Free Flight of the Hawk by Gary Paulsen Page A

shrugged. “Never mind. It was just something I heard. I could use a hot shower if you’ll show me to that room now.”
    Henry led the way up to the second floor and opened a door. “Here are your quarters. I hope you’ll like them. Mr. Hawkes had it especially decorated for you … although neither he nor I was sure what things fourteen-year-olds might appreciate these days.”
    “It’s great.” Andy glanced around the room. There was a king-sized bed and a walk-incloset.
You could stick about thirty fourteen-year-old boys in here
, Andy thought.
    “The bath is to your left. Would you like me to unpack for you, sir?”
    “I can handle it. Thanks.”
    “Very good, sir. Will you be needing anything else?”
    Andy shook his head. “I can’t think of anything.”
Henry backed out the door, putting his hand on the knob. He paused and cleared his throat. “To answer your previous question, sir … no, he’s not.”
    “Not what?”
    “Not, as you put it, loony.”

C HAPTER 2
    Andy finished buttoning his shirt and sat down on the edge of the bed. The shower had made him feel better. For a while, it had even taken his mind off things—things like losing his parents and having to move away from his best friends to a place he’d never seen before.
    He walked to the door and opened it. No one was in the hall. The elevator was just across from his room. He entered it and started to press the first-floor button.
    But he hesitated. “I guess if I’m going to be stuck living in this museum, I might as wellsee what the place looks like.” He pushed the third-floor button.
    When the doors opened he peeked out. Before him was a long hall almost identical to the one on the second floor.
    He stepped back inside and hit the fourth-floor button. The doors opened again to reveal a musty-smelling gray carpet and plenty of dust and cobwebs.
    “Hmmm. I’d say the maid doesn’t get up here too often,” Andy mumbled.
    A door at the end of the hall opened and Henry stepped out. He straightened his jacket and took a step toward the elevator. When he saw Andy, he jumped. “Oh my, Master Hawkes. You surprised me. I didn’t expect you to be up here.”
    “I really didn’t expect to see you up here either, Henry. What’s in there?” Andy pointed at the room.
    “In there?” Henry looked over his shoulder nervously. “Oh, supplies, you know. Things like that.” He stepped into the elevator. “Shall we go down? Your grandfather is back. He’ll probably be wanting to see you.”
    Andy frowned and studied the door. “Isn’t the fourth floor an odd place to store supplies? I mean, it’s not exactly handy to the rest of the house.”
    Henry pushed a button. The doors closed and the elevator started down. “Your grandfather told me to say that he regrets not being here when you arrived. Unfortunately he had a business meeting at the Hawkes corporate offices. Some sort of trouble in one of the laboratories.”
    Andy forgot about the door for a moment. “What kind of company does my grandfather own?”
    “It’s compan
ies
, actually. I believe most of them are of a scientific nature. But I’ll let your grandfather tell you more about that when he thinks the time is right.”
    “Why hasn’t he ever wanted to meet me before?” Andy asked.
    Before the chauffeur could answer, the elevator doors opened on the first floor and Henry stepped out. “If you’ll come this way, Master Hawkes. Your grandfather is waiting in the study.”

C HAPTER 3
    The only light in the gloomy study was a thin shaft that filtered in through a crack between the heavy velvet draperies. It took a few seconds for Andy’s eyes to adjust to the dimness.
    “Come in, young man. Let me have a look at you.”
    The crackly voice came from a dark corner. Andy turned to it. A bent old man with white hair and an equally white mustache sat in a wheelchair, his legs covered with a long rug.
    Andy stepped forward. He looked down at the man but didn’t say