Читать книгу The Last Musician - Jason Peterson - Страница 6

“Let’s review what we know,” said Carl Anderson.

The seven sat around Horace Heckle’s coffee table sipping tea and eating stale cookies Horace had dug up from some musty cupboard in his musty house. Elders Anderson, Rogers, Heckle, Davis, and Scopes loomed over one side of the table, while Ethel and Kristoffer sat at the other. Kristoffer tried not to stare at Elder Anderson’s toupee, which had become even more askew in the hasty exit.

“We’ve already reviewed what we know, Anderson,” said Elder Rogers. “It isn’t much.”

Ethel and Kristoffer glanced at each other. They had never sat so close to the council of elders, and they had never heard any of them snap at each other.

“We know about the music, or don’t know, I guess,” said Elder Scopes. “But what about this violence?”

“If I’m being honest with you all, and I think we all should be, I’ll admit I felt the same anger towards Kristoffer as did most of the crowd, apparently,” said Elder Davis.

Kristoffer couldn’t believe it. Elder Missy Davis looked as though she had never felt a twinge of anger in her life.

“I felt like throwing a rock at you myself,” Elder Scopes said. “If we’re being honest.”

The rest of the group nodded their heads, except for Ethel, who looked as though she was about to be sick. And she hadn’t even had a cookie yet.

“I felt it too, Kris,” Ethel said, turning to face him. “I didn’t want to admit it to you, or even to myself, but I did.”

Kristoffer dropped his chin to his chest, and for the first time that day, began to cry.

“I’m so sorry,” Ethel said.

“Kristoffer, why don’t you tell us what happened today,” said Elder Anderson. “When did you realize you could still play music?”

Kristoffer wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. He hated talking in front of other people, and he felt the gaze of the five most important people in Greenwood bearing into him.

“It’s okay, Kris,” Ethel said, taking his hand. “Go on.”

“It wasn’t some grand realization or anything. I was playing guitar by the lake like I do every day when I heard people coming out of the theater talking about the music disappearing. I walked along with everyone while they kept trying to play and sing. I felt weird because I knew I still could, but I didn’t want to say anything. Then I guess I started to feel good about it. Proud. Like I was special. That’s why I spoke up at the town hall. I wanted to show off.”

Kristoffer lowered his head again.

“I wish I would’ve kept it to myself.”

Kristoffer looked around at the council of elders and saw the sympathy in their eyes. It was almost worse than the anger. He didn’t want pity. He didn’t want anything but for this nightmare to be over. His eyes met Horace Heckle’s, the only member of the council who did not look sympathetic. Kristoffer watched as Elder Heckle struggled to his feet and shuffled over to a picture hanging in the middle of the living room wall.

Horace swung the picture open, revealing a safe behind it.

“Ethel,” he said, as everyone in the room fixated on the wall. “It is time we told Kristoffer the truth.”