t know what to tell you about that, Ruth. ”
                  Peter and Elise stepped closer, out into the kitchen where their father was waiting. Tiger was just finishing up a bowl of milk.
                  “ Well, sure, we ’ ll come with you. ” Mrs. Andersen looked out the window as she talked. “ If that will make you feel more comfortable. I understand. We ’ ll see you in half an