The Battle for the Castle Read Online Free PDF

forgot.”
    â€œWilliam, I could kill you. I knew you weren’t listening to me. You never do.”
    â€œYou know, Jason found a hole up here in the baseboard. Looks like we got mice or rats or something.”
    â€œI told your father that I heard scratching noises up there. But he doesn’t listen to me either. The two of you are just the same,” she said, stomping down the back hallway.
    â€œWe definitely need to get out of here,” William said with a grin.
    â€œAre you sure we can get back?” Jason asked. “I mean there’s no way we’d get stuck in Sir Simon’s time?”
    â€œNot as long as we have the token,” William said. “You changing your mind?”
    â€œNope,” Jason said in a firm voice. The cat began to squirm in his arms and he tightened his hold on her. “When do you want to go?”
    â€œNext Thursday,” William said. “After school.”

CHAPTER 5
    William had his bike halfway up the attic steps when he heard the kitchen door slam. Good. Jason could help him. William had already brought up his backpack filled with food and the binoculars and a flashlight, but the bike was a real pain. The stupid handlebars kept swinging around and hitting him in the chin, and twice the pedal had gotten hooked in the handle of a bucket sitting on the stairs.
    â€œJason?” he called.
    â€œWilliam.”
    Blast. It was his father. Why was he home so early? William’s mind raced. He’d told the coach he was sick. Maybe she’d called his father’s office.
    â€œWilliam, where are you?” his father called again. It sounded as if he were still down in the kitchen.
    The bike was getting heavier by the minute. William couldn’t stand on the steps forever.
    â€œNowhere, Dad. Not home. Go away,” he whispered. “Please.” He heard his father’s footsteps coming up the stairs toward the attic door.
    William was trapped, halfway up and halfway down. The door opened and his father’s face appeared at the bottom of the steps.
    â€œHi, Dad,” William said lamely. “What are you doing home so early?”
    â€œI was checking on a construction site near the gym so I stopped by to watch your practice. Coach said you’d gone home with a headache.”
    William felt like melting through the floor.
    â€œHow’re you feeling?”
    â€œMuch better,” William said.
    â€œIt looks that way. It also looks like you could use some help here.”
    â€œThat’s okay, Dad. I’ve almost got it.”
    William bent his knees, hoisted the bike to his shoulder, and dragged it up one more step.
    â€œI’ll take the back half,” said his father.
    He lifted the rear wheel so quickly that William stumbled up the steps and almost fell into the courtyard of the castle.
    â€œThat’s great, Dad. Thanks. Jason’s coming over. He’s going to teach me some basic maintenance. You know, greasing the hubs and stuff.”
    â€œSeems like the garage would be a better place to do that,” said his father as he got down on his hands and knees and peered through the main gateway of the castle.
    â€œYeah, well, we thought—”
    â€œRemember when I built the moat for this?” his father asked.
    â€œYeah, Dad, it’s great.” Phew, William thought, let’s talk about moats.
    â€œMind if I raise the drawbridge?”
    â€œNo.” William knelt beside him. “Help yourself. You know I don’t really play with this castle anymore. I’m too old for it now. After all, I turned twelve last week.”
    â€œTwelve is twelve.”
    What does that mean? William thought. But his father didn’t explain. He seemed to be concentrating on the miniature lever that raised and lowered the drawbridge.
    â€œTwelve is too old to play with stuff like this,” William said.
    His father pinched the tiny chain between his thumb and forefinger and