Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 FOUR DAYS LATER SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1900 AROUND 9:30 A.M. CHARLY'S HOUSE "Doing anything exciting today?" Papa asked Charlie, peering up over the newspaper.

Lulu was stuffing a pancake into her mouth, and Mama was sipping her coffee. They all looked at Charlie. "I'm going to the Pagoda," Charlie said, which wasn't a lie. That's where he'd find Gordon on a Saturday morning, for sure. Of course, Mama and Papa had no idea what Charlie actually planned to do today. Neither did Sarah. She definitely wouldn't approve of his plan. Luckily she and her family had gone to Houston for the weekend. Sarah was now fifty miles away. "Thank goodness it's cooler today," Mama said, sliding another pancake onto Lulu's plate. Yesterday had been brutal, one of the hottest days of the summer. Papa nodded. "Seems like the temperature dropped ten degrees before the sun came up." "Speaking of sunrise," Mama said, eyeing Charlie. "What got you out of bed so early?"

Charlie gulped. He had been up early, but he hadn't thought Mama or Papa had heard him. "Um, I…" Think fast. "I just needed a drink of water. Then I went back to sleep." He couldn't tell them the real reason: He'd crept into the kitchen to get some cockroaches. Dead ones. He needed them for the trick that was going to terrify Gordon Potts into leaving him alone. Finding cockroaches in Galveston was never a problem—they were everywhere, even in Mama's spotless kitchen. Charlie quickly found three dead ones under the stove. He had them in his pocket now, tucked inside a box. Papa put his newspaper down on the table. "Well, it's a good thing we're not in Florida. Says here in the weather report there's a very bad storm there." "A storm?" Lulu said, her eyes suddenly wide. "No, darling," Mama said, shooting Papa her don't scare Lulu look.

"Not anywhere near here," Papa said, giving Lulu's cheek a gentle pat. "We might just get a little rain." Charlie leaned over and read the weather report for Galveston. Rain Saturday and Sunday. Some winds from the north. Papa was telling Lulu the truth. No storms today. Which was a relief. Because a storm would keep Gordon away from the Pagoda—and ruin Charlie's plan. An hour later, Charlie was on his way to the beach. Eyeing the cloudy sky, Charlie decided it definitely looked like rain. But anything was better than yesterday's sticky heat. As usual, the street was packed. But Charlie barely noticed. In his mind, he was going through his trick. He'd spent hours working it out,

practicing over and over in the mirror. He felt like Meraki, rehearsing for a big show. He'd stalk Gordon, stride up to him, and stare right into his eyes. "Gordon Potts," he'd say, in a low, steady voice. "Did you know it's possible to put a cockroach into a person's skull? It's an ancient trick I've mastered." Then he would pull the cockroach from his pocket, wave it in front of Gordon's eyes, and whip it right up next to Gordon's ear. He'd make sure Gordon felt the creature's spindly legs and antennae on his ear. But then Charlie would secretly let the cockroach slip back into his palm, a French drop. Gordon would think the cockroach had vanished—into his skull. Gordon would be good and spooked, and Charlie would finish off the trick. "I will remove the cockroach from your brain," he'd say. "If you vow never to bother me again.

I'll give you five seconds to decide—before the cockroach can lay its eggs." That egg-laying part—Charlie was especially proud of that touch. If—when—Gordon swore to leave Charlie alone, Charlie would reach up to Gordon's ear and pretend to pluck something out. Finally, he would reveal the cockroach that had supposedly been inside Gordon's skull. Charlie smiled to himself now as he made his way along the crowded sidewalk. He wasn't even that scared. Still, his heart was really thumping. His whole body seemed to be vibrating. His ears echoed with a low, pounding boom. Ba-ROOM, ba-ROOM, ba-ROOM. But it wasn't his heart. Charlie realized this as soon as the beach came into view. He stared ahead, his eyes wide. That sound… it was coming from the Gulf of Mexico. Even from ten blocks away, he could see them.