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Authors: Margaret Peterson Haddix
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Let's all sit in a group over there. Okay?" the chaperon said, pointing to the
tables and chairs where the guards had sat the night before.
Jessie liked the chaperon a little better for saying "okay." So it was allowed out here!
"I'm going to the gift shop," Nicole said. "Want to come? I think they sell some of those horseshoes the blacksmith makes."
For a minute, Jessie was tempted. It would be less obvious if she went into whatever this gift shop place was, instead of walking out the door right away. She'd never seen a "gift shop" before. And maybe Nicole would tell her what it was like being a Negro. The only way Nicole seemed different was that she was nicer than the other children.
But Jessie remembered she didn't have time for curiosity.
"No thanks," she finally told Nicole. "I've got to find my, uh, classmates."
Jessie wished she hadn't had to lie to Nicole.
"Okay," Nicole said. "It was nice meeting you."
Jessie watched Nicole turn and walk away. Then, when the chaperon looked the other way, Jessie headed for the front door.
TEN
The world outside had a floor—not quite like the shiny floor inside the building, but solid gray, with lines every four feet or so. And wait—farther on, a little iower, part of the floor was solid black, and kind of tarry. Jessie had never seen anything like it. Who put floors outdoors?
Jessie was so busy looking at the ground that it took her a minute to notice the rows and rows of carriages—at least, they looked kind of like carriages—parked on some of the black floor. There must have been hundreds of them, some shiny red, some blue, others green or white. They gleamed in the sunshine. Jessie went closer to look at one. She heard a woman coaxing a little boy.
"Come on, Jason. Get out of the car," the woman said. "Car," Jessie repeated under her breath. The word did sound like "carriage." So this was what Ma had been talking about
when she said Miles Clifton had a limousine, and a limousine was a very big car. Were these limousines or just regular cars?
Whatever they were, Jessie decided they were grand. She watched one turn in to the driveway near her. It didn't have horses! How did it move?
Hoonk!
The noise sounded like the geese that came through Clifton in the fall and spring. Jessie turned around and saw the hoonk came from a car that had its nose pointed right at her. Inside, a woman sat behind a wheel looking mad.
Jessie jumped out of the way, then looked back as the car sped by. However these cars worked, it seemed they did something to the people in them. Why had the woman looked so mean? Jessie thought of the stories some of the other children in Clifton told about witchcraft. Was that how cars worked? But Jessie hadn't believed such stories before, and she didn't believe them now.
Once the car was gone, Jessie glanced down to see where she was standing. She was relieved to find she was on a patch of grass, beside a small maple tree. The grass was thicker than she was used to, but it still looked good. Whatever else had happened to the world, at least some things were familiar. The outdoor floor didn't go everywhere.
But there wasn't time to relax on the grass and think about that. Jessie saw a sign that said clifton village exit. Was it safe to just walk away from the tourists and all their cars? Casually, Jessie glanced around to make sure no one was watching. A few adults walked among the rows of cars, but none seemed to notice Jessie. Good. Two men were spraying water on a startling bunch of flowers near
the door, but they were facing the opposite direction.
Feeling more confident, Jessie began walking toward the exit sign. She marveled that Ma's plan seemed to be working: Evidently no one had noticed Jessie was gone. Mr. Seward and the others that Ma called "Clifton's men" must think she was sick in bed, like Katie. Otherwise—Jessie shivered. Otherwise there would probably be plenty of guards around, looking specifically for her. And as long as she
tables and chairs where the guards had sat the night before.
Jessie liked the chaperon a little better for saying "okay." So it was allowed out here!
"I'm going to the gift shop," Nicole said. "Want to come? I think they sell some of those horseshoes the blacksmith makes."
For a minute, Jessie was tempted. It would be less obvious if she went into whatever this gift shop place was, instead of walking out the door right away. She'd never seen a "gift shop" before. And maybe Nicole would tell her what it was like being a Negro. The only way Nicole seemed different was that she was nicer than the other children.
But Jessie remembered she didn't have time for curiosity.
"No thanks," she finally told Nicole. "I've got to find my, uh, classmates."
Jessie wished she hadn't had to lie to Nicole.
"Okay," Nicole said. "It was nice meeting you."
Jessie watched Nicole turn and walk away. Then, when the chaperon looked the other way, Jessie headed for the front door.
TEN
The world outside had a floor—not quite like the shiny floor inside the building, but solid gray, with lines every four feet or so. And wait—farther on, a little iower, part of the floor was solid black, and kind of tarry. Jessie had never seen anything like it. Who put floors outdoors?
Jessie was so busy looking at the ground that it took her a minute to notice the rows and rows of carriages—at least, they looked kind of like carriages—parked on some of the black floor. There must have been hundreds of them, some shiny red, some blue, others green or white. They gleamed in the sunshine. Jessie went closer to look at one. She heard a woman coaxing a little boy.
"Come on, Jason. Get out of the car," the woman said. "Car," Jessie repeated under her breath. The word did sound like "carriage." So this was what Ma had been talking about
when she said Miles Clifton had a limousine, and a limousine was a very big car. Were these limousines or just regular cars?
Whatever they were, Jessie decided they were grand. She watched one turn in to the driveway near her. It didn't have horses! How did it move?
Hoonk!
The noise sounded like the geese that came through Clifton in the fall and spring. Jessie turned around and saw the hoonk came from a car that had its nose pointed right at her. Inside, a woman sat behind a wheel looking mad.
Jessie jumped out of the way, then looked back as the car sped by. However these cars worked, it seemed they did something to the people in them. Why had the woman looked so mean? Jessie thought of the stories some of the other children in Clifton told about witchcraft. Was that how cars worked? But Jessie hadn't believed such stories before, and she didn't believe them now.
Once the car was gone, Jessie glanced down to see where she was standing. She was relieved to find she was on a patch of grass, beside a small maple tree. The grass was thicker than she was used to, but it still looked good. Whatever else had happened to the world, at least some things were familiar. The outdoor floor didn't go everywhere.
But there wasn't time to relax on the grass and think about that. Jessie saw a sign that said clifton village exit. Was it safe to just walk away from the tourists and all their cars? Casually, Jessie glanced around to make sure no one was watching. A few adults walked among the rows of cars, but none seemed to notice Jessie. Good. Two men were spraying water on a startling bunch of flowers near
the door, but they were facing the opposite direction.
Feeling more confident, Jessie began walking toward the exit sign. She marveled that Ma's plan seemed to be working: Evidently no one had noticed Jessie was gone. Mr. Seward and the others that Ma called "Clifton's men" must think she was sick in bed, like Katie. Otherwise—Jessie shivered. Otherwise there would probably be plenty of guards around, looking specifically for her. And as long as she
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