Gustav Gloom and the People Taker (9781101620748) by Kristen (ILT) Adam-Troy; Margiotta Castro Page B

for
thinking
that your house was stupid. I meant to apologize for
saying
it. That was rude. Friends don’t treat each other that way.”
    This left Gustav silent for a long time. “Is that what we are?”
    Fernie said, “Aren’t we?”
    He thought about it. “I was hoping we could be. I’ve never really had a friend before.”
    â€œCome on. That can’t be true. What about your family? Mr. Notes? They all seemed pretty friendly.”
    Gustav struggled with what seemed like a difficult explanation. “They try,” he said finally. “I was raised by one very good shadow who isn’t around anymore, and I guess you would call her my friend if you can count the person who acts as your mother as a friend. There are some like Great-Aunt Mellifluous who also do what they can to love me and take care of me, and I love them back, but being with them, being friends with them, doesn’t feel like being with people. It’s more like being with the idea of a person, if you know what I mean. Which can sometimes be even more lonely.”
    â€œBut there are so many of them. Millions, maybe. How could you possibly be lonely when there are so many?”
    Gustav hesitated again. It seemed that some things were hard to speak out loud, if only because that meant looking at them.
    â€œMost of the others don’t really talk to me. They don’t mean me any harm, but they don’t think I belong here and don’t care all that much whether I live or die. They don’t care whether anybody lives or dies. It’s the same reason that somebody like the People Taker can just move in, coming and going whenever he wants, snatching people out in your world and bringing them here for Lord Obsidian’s pleasure. Because they don’t think it’s any of their business.”
    â€œThat’s pretty mean of them,” Fernie said.
    â€œIt’s natural, I guess. It really doesn’t have much to do with them, so they don’t think about it much.”
    After a moment, she said, “Do you always have to run from monsters?”
    â€œThe Beast’s not the first one, if that’s what you mean. He’s not even the worst.”
    â€œIt must be scary living here.”
    â€œSometimes. But it’s like I told you: I’m used to it. I guess that’s another reason why I never really tried to do anything about the People Taker before he snatched all those people on your side of the fence. It just didn’t seem all that unusual to me. Monsters, people takers, beasts, dangerous rooms . . . they’re all just things I’ve grown up with.”
    There wasn’t much she could say about that, either. He gave the impression that he’d realized this would be a part of his life for as long as Fernie was around and that he knew he might as well learn how to deal with it properly.
    â€œEither way,” Gustav said, “having a human friend is going to change things, I think.”
    Fernie gave his arm a comforting squeeze. He didn’t seem to do any better with that than he had with the hug. But he didn’t pull away, either.
    They walked farther. The last of the awkward statues faded. The Too Much Sitting Room grew sharper and more distinct until it was suddenly the only place visible around them. It was now possible to see that many of the motionless people in the chairs were covered with dust and cobwebs, even though in many cases their eyes were open and watching Fernie and Gustav hurry by. Most looked resentful. A few, a very few, mumbled to themselves, giving the impression that whatever conversation they thought they were having had been going around in circles for far longer than anybody on Sunnyside Terrace had been alive.
    Fernie, who was not only hours past her usual bedtime but, after all, wearing pajamas, found herself yawning and thinking about how nice it would be to sink into one of these big chairs, if