Read Online Building Blocks by Cynthia Voigt - Free Book Online

away. “It’ll look better. More as if it was real. You don’t mind playing with blocks?”
    â€œNot a bit,” Brann said. “Not these blocks.” Hisrelief had turned into a feeling of secret celebration, that danced inside of him. Because he was the one, Brann Connell, who had done this, gone back in time; that made him pretty special, special and terrific. There must be some special reason that got him back here.
    Kevin was looking at him, smiling shyly. He was such a little kid, Brann thought, and not much of a little kid at that. About the opposite of special. “Are you my friend?” Kevin asked, with the same hesitating smile, his eyes slipping away. “No,” he said, right away before Brann could think of an answer, “That was stupid. Forget I said it, OK? I mean, I know you’ll be moving on and all that.”
    â€œI’ve got to,” Brann answered. Now I know how, he thought to himself. Besides, he’d go crazy living in this house. He wondered hwy Kevin hadn’t gone crazy already. “I really have to,” he said. “It’s fate.”
    That was what you said when you couldn’t possibly explain.

Four
    The two boys had finished the castle close. That was Kevin’s name for it. Brann would have named it a fortress. It was a castle enclosed by a tall wall, like a fence around a farmyard. The boys made little buildings inside the wall, sheds and storage barns, for animals and for supplies; an overseer’s house, a blacksmiths’ forge, a silversmith’s hut, a mill and a granary, a gardener’s hut (because the castle itself had extensive vegetable gardens). Kevin explained that the serfs would have had their homes outside the close, near the fields. The gateway, built up as high as Brann’s knees, was broad enough to let to wagons through. It would have had a heavy spiked gate that was lowered every evening and raised in the morning. If the lord was away from his castle, the gate would always be kept down and only raised to admit people who were recognized by the lady or the steward. But if the lord was home then the castle gate was kept raised during the day, because he could fight to defend it.
    â€œWhat if he was too old to fight?” Brann asked. “What if he was a bad fighter, or a coward?”
    â€œHe wouldn’t have the castle if he couldn’t fight to hold it. He’d have lost it to some other lord and he might go be a monk and illustrate manuscripts, or be in service to some stronger lord. If he was old—like my grandfather, you mean? He’d have his sons, and the eldest son would run things and the lord would move into a tower or someplace out of the way.”
    â€œHow do you know all this?”
    â€œI read a book,” Kevin said. “My grandparents didn’t have any sons, only daughters.”
    â€œIt’s hot up here,” Brann said. With the door closed, the one window didn’t draw any air in. Brann’s whole body felt sticky with sweat. He went to stand by the window, looking down at the yard and the roof of the garage and the big house behind this one.
    â€œBecause it’s a river valley—the Ohio River Valley—and the air goes along the river. It’s always hot and muggy here in summer.”
    â€œAnd the caves go right under the river? Like a tunnel?” Brann asked.
    â€œThat’s what they say. But not like a tunnel. Because they’re caves formed when rocks shift, or slide,the strata, you know? Not by erosion like caverns.”
    â€œI wouldn’t mind seeing those caves. Have you ever been in them?”
    Kevin shook his head. Of course not, Brann thought, looking at him; he’d be too scared.
    â€œWhat’s that farm like?” Brann asked, just to be doing something , even just talking. Kevin told him about the hills and the river there, the same river, the Ohio, only dirtier because of the big mill towns along