The Children's Crusade Read Online Free PDF Page A

never seen any other dancers so he took her word for it.
    He stood up and dug his bare toes into the soft wet riverbank. “I don’t care about that stuff, neither,” he told Marya. “It was fun, being picked for the mission and all, but after that…”
    He glanced over his shoulder. He was going to tell Marya something he had never said out loud to anyone. “It weren’t so bad over there, you know. Not so bad as Kerwyn says. The air weren’t that bad. It was a sight better than where I came from. The water, too.” He thrust out his bottom lip as he thought about things. “And only a few of the little ’uns looked like they was getting the stick at all regular.” He shook his head. “That Kerwyn. He’s such a jerk.”
    Marya didn’t respond—not even to this bold statement. She just stared at the Shimmers. He’d never get her attention with them about. He would have tried running them off, but this was their spot. He figured they’d never go.
    He sighed and flopped back down onto the rowboat. Maybe if he tried harder to care aboutthe Shimmers, he’d be able to spend more time with Marya. He sat silently beside her, watching the fancy creatures dance their fancy patterns. They were kind of mesmerizing. Still, Marya outshone even their glowing presence.
    â€œYou ever try dancing with ’em?” he asked.
    Marya finally gazed straight at Daniel. It made his heart feel all gooshy. “Dance with them?” she repeated. “How could I? Look at them.”
    He watched them for a few more seconds. Marya could do anything, he was sure of it. Why didn’t she see that?
    â€œOh, just you wait,” he assured her. “You’re bound to catch on sooner or later. Besides, they’ve been here a long time. A real long time.”
    Marya’s shoulders slumped. “So have I,” she mumbled. “Only I never grow up. I just stay the same.”
    â€œWho’d want to grow up?” Daniel said. “Not me!”
    Marya stared down at her feet. Her long hair covered her face, but Daniel could tell that she’d gone all quiet inside again.
    Now you’ve gone and done it , Daniel scolded himself. He forgot that Marya wasn’t always happy to be in Free Country. And that she’d probably been trying to dance like the Shimmers as long asshe’d been here. “Snaffle me, Marya. I’m sorry.” Do something , he told himself. Make it better.
    He sat back up and felt the weight in his inside coat pocket. Perfect! “Never mind that,” he said, pulling out the ballerina statue. “Look, I brought you something.” He handed Marya the dancing girl. She stared down at it, her green eyes wide.
    His stomach felt suddenly sick. She was supposed to smile when he gave her the doll. “What’s the matter?” he asked. “I thought you’d like it. You’re always thinking about the old palace days and learning to be a ballerina and all.”
    â€œI do like it. I do,” Marya told him.
    Girls are funny , Daniel thought. Marya’s lips are smiling, but her eyes are still sad.
    â€œShe’s beautiful. I promise I like it,” Marya assured him. As if to prove it, she kissed the statue’s head and looked up at Daniel.
    Daniel wished she had kissed him instead. It made him want to smash the stupid statue. He shoved his hands into his overcoat pockets.
    She still didn’t seem ready to leave the Shimmers, so he lay back down beside her. At least now, though, she was looking at the statue he’d given her instead of at the shining dancers above the pool.
    â€œTell me what it was like,” Daniel asked her,“in that Petersburg place of yours . ”
    â€œI’ve told you a dozen times,” Marya protested.
    â€œBut I like hearing the telling,” he said. What he truly liked was the excuse to stay close to Marya. He liked having her tell him