Read Online The People in the Castle: Selected Strange Stories by Joan Aiken - Free Book Online

up?”
    “I’m not sure,” she said, pondering. “I shouldn’t go on after that—none of us would in here—but as to exactly what would happen—; I don’t expect it would be bad. Perhaps we should just go out like lamps.”
    “Well then it must be stopped,” said Wil so firmly that he surprised himself.
    “Can you forbid it? You’re the Heir, aren’t you?”
    “Not till old Uncle Winthrop dies. We’ll have to think of some other plan.”
    “I have an idea,” said Em, wrinkling her brow with effort. “In my days, producers would do much for a well-written play, one that had never been seen before. Is it still like that nowadays?”
    “Yes I think so, but we don’t know anyone who writes plays,” Wil pointed out.
    “I have a play laid by somewhere,” she explained. “The writer was a friend of my father—he asked my father to take it up to London to have it printed. My father bade me take care of it and I put it in my bundle of clothes. It was on the journey, as we were passing through Oxford, that I was seen and carried off by my respected grandmother, and I never saw my father or Mr. Shakespeere again, so the poor man lost his play.”
    “Mr. Shakespeare, did you say?” asked Wil, stuttering slightly. “What was the name of the play, do you remember?”
    “I forget. I have it here somewhere.” She began delving about in a cranny between two branches and presently drew out a dirty old manuscript. Wil stared at it with popping eyes.
    The Tragicall Historie of Robin Hoode
    A play by Wm. Shakespeere
    Act I, Scene I. Sherwood Forest. Enter John
    Lackland, De Bracy, Sheriff of Nottingham,
    Knights, Lackeys and attendants.
    john l .  Good sirs, the occasion of our coming hither
    Is, since our worthy brother Coeur de Lion
    Far from our isle now wars on Paynim soil,
    The apprehension of that recreant knave
    Most caitiff outlaw who is known by some
    As Robin Locksley; by others Robin Hood;
    More, since our coffers gape with idle locks
    The forfeiture of his ill-gotten gains.
    Thus Locksley’s stocks will stock our locks enow
    While he treads air beneath the forest bough.

    “Golly,” said Wil. “Shakespeare’s Robin Hood. I wonder what Mr. Slockenheimer would say to this?”
    “Well don’t wait. Go and ask him. It’s yours—I’ll make you a present of it.”
    He wriggled back through the leaves with frantic speed, slammed the door, and raced down the passage towards the Great Hall. Mr. Slockenheimer was there superintending the packing of some expensive and elaborate apparatus.
    “ Hello, Junior. Haven ’t seen you in days. Well, how d’you like the thought of moving to Hollywood, eh?”
    “Not very much,” Wil said frankly. “You see, I’m used to it here, and—and the house is too; I don’t think the move would be good for it.”
    “Think the dry air would crumble it, mebbe? Well, there’s something to what you say. I’ll put in air-conditioning apparatus at the other end. I’m sorry you don’t take to the idea, though. Hollywood’s a swell place.”
    “ Mr. Slockenheimer, ” said Wil, “I’ve got something here which is rather valuable. It’s mine—somebody gave it to me. And it’s genuine. I was wondering if I could do a sort of swap—exchange it for the house, you know.”
    “It would have to be mighty valuable,” replied Mr. Slockenheimer cautiously. “Think it’s worth a million, son? What is it?”
    “It’s a play by Mr. Shakespeare—a new play that no one’s seen before.”
    “Eh?”
    “I’ll show you,” said Wil confidently, pulling out the MS.
    “ The Tragicall Historie of Robin Hoode, ” read Mr. Slockenheimer slowly. “By Wm. Shakespeere. Well I’ll be goshdarned. Just when I’d finished the indoor scenes. Isn’t that just my luck? Hey, Junior—are you sure this is genuine?—Well, Jakes will know, he knows everything. Hey,” he called to his secretary, “come and take a look at this.”
    The dry Mr. Jakes let out a whistle when he saw the