May Bird Among the Stars Read Online Free Page A

thought better of her reply and added, “But we’ll figure it out.”
    â€œI’m sure if we just think it through …,” Bea added gently, still running her fingers through her curls. She looked at Captain Fabbio uncertainly.
    On the long train ride Bea and Fabbio had shared tales of their many travels, including the day they’d found each other. Beatrice had happened upon him sitting in a cobblestone alley in Fiery Fork, newly deceased, crying into his collar over the loss of his men in the Alps.
    Young Bea, who’d been dead for many long years by then, took him under her wing, revealing her own search for hermother and suggesting that they find their lost loved ones together. They had covered the entire southern half of the realm, from city to town to cemetery, before they’d encountered May and Pumpkin and landed on the train headed north.
    â€œWell.” Bea smoothed her skirt and tried to look reassuring. “You’re our leader. I’m sure it’ll come to you.”
    â€œI’m sure you’re right,” May said halfheartedly.
    Back home May had always dreamed of being an Amazon princess, leading a brave group of warriors through the forest behind her house. Now she surveyed her loyal band: a foolish house ghost who jumped at the word “boo”; an Italian air force pilot with a bad sense of direction; a bookish girl specter; and a courageous but melancholy cat with no fur. And May, shortest of anyone except for Kitty, knobby kneed and bashful, was supposed to lead these four to an unknown farm, in an unknown land far to the north, to talk to an unknown Lady.
    And this Lady, if they ever made it to her, would do one of two things: something extremely kind or something equally nasty.
    Deep in the recesses of South Place, a holo-vision set cast a blue light along the walls of a small, dark room.
    On the screen a blob of a ghost, wearing a moth-eaten suit, addressed the camera: “And in other celebrity news, this Wednesday several eyewitnesses saw the Ever After’s most fearsome henchman, the Bogey, floating across the desert, flat as a pancake and without any pants. Many question whether this had anything to do with the mysterious occurrences at the Eternal Edifice on Tuesday Others wonder, if the Bogey isn’t wearing his pants, who is?”
    One gleaming white eyeball watched the screen from the shadows, and its owner gave out a low, raspy growl. One flat arm, clad in a black sleeve, shot forward and clicked the channel button on the remote with its suction-cup-tipped fingers.
    A letter lay on a nearby table, shining in the glow of the screen. The deadly fingers laid down the remote, and drummed on the paper….
    B.—
    Received your telep-a-gram explaining the strange news coming out of Ether. That a house ghost, three specters, and a living girl could find admittance to the Eternal Edifice gives me great pause. But since you swear to me you have made them into nothing, I will let you slide. A little girl and a house ghost are merely a joke. But take care that this kind of breach does not happen twice.
    Bogey, the time has arrived. You know what I mean. From now on, you will need to put all of your energy into preparing a meeting of every Dark Spirit in the realm. Let’s shoot for October thirty-first. 1 will arrive at midnight.
    Sincerely,
    B.C.
    The holo-vision flickered.
    â€œDo you sometimes feel lost, afraid, hopeless?”
    In the shadows the white eye widened.
    â€œAre you evil but not quite evil enough to get the job done? Do you need someone vicious enough to take care of your enemies but wily enough to keep it confidential? A hunter with a sly mind and killer instincts?”
    The face moved forward into the light—long, white, flat, with sunken cheeks, a pointy chin, and razorlike white teeth—and nodded.
    â€œCall Commander Berzerko!”
    The face sank. The Bogey touched his empty eye socket ruefully. The