Read Online The Magician's Bird by Emily Fairlie - Free Book Online Page A

some glitter and hot pink sequins. I want to bedazzle that new sweatshirt I picked up for Misti.
    Thanks,
    Wanda
----
    Quote under a Life magazine photo of the magician Alphonse Marchetti
    â€œAll of my secrets are within the Marchetti Bird.
She can tell you all the tales of my life.”
Alphonse Marchetti
    Bud looked at the Life magazine printout that Laurie had made and shook his head. “Why can’t anything be straightforward with this guy? What the heck is this supposed to mean?”
    Laurie shrugged. “He was a magician. Magicians are supposed to be mysterious.”
    â€œI guess. Did you mostly find out stuff about the bird, then?” Bud handed the printout back to Laurie.
    Laurie nodded. “Pretty much. Did you find anything out about the murder?”
    Bud made a face. “Yeah. It’s pretty gross.”
    â€œGreat.” A murder was bad enough, but a gross murder was going to be hard to take. Laurie had a weak stomach when it came to that kind of thing.
    Laurie leaned up against the shed. “Misti’s coming, right?” It was starting to get dark outside, and the whole yard was looking a little spooky. She wasn’t usedto seeing the school except in full daylight, and there seemed to be more shadows than there should’ve been.
    Bud wasn’t worried about the shadows. He was just happy he wasn’t watching another Swedish movie about people who didn’t seem to do anything but have long discussions and die. He’d seen enough of those to last a lifetime.
    â€œShe’ll be here. She said something about a bedazzling accident. She might be a little late.”
    Laurie stared at him. “A bedazzling accident? What’s that?”
    â€œBeats me.” Bud said, watching something moving in the distance. “Wait, I think that’s her.”
    Misti appeared at the edge of the school yard. She didn’t look happy.
    Laurie sucked in her breath. “Wow. I think I know what a bedazzling accident is.”
    Misti was wearing a big gray sweatshirt with her shorts and T-shirt, and it looked like a crafts store had exploded all over it. Laurie could see sequins, lace, glitter, lamé, and a bunch of other things she didn’t even know the names of. It wasn’t a look that even Misti could pull off.
    â€œNot a word,” Misti said, stalking past them andjerking open the door to the shed.
    â€œI wasn’t going to say anything, I swear.” Laurie bit her lip. Giggling would not go over well right now.
    â€œBelieve it or not, I got off lucky. My sister Tiffi got a jumpsuit. A JUMPSUIT. I don’t even know how my mom managed to find one. We’re planning to spill grape juice in the near future.” Misti inspected the trapdoor. She’d glued a big piece of scrap plywood over the hole, so it looked terrible, but not like a secret passageway. “The hot glue seems to have done the job, though.” She gave Laurie a small smile. “Maybe Maria Tutweiler has some spare clothes in there.”
    ----
    Possible Acts of Vengeance for the
Bedazzled Sweatshirt
by Misti Pinkerton, rising seventh grader,
with assistance from Laurie Madison
and Bud Wallace
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  1. Bedazzled Mother’s Day gift.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  2. Bedazzled birthday gift.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  3. Bedazzled Christmas gift.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  4. Bedazzled Valentine’s Day gift.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  5. Bedazzled Thanksgiving gift.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  6. Bedazzled Fourth of July gift.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  7. Bedazzled Labor Day gift.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  8. Join punk band, bedazzle self.
----
    It was Misti who first noticed that something was wrong with the room.
    She grabbed Laurie’s arm just as Bud plunked his backpack down onto one of the wing chairs. “Bud, stop. Look.”
    Bud froze. He didn’t know what she was talking about, but he knew it