Barefoot Pirate Read Online Free Page A

can’t end now...”
    The book said:
    Kevriac learned, though, the nature of the enchantment on Prince
Troial. A terrible one indeed: no one born anywhere in the world may come near
the prince, other than the Regent, or the prince will die.
    And the last paragraph read:
    So if you, the Reader from distant Earth , would like to help
them free the prince, then wait until Full Moon night, and repeat these words
three times:
    Narndael en arnda hyt teldehr ehr!
    And you will be transported to their world.

Three
    Nan laid the book down and flicked off the flashlight. Her
first thought was: When’s the next full moon?
    And her second thought was: Joe Robles read this, too .
She frowned into the darkness of her room. What did he mean by wanting to
“talk”? Surely he didn’t believe in magic, much less need to escape to another
world—not a popular kid like him. Especially a boy.
    And what if the book meant only one could go?
    She flicked the flashlight back on, rereading the last
paragraph. “You,” was all it said. Didn’t say whether it meant you-singular or
you-plural. Anger burned in Nan’s middle. It would be just her luck if the
magic only would take one person—and of course this boy meant to behave like a
typical boy and bully her out of going.
    Another world .
    There was no promise it would be like Narnia, or Oz. She
thought, what if I get there and they turn out to be not like people at all—but
monsters? After all, experience showed so far that if she left one situation,
the next was usually worse.
    Turning the flashlight off, she frowned into the darkness of
her room. The book didn’t really say what they looked like, outside of the
comment about Blackeye having black eyes, and Sarilda’s violet eyes, and the
other boy’s pale hair. What if they were nine feet tall, fungus-green, with
fangs, and all they ate was snails?
    But they SOUND good, she thought. So I don’t care what they
look like. McKynzi is supposed to be so pretty, but I can’t see her or her pals
lifting a finger to help an old lady cross a street, much less help a prince
regain his kingdom.
    And Blackeye and her gang also seemed to know about awful
guardians.
    Fungus or not, I want to go.
    She brushed her hand over the book, and again felt that
tingle. Oh yes. Despite all her caution—the practical side of her that was
convinced nothing good would ever happen to her—she was convinced that
Blackeye’s world was magic, and good.
    And I’m going to do that spell.
    She resisted the temptation to turn her light back on and reread
the book. It would be just her luck if one of the Evanses was up, and she’d get
the lecture about proper sleep, and what was keeping her awake so long? Trash
about magic? The only magic was hard work, and obeying those who look out for
you, and you should be grateful...
    She hugged the book against her.
    No one in her life yet had ever cared the least bit about
what she wanted, or liked, or dreamed about, or needed outside of the basics
such as food, clothing, and a roof over her head. She had turned to books to
find what she never found in people.
    Nan flung herself back on her pillow, wishing she could at
least check the shape of the moon. The wind howled, blowing wet snow against
her window. Since sleep was impossible, she lay there listening to the winter
storm, and planned all the practical details of her escape from a world where
no one wanted her.
    o0o
    In the morning, Joe’s house was noisier than usual.
    He slammed out at seven, figuring standing freezing at the
bus stop for an extra few minutes was much better than the headache he’d get
from Mar Tee’s shrieking, Benny’s whining and tears, Maria’s heavy-metal noise,
and Mom fighting with Maria about her short skirts, bare tummy showing her
piercings, and her new tattoo.
    As soon as he shut the door behind him, the silent world of
steady snowfall seemed to enshroud him like a gentle white cloak.
    Then he had a weird thought. He’d assumed the