"William Sleator - Singularity" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sleator William)

couple of weeks.

тАЬNo, itтАЩs a big lonely old house in the country, I know that much,тАЭ Mom said. тАЬMy
mother said it was the most uncomfortable place sheтАЩd ever stayed in, and wouldnтАЩt go
back there after I was born. And he gave it to me.тАЭ She laughed and shook her head. Then
she set down the keys without looking at them. тАЬThe story was Uncle Ambrose made a
lot of money on the stock market. Then he lost it in the crash. Millions he lost,
overnight.тАЭ

Barry picked up the keys. He didnтАЩt look at me or change his expression, but at that
moment I knew what he was thinking. Barry and I could sometimes figure out what was
going on in one anotherтАЩs minds. At one time it gave us a lot of pleasureтАФwe used to
make a game of it and could startle other people. But in the last couple of years our
special communication had begun to irritate Barry. I had learned to keep my mouth shut
about it. Just as I had kept my mouth shut, a year ago, when he had told Mom we didnтАЩt
want to dress alike anymore.

тАЬWell, if he was so rich once, there probably is a lot of valuable stuff thereтАФmaybe even
hidden money, who knows?тАЭ Barry said. тАЬHe could have been one of those crazy old
people who dresses in garbage bags and lives on cat food, and then dies and they find a
million one-dollar bills hidden in the mattress.тАЭ Reran a finger carefully over the edge of
one of the keys. тАЬAnd if the house stays empty much longer, bums will start going in and
camping out there, and going through stuff. Our stuff. And then we can just say good-bye
to all the money and treasure he hoarded there for his whole life.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre letting your imagination run away with you,

Barry,тАЭ Dad said. тАЬIтАЩll bet the only things this Uncle Ambrose

hoarded were National Geo graphics.тАЭ

тАЬBut he was rich once,тАЭ Barry argued. тАЬItтАЩs very likely that he did save some stuff from
that time. People pay a lot of money for old furniture, donтАЩt they? And how about
silverware? Maybe even jewelry and stuff. And now itтАЩs oursтАФI mean, MomтАЩs. ItтАЩs just
plain dumb to sit here and let other people walk off with it.тАЭ

Mom was really getting worried now. тАЬThere must be some family heirlooms there,тАЭ she
said. тАЬThey belong in the family. IтАЩd just never forgive myself if we let them slipтАЭтАФshe
clenched her fistsтАФтАЭ but IтАЩve been looking forward to this trip to California so much! I
donтАЩt even want to miss o.e day!тАЭ She sighed again. тАЬBut I suppose itтАЩs my duty.тАЭ
тАЬI bet one old oriental rugтАФthat somebody might be stealing from the house right nowтАФ
would more than pay for two tickets from Boston to Sushari,тАЭ Barry said.

тАЬSo thatтАЩs what youтАЩre driving at,тАЭ said Dad.

тАЬYou two boys going to that house by yourselves?тАЭ Mom said.

тАЬIтАЩm not sure IтАФтАЭ I started to say.

тАЬWhatтАЩs the matter? Are you scared?тАЭ Barry accused me.