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Chapter 14
THEN
Alice embraced unconventionality. She was odd. Knew it. Didn't
care. So when something weirded her out? It was really weird. She stared
at Mister Dan.
"Don't look at me like that," he said.
"I...well, I...it's just that--"
"Do you trust me?" he said.
She nodded.
"You've been hanging out here since you were what,
ten?"
"Sounds right."
"And have I ever lied to you?"
"I don't think so."
Mister Dan cocked his head, then said, "Good enough. Have I
ever treated you like you were some dumb kid?"
That one was easy. "No, Mister Dan."
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"So, six years. I haven't lied to you. I haven't treated
you like a kid who don't know nothing. Right?"
"Right."
"Don't that get me a little trust?"
She nodded again.
"Then take the book." He held it out to her.
Alice reached out and took it. She had never seen a book like
it. Was it even a book? It was shaped like one, but the cover was metal, with a
lot of fancy engraving. And gosh, it was so heavy! She lugged it to the
workbench and laid it down as gently as she could, but it still hit with a
thud.
She lightly drew her fingers across the cover, feeling the
intricate designs of swirls and flourishes. Although it looked very old, the
metal was bright and untarnished. "Is this gold?" she said.
Dan shrugged. "Never gave it much mind and it sure ain't
something I'd go carting around for opinions."
"If it's gold, it would be worth a fortune, wouldn't
it?"
He leaned toward her and spoke softly. "Alice, no matter
what kind of metal it is, this book is worth more than a trainload of
gold."
"Where'd you get it?"
"Back in the day, this place showed silent pictures. Since
the movies didn't have sound of their own, a piano player would play the music
that came with the movie. And even after the shows got sound, that old piano
sat in its spot on the left side of the auditorium for dang near thirty years.
When they remodeled the place about ten years ago, they asked if I wanted the
piano. I said sure and got a few buddies and a pickup truck and we hauled it to
my house."
"Can you play piano?" Alice said.
Dan smiled and scratched at his chin. "Nope, thought I'd
teach myself but that didn't work out so good. To begin with, the thing was so
out of tune that it sounded like some kind of sick animal. I hired a fellow to
come tune it up and when he opened it up, the book was inside."
"It's beautiful. But what makes you think it has some kind
of magical powers?"
He shook his head. "I don't think, Alice." He tapped
his head with a finger. "I know."
"How?"
"Open it."
She lifted the heavy cover and flipped it gently to the side. She
looked at the first page. Looked at Mister Dan with her eyebrows scrunched up
in confusion. Looked back to the book. On the page, beautifully printed in
bright silver ink, was the following:
MAGIC
ENDURES. LOVE TRIUMPHS. A CHRONICLE OF ADVENTURE.
Directly beneath the printed line was a handwritten name: Alice
Renee Pendergast. Her name. Her handwriting.
