"Patricia A. McKillip - The House on Parchment Street" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKillip Patricia A)

"A little rain never hurt anybody," Bruce said. He stopped. His eyes flickered to Uncle Harold's face. "I
put the tools away, in case it decides to rain overnight. I didn't mean to be gone all day."
Uncle Harold shook his head surprisedly. "It's all right." He took his papers and books into the study.
Aunt Catherine said, "I suppose I should feed you. Alexander, you're welcome to supper, if you don't
mind taking a chance." She went upstairs with her packages. Bruce looked at Carol.
"What's the matter? You're so quiet."
"I've got an idea." Her voice shook in spite of herself. She glanced at Alexander, lounging against the
banister, and he straightened.
"Don't you want me to hear?" he said wistfully. "I like ideas."
She looked doubtfully at Bruce, but his eyes were on Alexander's face. Then he dropped beside her.
"Go ahead. Just say it."
"All right. Emily Raison says they built a tunnel during the Civil War for priests to move from the house
to the church without getting caught."
"A tunnelтАж ." he breathed.
"A priest tunnel."
He stared at her without seeing her. Then his face broke into a slow grin of pure joy.
"A tunnel!" he shouted, and clapped his hands over his mouth. Alexander dropped on one knee before
them.
"Oh, please." His hands were clasped in petition. "Oh, please. I've always wanted an underground
tunnel. Tell me what's happening."
Bruce stood up, nudging him off-balance. "Get up before Dad hears. Come onтАФ" They followed him
into the front yard and sat by the fishpool.
Bruce said, "Tell me what Emily said."
"She said it was a legend, about the tunnel. She said Mrs. Brewster had looked for it, but she couldn't
find it, so she said it didn't really existтАФit was only a story. But Bruce, Edward could have been
escaping through the tunnel. And the girl was going to lead him through it. But the man was waiting
there for him. I don't know what happens after thatтАФhe might have captured Edward or maybe Edward
captured him. But it does explain why they keep walking through the wall, as though there were a door
there тАж or an archтАж ."
Bruce drew a deep breath. He stared into the pool, his eyes wide, dark with thought. "And we know

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exactly where it is."
"If it's still there. If it ever was there."
"Something was there, unless they're just walking through a wall for the fun of it. And if we do find the
tunnel or the remains of it, that will be proof of what we've seen."
"Bruce," said Alexander. "Bruce, what are you talking about? Who is Edward? Who keeps walking
through walls?"
"The girl in the painting in my Dad's study," Bruce said. "And a man with a sword. They keep walking
through our cellar wall."
Alexander's mouth opened. It closed slowly, then opened again. His voice came finally, hushed. "You
have ghosts in your cellar, and you kept them all to yourself. Of all the rotten, selfishтАФAnd now you've
got a tunnel, too."
"Mrs. Brewster has a tunnel. Or she's going to."
"I wanted to tell you," Carol said. "But you don't believe in ghosts."
"Of course I don't. Who does? I didn't believe Bruce could draw cows, either, or do something as
incredibly stupid as diving into a blackberry bush, but I've learned, haven't I? There's always room for
learning. Knowledge is a sacred, never-dying flame, and that's what Mrs. Brewster is going to breathe if