Page 7 (1/1)

THE BALCONY

Edht to conserve the batteries Conserving your batteries is soe, as you never kno long you ht be there, and it is the worst disas- ter ever to be in a secret passage with no light

I followed Edht about Aunt Tabby on the other side of the wall and how she would have a fit if she knehat I was doing right then--but not asback up the rickety old ladder while Edht how ular person It didn’t seeht and wind up ot to the top, Edmund stopped outside the door "Go on, " I told him I couldn’t see why he had stopped, as everyone knows that ghosts can go right through doors

"This door is difficult, " he said "I should not coht, " I said "I’ve got the key " Edmund sounded surprised "You have the Q key?" he kind of an to shih the door And I was left stuck at the top of a horrible old ladder in the dark Great After fiddling around with the key for ages, I unlocked the door and kind of fell into the roo at me in a really unhelpful way "So where exactly is the balcony then?" I asked as I picked h there " "Well, that’s just stupid, " I told hih a fireplace? It’s all very well for you You’re a ghost, but I can’t just walk through a sooty old fireplace just like that--" "You talk just like the Tabitha, " said Edmund "You make my ears hurt Where is the key?" "What key?" I asked crossly "The key to the balcony, " he said as though I was really stupid or so "The one you carry upon your person " "Upon my what?" I said, and then I realized what he meant and fished the key out of ave it to hih his hand and fell onto the floor Duh I had forgotten for ajust -69- as irritating as a real boy "Place the key in the keyhole, " said Edmund, and he waved his hand at a small keyhole in the middle of the fireplace that I hadn’t noticed before "For it opens the way to the balcony Farewell " Then he shot off through the door and disappeared I put the key in the keyhole and turned it It worked! The fireplace slid sideways, and a bril- liant bea and there I was at last--on the balcony It eird standinglooked so small and far away I suppose that is what birds feel like all the tiarden I was so pleased that I was on the balcony at last that I very nearly yelled out to Aunt Tabby to come and see where I was--luckily, I stoppedof all was that when I looked down, I could see the balcony was right above the floor in front of the doormat where people who have never been to the house always stop and stare They often have their h they never seem to sayti to be the best

I zooe, but when I pushed open the little door under the stairs, so for me