Time at the Top
Page 14
“All right, I’ll take your word for that part of it. But the rest —!”
“I know it sounds crazy. But after I did a little checking up, I decided that I believed it, anyway — maybe because my taste runs to that sort of thing. The clincher was when you asked me over to see the new Historical Association headquarters, and I saw that old photograph on the wall. I knew it was true then. I mean, there they all are! It’s obvious that everything turned out the way Susan hoped it would.”
“Are you absolutely sure that those are the people you think they are?”
“Well, I’m sure about Susan.”
“Mmm …”
“You’re an awful skeptic, Charles. Well, nuts to you. I’ve given you the explanation you asked for. Now may I have that book?”
He made no move to hand it over. “You know, I thought you were going to pass out when you looked into this book. Now tell me what that was about, and it’s yours.”
“Oh, all right. I’m finding it a little hard to believe this part myself … Well, when Mr. Bodoni saw the Shaws getting on the elevator he noticed that they were both carrying something. Mr. Shaw was carrying a black cat — Toby, the Walkers’ cat, who’d come to the twentieth century by mistake with Susan. And Susan was carrying — brace yourself again, Charles — Susan was carrying a diary. A blue leather book. The book you’re holding right now.”
“Oh, come on!”
“I know, I know! But just read the first sentence will you?”
He read aloud, “ ‘Daddy and I went up the elevator last night.’ ” His voice trailed off on the word “night,” and he let out a long whistle.
“See what I mean? Now may I have it?”
“Incredible …” he murmured. “Yes, you may have it. Just one more favor, though? Will you read it here so I can read along with you?”
About the Author
EDWARD ORMONDROYD grew up in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. During WWII he served on board a destroyer escort, participating in the invasions of Okinawa and Iwo Jima.
After the war he attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a bachelor’s degree in English. Later he went back for a master’s degree in library science. He lived in Berkeley for 25 years, working at various jobs while writing children’s books, including David and the Phoenix.
He and his wife Joan moved to upstate New York in 1970. They live in the country near Ithaca, in a house designed and partly built by Edward. Their seven children are all grown and independent. They have two grandsons and a granddaughter.
Edward’s interests include studying piano, gardening, books, birds, flowers (wild and tame) and listening to classical music.
Both Time at the Top and its sequel All in Good Time are now ebooks! Or if you prefer to read the two books together in paperback, one handy volume is available.
Read more about our classic books for kids (originally published between the 1920s-1970s) which have been newly released, on our website www.purplehousepress.com