Seven Wonders Journals Read Online Free Page B

seem strange at all. But I felt angry and confused. What kind of meeting does a tomb robber go to? Or was he just meeting up with Gencer and his friends at the tavern? Osman and I exchanged a glance without words. I don’t know about other twins, but we can communicate with our eyes.
    Once again, we had been the ones who had done the work. We had been in harm’s way.
    I sighed, turning back to do the dishes. For a change, Osman pitched in to help. “Do you think our luck will change?” I asked. “We haven’t found much of anything in almost a month.”
    Osman shrugged. “It could be worse. We could have to go to school.”
    He had a point. In some ways I don’t mind the life we lead. It’s been ten months since I last went to school, but allI did there was argue with my teachers. They called me insubordinate, which means disobedient, but that is just not true. I am very respectful. I just speak up when people are wrong. I call that strong. And I can’t help being that.
    Anyway, now I like being able to explore the city, finding odd books to read, dodging truant officers. My life must seem pretty special to a normal schoolkid. But truly, Diary, if it meant I could have Mother back, I’d gladly go to school seven days a week and never talk back to a teacher ever again.
    Friday, 12:26 A.M.
    I CAN ’ T BELIEVE what just happened. My brain is racing. Father is back and he’s fallen asleep for now, but I am worried for his life and I don’t know what happened to Gencer or that horrible Greek man who—
    Calm down, Aliyah.
    One. Two. Three.
    Okay.
    Not long after my last entry, Diary, Father fell against the door and stumbled inside—right into the main room where my brother and I were sleeping. (Well, he was sleeping. I only pretended.)
    I kept my eyes closed. I heard Father moving toward Osman and me. Behind my lids I could sense when he bent over me by the way the darkness got darker, if youknow what I mean. A faint whiff of wine made me want to sneeze, but somehow I held still until he turned away.
    He sat down at the table with a deep sigh, and I opened my eyes a crack. He looked very tired and old, sitting there.
    But he nearly leaped off the bed at the sound of a sudden pounding at the door. So did I.
    â€œKhalid!” a deep voice shouted from outside.
    Father sprang up and hurried to the door. “Who’s there?”
    There was another thunderous blow on the door. The cheap lock tore out of the wood and the door swung inward.
    I slitted my eyes wide enough to see what was happening. A man pushed into the room, shoving Father aside with one hand. The intruder was short and thickly built, with a mustache so big it covered his mouth. There was a knife in his belt, but I got the feeling he could do plenty of damage with his huge fists alone.
    A second figure followed him—a skinny, cringing, weaselly man who could only be Gencer. As I lay there my hands curled into fists. Whatever was going on, Gencer was at the bottom of it.
    â€œFeyyaz is not happy with you, Khalid,” the man rumbled. “He knows what you did.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Father said. “Knows what? Who are you?”
    In a flash, the knife was in the man’s hand. My breath caught.
    â€œCall me Vasily the Greek,” the man said. “Feyyaz believes you cheated him. Why else would you leave so suddenly? Your children found something in that tomb, didn’t they? Feyyaz isn’t so easily fooled.”
    As Vasily stepped closer, Father backpedaled, his hands in the air. “There wasn’t anything in that tomb!” he pleaded. “I swear!”
    Vasily went on as if Father hadn’t even spoken, backing him up to the wall. “That stunt the girl pulled with the spider? That almost got you all killed right there, you know. You should be on your knees, grateful that Feyyaz is a man of mercy!” In a blindingly swift