Sarah, had a fear of being in close places. He shook his head and said, âThat would be a hard thing, Josh. I would rather go almost anywhere than down a hole in the ground like that.â
Josh nodded. âMe too, Dave. But sheâs one of the Seven. Weâll have to go when she sends for us.â
A heaviness fell over the group, as all realized that sooner or later they would have to go into the Kingdom of the Underworld.
8
Reb Sets a Trap
I wish youâd watch what youâre doing, Wash,â Reb snapped irritably. âYou left your stuff all over my bunk.â
Wash looked up from where he was sitting on his own cot, reading a small book. He was the mildest mannered of all the Sleepers, but now he glared at Reb. âYouâre a fine one to talk. You scatter your stuff around like a junkman!â
For a minute, Reb seemed ready to get up and go to war, then he chuckled. âIf we have to wait much longer, weâre going to start the Civil War all over again.â He walked over to the window and stared out. âI sure do hate this waiting,â he complained gloomily. âSometimes I think we ought to just start out looking for that placeâthat Underworld.â
Wash had calmed down by now too. He put his book down and came over to stare out the window with Reb. Outside, the trees were swaying from a stiff breeze.
Looking at the thick forest, the smaller boy shook his head. âThat wouldnât do any good. We could wander forever looking for the entrance to that underground city. Itâd be like looking for a needle in a haystack.â
âI reckon so,â Reb admitted. âBut I think Josh is about to lose his mind. Heâs worse than any of us.â
âThatâs because heâs the leader,â Wash said. âHe feels responsible.â
âWasnât his fault Abigail wouldnât go with us.â
âNo, itâs not. But he thinks it isâand sometimes thatâs just as bad.â
Then Jake entered. âGot something to tell you,â he said.
âWhat is it, Jake?â Reb asked. âDid we get word from Abbey?â
âNo, not that. But somethingâs going on around here.â
âGoing on? Like what?â Wash demanded.
Jake got the look on his face that both boys had learned to dislike. Jake was very smart, but he was also very difficult at times. When he knew something that none of the others did, he liked to stretch it out and let them wallow in their own ignorance, as he put it.
âIf you wouldnât sleep so much,â the redheaded youngster said, âmaybe youâd know as much as I do.â
âI donât sleep any more than you do,â Wash argued. âWhat are you talking about?â
Reb frowned. âAw, he donât know anything, Wash. He just likes to show off.â
Jake straightened up. He was rather short anyway, and he resented Rebâs tall stature. âThatâs all you know,â he taunted. âIf you knew what I know, youâd be a lot smarter. And if youâd listen to me more, youâd know more.â
Reb slumped on his cot in disgust. âWe know you can name all the capitals of the states, but that donât mean muchâseeing that there ainât no states anymore. What is it this time?â
Jake teased them for a while but finally got serious. âIâve been waking up at night for the last two nights. And you know thatâs not like meâI usually sleep pretty good.â
The other two grinned at each other, then Reb nodded. âThatâs the truth! You sleep like youâre dead. Never knew anything to wake you up.â
âThatâs what bothers me.â Jake scratched his head and went over to the window. He looked out. âLast night and the night before last, in the middle of the night, Ithought I heard something. Well, I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldnât. So finally I got up and
Sharon Kleve, Jennifer Conner, Danica Winters, Casey Dawes