The Battle for the Castle Read Online Free

to his face. There was a bump on his forehead and a couple of gashes, but the blood around them was already drying.
    With a final blast of hot cinder breath, the great roaring wall of the train was gone and the world settled back into place. William pulled himself to his feet and watched the back porch of the caboose as it shimmied its way up the line to Canada. There it went. The train he didn’t jump.
    He heard Jason first. From across the tracks, on the other side of the station, came the shrieking and whooping of a boy who had jumped the trains. William stood and waited. The noises of triumph grew closer and closer.
    They saw each other at the same moment. Neither one of them spoke for what seemed like hours. Jason leaned over and dusted off his jeans. William pushed the hair out of his eyes. From now on, it will always be this way, he thought. Jason on one side of the world and me forever on the other.
    â€œWhat happened?” Jason asked.
    â€œI missed the first ladder because I was watching you,” William answered with a shrug. “And then I couldn’t hold on the second time. My hand slipped.”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter,” Jason said. “You can try it again next week.” But he wouldn’t look at William. He started walking to the bikes and William followed him. There was a line running through his brain over and over again. First time’s the only one that counts, first time’s the only one that counts.
    â€œYou were great,” William finally said. Each word felt like a marble that he had to spit out of his mouth.
    â€œGoing over the top was the worst part,” Jason said, his voice excited again. “I thought there’d be something to hang onto up there. But there wasn’t. Justme and the roof of the boxcar.” William didn’t answer.
    â€œI’m going to the bike store to turn in those panniers. I need some new tubes. You want to come?”
    â€œI can’t,” William said. He was getting an idea. “I have to do some stuff at home. Can you come by my house afterward?”
    â€œI don’t think so. Dad is meeting me. He wants us to try to break our record up Snake Mountain.”
    â€œI’ve got something really important to show you,” William said. “It won’t take long.”
    Jason gave him a queer look.
    â€œIt’s the thing Mrs. Phillips sent me for my birthday. It does something special. I want to show you how it works.”
    â€œWhaddya mean, something special?” Jason asked, settling his helmet into place. “It’s just a little button.”
    William hesitated. He couldn’t say magic. It was a stupid, baby word. Jason was already giving him a funny look, a look that seemed to say, Hey, listen, I jumped the trains, I’m a busy man, don’t bother me.
    â€œJust promise me you’ll come,” William said. “Promise me,” he said again, and he knew his voice sounded desperate.
    Jason shrugged. “Sure. No big deal, okay. I have to bring you the new panniers anyway.” He flipped onelong leg over the bike seat and settled himself into place. “See you,” he said.
    William waited until he had disappeared around the corner. Then he got on his own bike and pedaled as quickly as he could away from the tracks.

CHAPTER 4
    As soon as he got home, William went looking for the neighbor’s big gray cat. He found her in her usual place under their front porch.
    â€œHere, kitty, kitty,” he called in a soft singsong voice. “Come on out.”
    She crept cautiously forward until he could sweep her into his arms. He was halfway up the attic steps when his mother called from below.
    â€œWilliam, where are you? Jason’s here.”
    â€œIn the attic,” he shouted back. “Tell him to come on up.”
    â€œThey didn’t have baskets for racing bikes,” Jason said in a loud voice as he tromped up the last set of stairs.