Part 4 (1/2)
”It's just the attic,” he said.
I knew that; I could tell by how narrow the door was. But that wasn't the point.
”So what if it's the attic?” I said. ”Maybe Broxholm has something packed away up there. Come on, Peter. We've gone this far. We can't give up now.”
”Oh, all right,” said Peter. He opened the door and started up the stairway. When he got about halfway up the stairs his head pa.s.sed the level of the attic floor. I was walking so close that I b.u.mped into him when he stopped.
”What is it?” I whispered.
When he didn't answer me, I pushed my way up beside him and cried out in horror.
CHAPTER NINE.
The Force Field
in the Attic
For a long time neither of us said a word.
”Is she alive?” I asked at last.
Peter didn't answer me.
”Peter,” I hissed, pinching his arm. ”Do you think she's alive?”
Peter turned to me. I could see his face in the blue glow that came from the thing in the center of the attic. His eyes were glazed and blank. I wasn't sure whether he even knew I was there.
”Peter!” I hissed.
He shook his head. ”You weren't kidding, were you?”
”Of course I wasn't kidding!”
”But do you know what this means?”
”Yeah. It means we're in big trouble. Now let's get up there and see if we can figure out what's going on.”
”An alien!” said Peter, his voice filled with awe. ”Mr. Smith is an alien! We're not alone!”
”What are you talking about?” I hissed.
”Intelligent aliens. Mankind is not alone in the universe.”
”Well, I'm feeling pretty alone right now,” I said. ”Are you going to help me or not?”
Peter closed his eyes and rubbed his face. Suddenly his awe turned to fear. ”Oh, my G.o.d,” he said. ”What if Mr. Smith catches us here?”
I rolled my eyes. ”Why do you think I've been so scared all night, you yo-yo?”
Suddenly I realized what was going on. ”You never did believe me, did you?” I said angrily. ”You thought this was all just a joke!”
Peter shook his head. ”I believed you,” he said. But I didn't really understand what it meant until-well, until I believed it this way.” He shrugged helplessly. ”I can't explain it,” he said.
It didn't make any difference. I understood. He was feeling the way I felt when I saw Broxholm take his face off.
”Come on,” I said. ”Let's get up there.”
Despite my brave words, I climbed the rest of those stairs pretty slowly. Peter climbed up beside me. Standing side by side, we stared at the terrible thing we had found.
In the center of the attic was a column of blue light. It was about three feet across, and stretched from the floor to the peak of the ceiling. And in the center of it stood-Ms. Schwartz. Her eyes were wide open, but they hadn't blinked once in all the time we had been looking at her. Her frizzy black hair was standing straight out from her head, as if she was getting some kind of horrible shock. Her hands were at her sides, palms forward, fingers separated.
I looked carefully, but I couldn't tell if she was breathing.
”Is she alive?” I asked again.
”I don't know,” said Peter. ”It's hard to tell.”
We stepped forward. Ms. Schwartz didn't move. The air smelled funny. My hair started to move by itself. I could feel a strange tingling on my skin.
”It's a force field,” said Peter, taking another step forward.
I knew he was the right person to bring with me. Only a person who read that much science fiction would know what to call something like this. Now if he only knew what to do about it!
Unfortunately, he didn't.
”If I could figure out where it came from, maybe I could turn it off,” he told me. ”But I don't see any equipment. Besides, I'd be afraid of hurting Ms. Schwartz.”
I nodded. ”Do you think she's OK in there?” I asked, blinking back a tear.
How had Broxholm done this to her?
Maybe the handsome creep had tricked her into going out on a date with him. What a treat-a date with an alien. I could just imagine his line: Let's go see a film. Then I'll take you back to my house and lock you in a force field.
What a rat!
”Oh, Ms. Schwartz,” I moaned. ”What are we going to do?”
I couldn't stand seeing her trapped like that. I stepped forward and tried to reach out to touch her.