Touch the Sky (Young Underground #8) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Matthias was inspecting the propeller, running his hand along one of the edges. He looked up with surprise.
                  “ Forget something? ” he asked.
                  Peter reached into his pocket and held out the keys. “ I forgot to give you these. ”
                  “ Oh, the keys. ” Matthias smiled and stretched out his hand to take them. “ Thanks. ”
                  Peter nodded and turned to go, but Matthias held him with a hand on his shoulder.
                  “ Peter? Wait a minute. There ’ s something I need to tell you. ”
                  Peter froze, then somehow managed to turn around and face the man. Matthias looked worried as he fingered his keys.
                  “ It ’ s about ...” he began, then stopped in midsentence as someone came stomping down the dock in their direction. It was one of the shipyard workers, a friend of Uncle Morten ’ s. Peter didn ’ t know his name, but he was short and round and always smiling.
                  “ Hey, nice plane, ” said the little man, strutting up to the plane. “ Is this what they call a Stinson? ”
                  Matthias shook his head, smiled politely, and let go of Peter ’ s shoulder. “ It ’ s a De Havilland. Hundred - and - twenty - horsepower Gipsy engine. I had those floats mounted by a couple of fellows in Finland, the Karhumaki brothers.... ”
                  Peter slipped away gratefully and started up the gangplank as the men continued to talk about Matthias ’ s airplane.
                  “ Peter, would you tell Henrik ’ s mother I ’ ll be right there? ” Matthias called after him. “ And I ’ ll ... ah, I ’ ll talk to you again later. ”
                  “ Sure, ” replied Peter as he sprinted toward the city.
                  Back in Henrik ’ s apartment, the adults and Elise were sitting around the kitchen table eating little slices of pound cake. Peter walked down the hallway to Henrik ’ s room but stopped in the doorway when he saw Mrs. Melchior hovering over Henrik, who was trying to get up out of his bed.
                  “ I ’ m fine now, Mother, ” Henrik protested. “ You don ’ t want me to take that stuff if I ’ m feeling fine, do you? ”
                  “ Now you ’ re feeling fine all of a sudden? ” she asked.
                  “ But what about what he said, Mother? ”
                  “ You ’ re just trying to change the subject, Henrik Melchior. Your father used to do that.... ”
                  Her voice trailed off, and she sat down on the bed next to Henrik. The battle over the stomach medicine was suddenly over.
                  “ You ’ re not really going to marry Matthias, are you, Mother? ” Henrik ’ s voice was barely a whisper.
                  Peter stood up straight when he realized Henrik didn ’ t know he was standing there.
                  Henrik ’ s mother paused. “ I ’ m sorry he brought it up before I could speak to you about it, Henrik. We haven ’ t made any definite decisions yet. ”
                  When she stood up to leave the room, Henrik finally noticed Peter standing out in the hall. Mrs. Melchior patted him on the shoulder as she walked by.
                  “ Mrs. Melchior, ” said Peter quietly, “ Matthias said to tell you he would be right back. ”
                  “ Thank you, Peter. ” Mrs. Melchior nodded and smiled as she disappeared down the hall.
                  Henrik sat up straight and turned to his friend. “ Well? Did you find your gun? ” he whispered.
                  “ Not so loud. ” Peter checked down the hall, then slipped in closer to the bed. “ Elise and I were looking, and he