Free Doorways to Infinity by Geof Johnson Page A

and you won’t overhear anything. What time did you hear the Russian guy?”
    “In the morning.”
    “That doesn’t tell us much,” Jamie said. “They could be anywhere. They could’ve been talking in a shadow from artificial light.”
    Carl crossed his arms again and said, “Sammi, if you overhear anything with your magic, tell us right away. Until then, let’s all try to be careful, especially with cell phones and Facebook and stuff.”
    “We will,” Jamie said. “And if it’s really serious, we can always go to my stone house in Rivershire to talk. Nobody can eavesdrop on us there.”
    “Unless they have a Shadow Witch,” Fred said and patted Sammi on the head.
    Sammi beamed proudly. “And there aren’t very many of us around. Momma Sue said so.”
    “Right,” Jamie said. “You’re our secret weapon.”

Chapter 4
    The weather was gray and turning colder on Tuesday afternoon when Jamie went across the street to Fred’s house. He was going to take Sammi downtown to meet Fred after she got off work, and together they were going to Mike’s on Main Street for milkshakes. Sammi wanted to go a little early so that she could look for something in the nearby shops for her parents’ Christmas present.
    Nova, who had arrived at Fred’s on Sunday, answered the door when Jamie knocked, and she let him in. He looked around the room and said, “Where is everybody?”
    “Working,” she said. “It’s just me and Sammi here.”
    “You coming with us?”
    “Rollie and I are going to catch a movie matinee.”
    “Do you need Sammi to chaperone you?” he said with a wink.
    “Uh…no. We were waiting for you to show up so Sammi wouldn’t be home alone. Can you take it from here?”
    “Where is she?”
    “Downstairs, watching cartoons on the big TV.” She turned and cupped her hands to her mouth. “Sammi! Jamie’s here. I’m leaving.”
    “Wait!” came a muffled reply, then the rapid patter of footsteps coming up the carpeted steps. She streaked to Nova and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Come with us, Nova. Please?”
    “I’d like to, but me and Rollie need some time alone.”
    “But you’ll be at the theater with lots of other people.”
    “I know, but we want…what I mean is….” She let out a frustrated-sounding sigh. “I can’t explain it yet, but you’ll understand when you get older.”
    Sammi wrinkled her nose and released Nova. “Okay, but you’d better sleep in my room again tonight.”
    “Wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll see you later, okay?” She waved goodbye and let herself out the door.
    “Are you ready to go?” Jamie asked Sammi.
    “I gotta get my purse.”
    She turned and raced to the stairs, and as she ran up to her bedroom, Jamie called after her, “You’re only seven years old. What do you need a purse for?”
    “Stuff.”
    She returned a minute later with a shiny pink pocketbook on one arm. Jamie eyed it before he opened the front door. “You don’t have makeup in there, I hope.”
    “No. I have all my money, and Chapstick, and some gum, and a little jar of healing jelly that Fred gave me, and a picture of Leora.”
    They stepped outside onto the stoop and Jamie waited while she locked the dead bolt with her key. Then they walked down the brick steps toward Jamie’s house, where his blue Chevy sat in the driveway. He said, “How did you get a picture of Leora?”
    “Mrs. Wallace brought her camera and took pictures of all the kids at the Rivershire School, and then she had them printed. She made an extra one for me.”
    “Do you write to Leora much?”
    “Every day, even if it’s just a little note, and I put it through the little magic portal that you made to the Rivershire School. I write to my other friends there, too, like Milly and Aiven.”
    “That’s history’s first interplanetary correspondence. Do you realize that?”
    “Is that important?”
    Jamie shrugged. “Do you miss that school?”
    “Unh hunh. It’s really nice. I