Jack Adrift Read Online Free Page A

of fire.
    â€œI’ve been meaning to take this opportunity to welcome you to our school,” she said politely, dipping a tea bag into a cup of steaming water. She stood and leaned across her desk to shake. Her hand was large and her fingers wrapped around my palm and wrist like bony cables. “Take a seat,” she said, releasing her grip. I tipped back into a chair. “I’ve been thinking that your arrival at First Flight Elementary is a great opportunity for all of us, because we have a problem here and I think a new boy like you can help.” She fished the tea bag out of the cup and squeezed it dry. “Let me explain. Last year there was a horrendously bad gum-chewing epidemic going on around campus. Just awful. Gum was stuck everywhere, to everything. Over the summer we had to pay out a lot of money to have the gum professionally removed. And this year, I don’t want it to get
started again. So here’s what I plan to do, and here is where you fit in. I’m going to make a new school service position—we have a head of safety patrol, and a head of school spirit, and a head of academic excellence. And now I’m going to give you the title of Respect Detective. You will be the head of school respect. What do you think of that?”
    With her little finger she dabbed at the caked red lipstick in the corners of her mouth, then paused. I wasn’t sure what she wanted from me. I tried to look into her eyes for a clue, but when I did mine slid away from hers as if our eyes were opposing magnets. I glanced around her office to see if I could gather any hints. Her bookshelves were lined with detective novels. She had a target-shooting trophy in the shape of an enormous golden pistol. Her letter opener looked like a bayonet. There was a framed photograph of her dressed as a police officer. All I could assume was that she had had a previous career in law enforcement before deciding to run a school. Perhaps, she figured, if she could set straight the up-and-coming criminals when they were young, it was better than catching them after they had committed some awful crimes as adults. That made sense to me.
    Mrs. Nivlash cleared her throat. “Well?” she asked.
    Her hands gripped and twisted and ungripped each
other like competing wrestlers. I could tell she was a person who didn’t like to be disappointed. In this case I knew it was better to follow Dad’s rule and tell her exactly what she wanted to hear.
    â€œI’m very excited,” I said, as respectfully as possible. “Very.”
    â€œGood,” she said warmly, then stood up and closed her door. When she sat down again she smiled gleefully and leaned toward me. “Now here’s the plan. I’m going to allow gum chewing for a one-week trial period. If they’re good, I’ll promise to extend it for another week but, believe me, it won’t get that far. Now, you may think it is mighty strange that a principal would allow gum chewing, but there is a method to my madness. I’m guessing that our little gum-sticking criminal will not resist the first opportunity to stick his or her gum where it does not belong, and this is where you come in. As the newly created Respect Detective, you will be my eyes and ears among the students. You will identify the gum sticker, and you will turn him in to me. In return,” she said slowly, pointing her finger directly into my face, “I will take very good care of you. Unless you do something bad yourself, I will see to it that nobody troubles you. Any questions?”
    â€œWell, what if nobody sticks gum on things?”
    She threw her head back and laughed so hard she
snorted. “Impossible!” she said when she had settled down. “We’re dealing with kids . Give them any little chance to screw things up and they will.”
    She unlocked a file-cabinet drawer beneath her desk, opened it, and removed a manila folder clearly marked