A Spy Among the Girls Read Online Free PDF Page B

there is,” she said. “Since you're the best artist in school, it would really help if you'd draw a picture of what you think the abaguchie looks like.”
    Beth and Josh looked at each other, and Caroline came in from the living room. It was a great idea, because Josh had done the scenery last month for the community play, and if the girls could involve him in the experiment, maybe he wouldn't go around telling everyone what they were doing.
    “The abaguchie is a
school
project?” Josh asked.
    Eddie nodded.
    “I thought you guys would know already what the abaguchie looks like. In fact, I thought you had it out there in your garage.”
    Caroline stared at Beth, who stared at Eddie, each wondering what to say.
    “You kept the message secret, I hope,” said Eddie.
    “Peter told me you invited him too,” Josh said. “He couldn't read the word
abaguchie
. Then Jake and Wally said
they
got invitations.”
    “I
knew
we shouldn't have given them to the second-graders,” Beth said.
    “Aha!” said Josh. “You invited the whole school? So what
are
you up to?”
    Eddie looked helplessly at her sisters. There was nothing to do but let Josh in on the secret. Well, not
all
of it, perhaps. “Josh, it's really, really important that you not tell anyone what we're doing, because it's all part of my experiment for the science fair. We're going to keep a record of who shows up. Sort of a psychological study of second through sixth grades—how many kids come from each grade.”
    “You mean, who's dumb enough to believe you've got an abaguchie in your garage?” asked Josh.
    “No, it doesn't have anything to do with smart or dumb.”
    “Who's the most
gullible,
” said Caroline.
    “But if you go around telling people it's an experiment, no one will come, and we were hoping, by saying the message was secret, that each person would decide for him- or herself whether to come or not.”
    Josh thought it over. “And you'd show my drawing of an abaguchie to anybody who comes by?”
    “Yes. I figured we had to show them
some
thing,” said Eddie in a small voice. “We tried to make a picture of it ourselves, but it came out really bad.”
    “Well, actually, Jake and I haven't come up with an idea for the science fair either, so I guess if I drew the picture, it could be my project too, couldn't it?” said Josh.
    Eddie replied agreeably, “Sure! Ask Jake if he wants to help record names and ages and stuff when the kids show up, and he can be in on it too.” Anything to keep the boys from telling.
    “Okay,” said Josh. “We're in. Give me a big sheet of paper, the bigger the better.”
    Eddie exchanged smiles with Beth and Caroline, then went upstairs and returned with a blank poster board, and Caroline got her set of colored markers with the fine-pointed tips. By the time Josh finished, it was a weird and awful animal that could be found nowhere on earth. It had two tails and silver quills down the ridge of its back. There were scales along its sides, bloody fangs protruding from its horrible mouth, and huge yellow talons on each foot. The eyes were bloodshot, and the ears curved like horns.
    Ha!
thought Caroline.
They haven't seen anything yet
.
    “Would you all like some pop and chips?” came Mrs. Malloy's voice from the kitchen. “We won't be eating for another hour or so. Josh, would you like to stay for dinner?”
    “No, thanks. I've got to go pretty soon,” he said. “I'll just take a pop.”
    Eddie quickly smuggled the drawing up to her room, and Caroline collected the colored markers. They sat around the dining room table eating chips, talking about school and snow, which teachers were the best, which were worst, and which hills around Buck-man were best for sledding.
    Finally Josh said he'd better be going.
    “You won't tell any of your friends what we're doing?” Eddie asked.
    “Just Jake,” Josh promised. “Well, and Wally, maybe. He'd have to know.”
    Beth said goodbye to him at the door, and when