Read Online The Second Ship by Richard Phillips - Free Book Online Page A

several sentences long?”
    Mark cleared his throat. “We studied together. I got grounded for doing poorly on my science test last week. I spent a lot of time with Jennifer and Heather studying to do well on this test. We memorized a good portion of the text.”
    “Ridiculous.” Ms. Gorsky stomped her foot to emphasize the point, an act that reminded Heather of the dancing elephant on the GE commercial. “The wording is exactly the same. Nobody memorizes the text. They copied from each other.”
    “Sir,” Heather said, “even if we wanted to copy, it’s just not possible. Ms. Gorsky has us sitting across the room from each other. There’s no way that Mark could see either one of our papers, or vice versa.”
    “Is that correct, Ms. Gorsky?” Principal Zumwalt asked.
    The rotund history teacher scowled at her students before turning back toward the principal. “Yes, but that only means they came up with some sort of signaling scheme to pull it off.”
    Principal Zumwalt interlocked his fingers under his chin. “So, you’re saying they tapped out the paragraph in Morse code?”
    Where Mark’s face had been bright red, Ms. Gorsky’s turned purple. “Yes. Maybe not that way, but they passed the information somehow.”
    “But you didn’t actually hear any tapping or see them passing a note or anything of the kind?”
    “No, I didn’t. But I didn’t have to. Look at the paragraphs I circled with my red marker. If they all memorized that so well that they can quote it word for word, then I am an idiot.” Ms. Gorsky glared at the principal, as if daring him to accuse her of being wrong.
    Principal Zumwalt paused for several seconds, then turned toward Mark. “Young man, would you mind telling me the quote you used from your text in response to question number three?”
    A look of hope dawned on Mark’s face. “‘Whereas Longstreet was consumed with a growing dread at the thought of an attack up that long gradual slope, an attack which reminded him of the slaughter his own men had inflicted upon the forces of the north at Fredericksburg, Pickett was overcome with enthusiasm. Feeling that his unit had been unfairly kept from achieving their share of the glory in the previous two days of battle, General Pickett demanded that he be allowed to lead the charge on the morning hence, a charge that would eternally bear his name.’”
    As Mark spoke, Principal Zumwalt’s eyes followed along the paragraph circled in red. Raising an eyebrow, he turned back to Ms. Gorsky.
    “Well, Harriet, unless you have some additional evidence, I have to conclude that these young people did, in fact, memorize that section of text from the book. Although it is unusual that they all used the same quote, this appears to be a case of a zealous study group, not a case of cheating.”
    Ms. Gorsky’s mouth opened and then shut with an audible snap. Grabbing the papers from the principal’s desk, she stormed from the office, glaring down at the three companions as she opened the door. “Don’t believe for a second that I won’t have my eye on you, all of you. You don’t fool me. Watch yourselves.”
    With that, the large woman swept from the office, not bothering to close the door behind her.
    The principal waved his hand at them. “You are all free to go.”
    Heather grabbed her backpack, leading the others out into the empty hallway and then through the broad double doors onto the entrance walkway, her head still spinning from the encounter. This wasn’t really the way she had wanted to make a name for herself as a junior in high school.
    “Great. We missed our bus,” Mark exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. “Can this week get any better?”
    “I’ll call Mom to come and pick us up,” Heather said. “I’m not really looking forward to explaining why.”
    Jennifer sat down on the step. “No kidding.”
    Heather made the call, then flipped her cell phone closed before stowing it back in her bag. “She’s on her