فصل 28

CHAPTER 28

JAMES’S PROMISE

THE CLINK OF THE LOCK and the creak of the iron cell door woke James. He watched with half-open eyes as two guards shoved Peter into the dark cell. Peter slumped to the floor, his back against the wall. The other boys remained asleep.

“Are you all right?” whispered James.

“Yes,” whispered Peter. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t sound fine to James. “Where did they take you?”

“To that tomb thing Slightly talked about,” whispered Peter. “The Jackal.”

“Why?”

Peter started to answer, then stopped himself. He had more questions in his mind than answers. The one thing he did know was that if he didn’t help the Others find the starstuff, they said they would kill his friends. But he didn’t want to tell James that.

“I don’t really know,” he said finally.

“But what did…”

“James,” said Peter, cutting his friend off, “I’m too tired to talk right now.”

“All right,” said James, although it clearly wasn’t all right. “Good night, then.” He rolled sideways away from Peter, wrapping himself in his blanket.

Peter lay down and pulled his own rough blanket around him. The two boys were just a few feet apart in the darkness. Minutes passed.

“James,” whispered Peter.

“What?”

“I won’t let anything happen to you and the boys.”

“I know you won’t, Peter. But can’t I help? Can’t I do something?”

“Yes,” said Peter. “You can help by comforting the others if…”

“If what? Peter, what’s going to happen?”

“I don’t know. But promise me you’ll be the leader, if you have to. You’ll watch after the others.”

“I…promise,” whispered James.

“Good. Now, it’s very late, and we need to sleep.”

“All right,” said James.

The cell fell silent. But neither James nor Peter slept.