Read Online Seven Dead Pirates by Linda Bailey - Free Book Online Page B

hire a babysitter,” said Mrs. Dearborn.
    “What?” said Lewis. “No! Please! Nobody my age has babysitters. Kids my age
are
babysitters.”
    His mother rolled her eyes. What
other
kids did, she said, was no concern of hers.
    Mrs. Binchy came to the rescue. “Not to worry, Mrs. Dearborn. I’ll be home early, eight at the latest. And, really, it’s as peaceful as the grave out here.”
    Reluctantly, Mrs. Dearborn agreed.
    “Keep the doors
locked
,” she told Lewis, as she andMr. Dearborn left for dinner. She was wearing her shoes with the buckles instead of the ones with the laces. For her, Lewis knew, that was dressing up.
    “You have my number,” she said. “And if you have to call the fire or police—”
    “Nine-one-one,” said Lewis. How stupid could he be not to know
that
?
    As soon as they left, he headed upstairs and stretched out on the brass bed. It was just quarter to five, and he thought he might read for a while before eating the casserole Mrs. Binchy had left in the oven. Soon he was deep into a novel about two boys lost in the Amazon rain forest. Snakes, giant insects, piranhas …
    When his skin prickled, he thought it was just the danger in the book. Then he glanced up.
    Seven dead pirates were gathered around his bed.
    He let out a scream!
    The pirates let out a few good screeches themselves. Most of them glowed several shades brighter.
    “It’s true!” cried Lewis, once he’d caught his breath.
    “What? What?” demanded Crawley, looking rattled. “Speak, boy!”
    “It’s true that you get brighter when you’re upset.”
    “
Who’s
upset?” hollered Jack, shaking his fist. “Why, I’ll—”
    “Sssst!” ordered Crawley. He raised his eyebrows at Lewis. “Well?”
    The others smiled expectantly.
    “Oh,” said Lewis, looking around. “I guess you’re here about …”
    “Aye!” said Crawley. “The plan!”
    Lewis felt a stab of guilt. “It’s not
quite
ready,” he said. “I’m … I’m working on it.”
    “Aye.” Crawley nodded happily. “We sees you sitting here, day after day, dreaming up schemes. I’m sure it will be a
grand
plan, what with all this thinking.”
    “Pah!” said Jack.
    “Well …” said Lewis, suddenly eager to leave. He closed his book and scrambled off the bed.
    But Moyle stepped forward, blocking his way. “Why, lookee here, Captain! See this great thick book the lad holds? As easy for him as climbing a mast. I
told
you he could read to us.”
    Lewis held his breath. What now?
    “Aye,” agreed Captain Crawley. “Doubtless, he can. Adam! Fetch the book.”
    Adam ran to the glass cabinet. He held up a book. “This one?”
    “No,” said Bellows. “It were red.”
    Adam searched again. “This?”
    “No, it were smaller,” said Skittles. Pushing pastAdam, he reached for a shabby red book. “Here it be!”
    He thrust it in Lewis’s face. “Read!”
    Lewis peered, dumbfounded, at the cover.
Peter and Wendy
, it said in letters so faded they were almost indecipherable. He thought for a moment. “Peter Pan?”
    “Aye,” chorused the pirates. “Peter Pan.” They sank, one by one, to the floor and gazed raptly up at him. Looking down, Lewis thought that—except for their age and filthy clothes and missing body parts—they could have been a storytime group in a library.
    Tentatively, he opened the book.
    “Read!” demanded Crawley.
    “I’m not … very good at reading aloud,” said Lewis. “Usually I just—”
    “Read!”
    Lewis took a deep breath and began. “All … all children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew—”
    “No!” said Moyle. “Not that! Find where it tells about Captain Hook!”
    “Aye,” said the others. “Give us Hook!”
    Lewis tried to explain. “It’s not that easy. You can’t just open a book to—”
    Jack leaped to his feet. “FIND CAPTAIN HOOK!” he roared, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
    “I’ll try,” said Lewis