The Prophet of Yonwood (7 page)

At that moment, his fingers touched something smooth. He reached farther and felt the spiral wires. His notebook. He grabbed it and stood up. Carefully, he riffled the pages, feeling for the loose one. Yes, it was there, tucked into the middle, just where hed put it. All right. Now to get out of there.

He turned back toward the driveway and felt his way forward between the tree trunks and the brush. He crept behind Hoyts black car, parked near the corner of the house. At the spot where hed have to go out into the open, he paused and checked the house again. It was still all dark except for the rectangle of light around the top-floor window. But as he watched, the light went out. Startled, Grover stepped back into the shadows and stood still for a moment. It might just be that Hoyt had turned off his light to sleep. Or it might be that hed heard something and was about to peer out his window. Grover waited and watchedand an odd thing happened.

At first he thought he was imagining it, it was so faint. A light seemed to be growing behind the curtained and shuttered windows on the ground floor. It was a bluish light, like moonlight. It gleamed very faintly around the edges of the windows, in the gaps between the shades and the frames, until a narrow, pale-bluish rectangle appeared around all the ground-floor windows. What was it? Did Hoyt have twenty televisions that went on all at once? Was he doing some weird sort of experiment? Whatever it was, it gave Grover an eerie feeling.

He stood still for a moment, staring. Then, as if his ears had suddenly been stuffed with cotton, the whole world seemed to go silent, and in the sky over Hoyt McCoys house, a brilliant line, thin as a wire, shot across the darkness. It was there for less than a second. It vanished, and the sounds came backrustling leaves, a distant calling bird. But Grover had seen itit wasnt his imagination. It had looked like a long, narrow crack, as if the two great round halves of the night sky had slid apart just for a second, just enough to let through a light that was on the other side. It was the strangest thing he had ever seen.

But nothing else happened. The blue light continued to shine behind the windows; the house was silent; the sky stayed black. After another few minutes, Grover clutched his notebook tightly and moved toward the driveway, quiet as a cat and slow, until he got far enough from the house. Then he dashed along the driveways edge down to Raven Road, where he set out for home.

CHAPTER 9 ______________

At the Prophets House

Saturday morning, Crystal bustled everywhere, checking on things, adding items to her list. Plumbers arrived and began clanking away in the kitchen and in the bathrooms. Painters arrived and started sanding down windowsills and spreading out tarps in the parlor. Crystal marched from room to room, giving directions.

Now and then people stopped by to tell her how sorry they were about Professor Green. Some of them stood chatting for a long time. Nickie could see that they were curious about Crystal and maybe a little suspicious. They asked her all kinds of questionsAre you married, dear? Will you be coming to live in Yonwood? What church do you attend? Have you met our Mrs. Beeson yet?until Crystal said it was lovely talking with them, but she had so much to do that she must say goodbye.

Im off to see some antique dealers, she said to Nickie when they were gone, about selling some of this ghastly furniture. After that I have a meeting with the real estate agent. Ill see you sometime this afternoon.

As soon as Crystal had left, Nickie ran past the painters and up the stairs. She opened the hall door, then the nursery door, and there was Otis waiting for her, looking up with his round brown eyes and wagging his rear end, his short comma-shaped tail pointing at the ceiling. She took him downstairs and, when he was finished, brought him back inside. In the kitchen, she made herself a cup of hot chocolate. As she was doing that, the telephone rang.

She hardly ever answered the telephone here, since it was never for her. The answering machine answered if Crystal wasnt home. Usually the voice on the answering machine belonged to someone talking about house repairs. But this time the voice was Amandas.

Hello, it said. UmuhWell, this is Amanda Stokes, and Iuh

Nickie snatched up the receiver. Amanda! she said. Its me.

Oh, good, said Amanda. I didnt know what to say if it was your aunt getting the message.

Did you get the job? With the Prophet?

I did! said Amanda. I am so lucky! But Im calling up because I need my stuff. Can you bring it to me?

Sure, Nickie said. Just tell me what to bring.

Its all in my suitcase, under the bed. Except dont bring the books that are in there. Those are the ones I gave up. You can have them.

Okay. Ill come right now. Whats the Prophets address?

Its 248 Grackle Street, Amanda said. She explained how to get there and said thanks, and Nickie hung up and did a little dance of excitement right there in the hall. She was going to see the Prophets house! She was going to meet the Prophet herself!

She took Otis upstairs. She pulled out Amandas suitcase from beneath the bed and opened it up, then rummaged through it to find the books (and also because she was curious). Underwear, socks, a striped flannel nightgown, some T-shirts, and a few pairs of pants. A floppy pink stuffed kitten, so old its fur was mostly worn away. A battered postcard with a picture of a beach. Nickie couldnt resist reading it. In big round handwriting, it said, Dear Pumpkin, What a great place! Lots of beaches! See you soon, Your Mama. The date on the postcard was twelve years ago. Nickie wondered if this was all Amanda had of her mother.

She found the books underneath everything else. There were four of them, all paperbacks. She picked one up. On the cover was a woman with hair like a black waterfall, swooning in the arms of a man who was gazing at her hungrily. It was calledHeaven in His Arms. Another one was calledA Heart in Flames. Its cover showed a clasped-together couple standing on a windswept cliff with a blazing sunset in the sky behind them. All the books were like that. They looked interesting. She would read them herself. They might help her with Goal #2.

She put everything else back into the suitcase, went downstairs, edging past a carpenter repairing the front door, and set off for the Prophets house.

It was a blustery morning. Big heaps of cloud rushed across the sky, and the wind was chilly. A few dead leaves skittered along the sidewalk. Nickie turned onto Main Street. Downtown, something seemed to be going on. Clusters of people stood here and there on the sidewalks, talking excitedly. As Nickie passed the drugstore, she saw that the TV inside was on, and people had gathered around it and were listening to the news. There were more people around the TV in the video store and also at the Cozy Corner CafThe president must be making some kind of announcementshe could see his solemn face and white hair on the screenbut she didnt want to stop and listen to him right now. She wanted to get on to the Prophets house. Later she could find out what hed said.

She walked four blocks up Grackle Street to number 248. It was a neat white house with a front porch, more or less like the other houses on the street, except that there were some bunches of limp flowers tied to the fence, along with a Christmas tree angel, a couple of holy-looking pictures, and a couple of handwritten signs. One said, Althea, Our Prophet! and the other one said, We believe! A bird feeder hung from the porch roof, but there were no seeds in it. The curtains in all the windows were closed.

Nickie rang the bell, and after a moment Amanda opened the door. Oh, hi, she said, reaching for the suitcase. Thanks for bringing this.

Youre welcome, Nickie said.

Well, said Amanda. See you later. She took a step back and started to close the door.

But cant I come in? Nickie said. Cant I meet the Prophet? She tried to look past Amanda into the room. Were there people in there? She thought she heard the sound of voices.

Oh, gosh, no, said Amanda. Her eyebrows bunched into a worried line, and she backed up another step. Theres strict rules.

Even if I just peeked in her door and said hello in a really soft voice?

Oh, yeah, even that. I cant let you, Amanda said. Id get in trouble.

Well, who gets to visit her?

Just Mrs. Beeson and her committee. You know, Reverend Loomis, and the mayor, and the police chief, and the others. One or two of thems here most of the time, sitting with her, in case she says something important, said Amanda. She glanced back over her shoulder. A couple of em are here right now.

Right now?

Yeah, having a meeting about stuff shes said.

You mean she talks to them?

She sort of mumbles, Amanda said, and then they hover over her and listen and whisper about what they think she said. And then they tiptoe out, and sometimes, like now, they stand around in the living room arguing about what she meant.

At that moment, a car pulled up at the curb.

Uh-oh, Amanda said. Mrs. Beeson is here. I got to get back to work.

Mrs. Beeson got out of her car and bustled up to the door. Excuse me, dears, she said. Urgent business. She pushed past them and disappeared into the house.

I have to go, Amanda said. But listenhows Otis?

Hes fine, Nickie said.

Im getting up my nerve to ask Mrs. Beeson if I can have him here, said Amanda.

Nickies heart sank. Shed already forgotten that Otis wasnt hers.

But I dont think shes going to let me, Amanda went on. So I dont know. Do you think you?

Oh, yes, said Nickie, relieved. Ill take care of him. I dont mind at all. Dont worry about it. Her heart sprang up again. She said goodbye and headed down the path.

Clouds sailed across the sun, turning the day dark. She hurried to keep warm, down Grackle Street and past the park to Main Street. Maybe she could find out now what the presidents announcement had been.

She made her way toward the Cozy Corner Cafthinking she could go in and ask someone there. But before she got there she heard a sort of buzz in the air, like a distant swarm of bees, and all around her people stopped in their tracks and pulled cell phones from their pockets and purses.

What was happening? It must be news from Mrs. Beeson, maybe about the urgent business that had taken her to the Prophets house. She had to know. Who could she ask?

She spotted a red-haired boy wearing glasses with heavy frames. He was coming out of the cafcarrying a doughnut, and had his phone pressed to his ear. He looked about her age, or a little older. Shed ask him.

She stepped up beside him and said, Excuse me, into the ear that didnt have the phone against it.

He turned and looked at her.

Whats going on? Nickie said. Can you tell me?

He frowned. Wait, he said, holding up the hand with the doughnut. He was still listening intently. She waited. Finally, he folded up his phone.

Who are you? he said. I dont know you.

She explained who she was. He stared at her suspiciously for a moment, but he must have decided she couldnt be a terrorist, because he said, Im Martin. Did you hear the presidents announcement?

No, said Nickie. What did he say?

Well, look, said Martin. Ive got it on my DATT. He flicked a tiny switch on his phone, and on a tiny screen the tiny face of the president appeared.

He looked grim. His face was grayish, as if he hadnt slept or eaten well for a while. Six days remain, he said in a tiny version of his usual voice, before time runs out for the Phalanx Nations. They have remained uncooperative. Therefore I am asking all directors of defense to activate their emergency plans, in case an attack is imminent. He went on about evacuations and shelters and troop movements, and he ended in the usual way: Let us pray to God for the safety of our people and the success of our endeavors.

Nickie gulped. She looked up from the little screen. So is that why, she began. But she stopped, because something strange was happening. All up and down the street, the lights in the stores were going off. One after another, the windows went dark. Whats going on? she said.

Its because of Mrs. Beesons bulletin, said Martin. Shes just figured out a new instruction from the Prophet. See, for a long time the Prophet has been saying No lies, or No lines, or No lights, but no one could tell which. Mrs. Beeson thought it was No lies, because its bad to tell lies. But now she realizes it must be No lights, because that matches up with what the president just said.

It does?

Obviously, said Martin, folding up his phone and putting it in his pocket. The president is warning us about an attack. It might come any minute. If we turn our lights out, we wont be seen from the air.

Nickie looked up and down Main Street. It seemed almost like night, with all the windows dark and the sky clouded over. For the first time, she felt a real shiver of fear at the war that might come. It must have shown, because Martin said, You shouldnt worry too much. Thereis destruction coming, but were probably safe here.

You mean because of the Prophet?

Thats right. Its like having a phone line direct to God. As long as we follow directions, we should be okay. Even though theres a terrorist in the woods.

There is?

Martin nodded. He broke into the restaurant just yesterday morning.

Thats awful, Nickie said. She had thought shed escaped all that by coming to Yonwood. Clearly shed been wrong.

Martin was peering at her as if trying to decide what kind of creature she was. Do you love God? he said.

Having been asked this question once before, Nickie was prepared. Oh, yes! she said. I really do.

Martin smiled. His teeth were white and even, and Nickie noticed that his eyes, behind his glasses, were hazel, an interesting color that went well with his red hair. Thats good, he said. Well, I have to get going. See you. He strode away, leaving Nickie standing there on the strangely darkened street, beneath the darkening sky. She felt excited and uneasy at the same time. Shed met a boythat was progress on Goal #2. But the danger to the world had just gotten worsewhich made Goal #3, doing something to help, more urgent than ever.