The Big House

The Big House — page 5 — Now he had declared Dan and Carol guilty Ivy knew her parents were in for it Her father had told her that if the judge got the chance he'd throw the book at them Ivy sat up straight She scanned the judge's desk set high upon a raised platform He had his hammer but she didn't see any book And then he spoke I sentence you he began Ivy closed her eyes tight but even in the dark of her eyelids she saw a big fat book sailing straight toward them all to twenty five

The Big House — page 6 — Ivy was on her feet in a flash eyes wide Twenty five she cried out Shouting the number only made it explode more inside her head all those years and years and years and years Ray was pulling on her arm again What Ivy he said Ivy turned and looked into her little brother's face a face remarkably like her own Forever she said It had hit her Both of them Dan and Carol had been sent off to jail before but never at the same time and never forever The entire courtroom was buzzing and stirring The backs of her parents heads seemed miles away all their perfect curls The judge pounded his hammer and continued on Ivy caught only a word now and then It was roaring between her ears Finally little by little she began to hear again He was talking about the children and it took her a moment to realize he meant them Ray and Ivy and then she had to hurry inside her head to catch up with what he was saying During the confinement of Dan and Carol Fitts he droned their children as the first beneficiaries of Blackstone Mouton's Last Best Hope Charity would be commended to the care of Marietta and Lionel Noland Marietta and Lionel Was he crazy The ones who had accused her parents of

The Big House — page 7 — Generous and forgiving to a fault said the judge describing Marietta But Marietta and Lionel were the reason Dan and Carol were going to jail Why would Ray and Ivy live with them Who said so Did they have to Thwack The hammer went

The Big House — page 8 — The Big House Carol and Dan's parting words to their children as they were being led off to jail were these Carol whispered to Ivy Watch your brother's back And when Ivy hissed to her father that it wasn't fair Dan Fitts shrugged and told her Looks like we met our match with that old witch Marietta And then they were gone led out the back way off for more years than Ivy could imagine Ivy and Ray were instantly surrounded by a cluster of grownups they didn’t know all of whom parted as Marietta and Lionel her ancient husband made their way from the opposite side of the courtroom where everyone who had been against them had sat Ivy felt a light clawlike hand on her shoulder and turned to look up into Marietta’s leathery

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