The Last Stand of Daronwy Read Online Free PDF Page B

It’s quite kind of you.”
    â€œOf course, Father,” Mom said. “I hope you enjoy it.”
    The gumbo warmed Jeremy’s belly and tasted like black pepper on his tongue. Jeremy smiled. “It’s really good, Mom.”
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œHave you been out fishing lately?” Dad asked the priest.
    â€œWell, the Christmas rush is a pretty busy time.” The Father chuckled and Dad laughed. “I managed to get out last week. I didn’t catch a thing, but it was good to be on the water again. I’m thinking you have only warm weather fish down here. They never bite in winter.”
    â€œCould be. What were you using?”
    â€œBlack and orange worms.”
    â€œDid you fish in Ireland?” asked Jeremy.
    â€œPa fished. And me two older brothers. I’d sometimes go and help with the nets.”
    â€œWhat did y’all catch?”
    â€œCod. And any other white fish that Pa thought he could sell.”
    â€œWere you out on the ocean?” asked Rosalyn.
    â€œAye.”
    â€œCool!” said Jeremy.
    â€œNot when a storm was a-blowing in. I’ve seen waves twice the height of our boat. I decided to take on a profession that kept my feet on the ground.” He eyed Jeremy. “Has school started again?”
    Jeremy’s shoulders bent forward. “Yes, sir.”
    â€œStill hate it, do ya?”
    â€œYes, sir.” Jeremy stared into his gumbo.
    â€œJeremy, you have to see that school is merely what you make of it. Have you been to your woods lately?”
    â€œYes, sir. I made some maps of the trails and—”
    Rosalyn interrupted. “I love school! Today we made… ”
    Jeremy stopped listening and ate his gumbo in silence. After the dishes had been cleared from the table, Mom, Dad, and Father Pat drank coffee in the living room. Jeremy went to his room, picked up the finished maps of Twin Hills, and brought them back out. He waited for a break in the conversation. None came, so he raised his hand.
    â€œCan I show Father Pat my maps of Twin Hills?”
    Mom looked at Father Pat. “Oh, it’s fine,” he said, smiling and gesturing to the maps with his hand. “Bring them here.”
    Jeremy grinned and sat down next to him on the couch, unfurling the map of Twin Hills. “This is the forest across the street from here. See, there’s the street.”
    â€œAren’t there more than two houses on this street?”
    â€œWell that’s mine, and that one is Daniel’s at the other end. See, it has a chimney. I didn’t have time to draw all the others. Anyhow, this part,” Jeremy put his hand over the curved trails on the left side of the map, “is Helter Skelter. And this part,” Jeremy put his hand over the pond on the right side, “is Twin Hills. But we often call the whole thing Twin Hills.”
    â€œWhy is it called Helter Skelter?”
    Jeremy shrugged. “It just is.”
    â€œHave I seen these?” his dad asked.
    â€œNo, not yet, come look.” Dad sat on the other side of him. “I drew the whole thing like you’re looking at it from my room. North is to the left. See the compass rose? In front of the woods are these fun bike trails that Loren built with ramps and curves. But if you go farther, you get to the pond and the tar pit next to it. There are all these burned boards in the tar pit, but I didn’t draw those.”
    â€œA tar pit? With black tar?” asked Father Pat.
    â€œYes, sir, and—”
    â€œYou don’t swim in it, do you?”
    Jeremy’s nose crinkled. “No, sir. The pond has black water and bright green algae all over it; that’s why I called it Algae Pond. Then there’s Street Swamp down here below it, but there’s a line of hills there against it. Those are the Swamp Hills. And then as you go to Daniel’s side of the pond—”
    â€œThe south side,