announced, "Oh, good! Here's another auditioner. Go ahead, honey. You're next."
Heidi sniggered and tossed a copy of
Orchid the Orca
in Kate's general direction. It landed on the floor, and that's where it stayed.
Kate pointed George to a seat; then she walked in front of the dais. She looked over the panel of judges seated before her. There was Susan Singer-Wright, looking distracted; the new Reading 8, looking nervous; and Walter Barnes, looking asleep. Kate woke him by announcing loudly, "Ladies and gentleman! I am Kate Peters. And, as you shall soon see, I am also
your
choice to play Orchid the Orca!"
Then to everyone's surprise, and George's delight, Kate broke into a song from
Peter Pan.
She visualized her backyard and the big tree and the flying harness. She glided gracefully in place, forward and back, and let the words of "Never Never Land" pour out.
She sang with all the longing inside her for Lincoln and her old way of life. Kate would have continued to belt out the song, but Cornelia leaped to her feet.
"That's enough of that! There is no singing in this role. And no dancing! This is completely inappropriate. If it were a singing role, Heidi would have sung, and sung beautifully. The girl is not even reading from my book."
Cornelia looked pointedly at Susan Singer-Wright. Susan shrugged, banged her gavel, and asked the other judges, "Who votes for Heidi to play Orchid the Orca?" All three dutifully raised their hands. "Who votes for the other girl?" No one moved, so Susan stated the obvious. "Heidi wins."
George walked over to Kate, deliberately stepping on Heidi's copy of
Orchid the Orca
along the way. Kate laughed, bowed deeply to the judges, and started out with him. But before they could leave, the new Reading 8 spoke up. "I think Heidi should have an understudy, though. I vote for Kate Peters for that."
Kate looked back at her, stunned.
So did Cornelia. Her jaws ground violently. But then she smiled. "Yes. Why not? What a good idea. All Broadway stars have understudies. Heidi Whittaker Austin should have what all stars have."
Kate made a slight curtsy to acknowledge the news. Then she and George backed out through the door. As soon as they got into the hallway, Kate grabbed George under the elbow, the way Pogo had grabbed her. She whispered, "No talking! I don't want to talk about what just happened. Ever. I just want to show you something. Something secret."
18. A Language That May or May Not Be Gibberish
An evening thunderstorm was approaching when Kate and George emerged on the roof. She led him to the mushroom cap and showed him how it bent back on a hinge.
The electricity in the air made the hairs on George's head tingle. He smiled at Kate, very curiously, and then followed her down the iron ladder.
At the bottom, Kate fumbled until she found the green lantern. Only then did she break her silence. "Pogo took me here today."
"Pogo? The mute librarian?"
"Yes. Ever since that business with Whit and the book, it's like she wants to tell me something, but she can't. So she's trying to show me, instead."
"Okay. So what did she show you?"
"A secret room. I think it was built behind one of the Whittakers' offices."
George pictured the building plans from the King's County website. He calculated the distance and direction they had traveled and concluded, "It must be behind Cornell Number Two's."
Kate nodded in the dim light. "That would make sense. Some of his stuff is in there."
She took George's hand in hers and reached forward, whispering, "Behold." They pushed the wall and felt it rotate inward. George gasped. Kate confirmed his thought. "That's right. A secret passage."
George held on tightly to Kate's hand as they slipped into the narrow space behind the bookcase. Kate held up the lantern to let him take in the room and its objects. George turned his head slowly, following the glow of the lantern.
Suddenly, Kate's eyes snapped wide open, and she stifled a scream. George whirled around
Heidi sniggered and tossed a copy of
Orchid the Orca
in Kate's general direction. It landed on the floor, and that's where it stayed.
Kate pointed George to a seat; then she walked in front of the dais. She looked over the panel of judges seated before her. There was Susan Singer-Wright, looking distracted; the new Reading 8, looking nervous; and Walter Barnes, looking asleep. Kate woke him by announcing loudly, "Ladies and gentleman! I am Kate Peters. And, as you shall soon see, I am also
your
choice to play Orchid the Orca!"
Then to everyone's surprise, and George's delight, Kate broke into a song from
Peter Pan.
She visualized her backyard and the big tree and the flying harness. She glided gracefully in place, forward and back, and let the words of "Never Never Land" pour out.
She sang with all the longing inside her for Lincoln and her old way of life. Kate would have continued to belt out the song, but Cornelia leaped to her feet.
"That's enough of that! There is no singing in this role. And no dancing! This is completely inappropriate. If it were a singing role, Heidi would have sung, and sung beautifully. The girl is not even reading from my book."
Cornelia looked pointedly at Susan Singer-Wright. Susan shrugged, banged her gavel, and asked the other judges, "Who votes for Heidi to play Orchid the Orca?" All three dutifully raised their hands. "Who votes for the other girl?" No one moved, so Susan stated the obvious. "Heidi wins."
George walked over to Kate, deliberately stepping on Heidi's copy of
Orchid the Orca
along the way. Kate laughed, bowed deeply to the judges, and started out with him. But before they could leave, the new Reading 8 spoke up. "I think Heidi should have an understudy, though. I vote for Kate Peters for that."
Kate looked back at her, stunned.
So did Cornelia. Her jaws ground violently. But then she smiled. "Yes. Why not? What a good idea. All Broadway stars have understudies. Heidi Whittaker Austin should have what all stars have."
Kate made a slight curtsy to acknowledge the news. Then she and George backed out through the door. As soon as they got into the hallway, Kate grabbed George under the elbow, the way Pogo had grabbed her. She whispered, "No talking! I don't want to talk about what just happened. Ever. I just want to show you something. Something secret."
18. A Language That May or May Not Be Gibberish
An evening thunderstorm was approaching when Kate and George emerged on the roof. She led him to the mushroom cap and showed him how it bent back on a hinge.
The electricity in the air made the hairs on George's head tingle. He smiled at Kate, very curiously, and then followed her down the iron ladder.
At the bottom, Kate fumbled until she found the green lantern. Only then did she break her silence. "Pogo took me here today."
"Pogo? The mute librarian?"
"Yes. Ever since that business with Whit and the book, it's like she wants to tell me something, but she can't. So she's trying to show me, instead."
"Okay. So what did she show you?"
"A secret room. I think it was built behind one of the Whittakers' offices."
George pictured the building plans from the King's County website. He calculated the distance and direction they had traveled and concluded, "It must be behind Cornell Number Two's."
Kate nodded in the dim light. "That would make sense. Some of his stuff is in there."
She took George's hand in hers and reached forward, whispering, "Behold." They pushed the wall and felt it rotate inward. George gasped. Kate confirmed his thought. "That's right. A secret passage."
George held on tightly to Kate's hand as they slipped into the narrow space behind the bookcase. Kate held up the lantern to let him take in the room and its objects. George turned his head slowly, following the glow of the lantern.
Suddenly, Kate's eyes snapped wide open, and she stifled a scream. George whirled around
Similar Books
