Chapter 21

           IcouldfeelitwastooearlyagainwhenIwoke,andIknewIwasgettingthescheduleofmydaysandnightsslowlyreversed.IlayinmybedandlistenedtothequietvoicesofAliceandJasperintheotherroom.Thattheywereloudenoughformetohearatallwasstrange.Irolledtillmyfeettouchedthefloorandthenstaggeredtothelivingroom.

           TheclockontheTVsaiditwasjustaftertwointhemorning.AliceandJasperweresittingtogetheronthesofa,AlicesketchingagainwhileJasperlookedoverhershoulder.Theydidn’tlookupwhenIentered,tooengrossedinAlice’swork.

           IcrepttoJasper’ssidetopeek.

           "Didsheseesomethingmore?"Iaskedhimquietly.

           "Yes.Something’sbroughthimbacktotheroomwiththeVCR,butit’slightnow."

           IwatchedasAlicedrewasquareroomwithdarkbeamsacrossitslowceiling.Thewallswerepaneledinwood,alittletoodark,outofdate.Thefloorhadadarkcarpetwithapatterninit.Therewasalargewindowagainstthesouthwall,andanopeningthroughthewestwallledtothelivingroom.Onesideofthatentrancewasstone-alargetanstonefireplacethatwasopentobothrooms.Thefocusoftheroomfromthisperspective,theTVandVCR,balancedonatoo-smallwoodenstand,wereinthesouthwestcorneroftheroom.AnagedsectionalsofacurvedaroundinfrontoftheTV,aroundcoffeetableinfrontofit.

           "Thephonegoesthere,"Iwhispered,pointing.

           Twopairsofeternaleyesstaredatme.

           "That’smymother’shouse."

           Alicewasalreadyoffthecouch,phoneinhand,dialing.