The moment the Grischer left for the day, Eddie and Alfie scurried up the desk leg.
“Aunt Min?” said Eddie through the keyhole. “Are you there?”
“Hey, Auntie!” said Alfie. “Look at ME! I’m OUT of PRISON! I’m FREEEEE!”
“Alfie, stop it,” said Eddie.
It took a long time for Min to reach the keyhole.
“I’m so glad,” she said hoarsely. “Alfie . . . free.”
Eddie peeked inside. “Are you okay?”
She looked awful. He couldn’t see much in the murkiness of the drawer, but he could tell she was wasting away.
“You have to eat more,” he told her. “Alfie and I are going to the teachers’ room tonight. We’ll find you something tasty.”
She didn’t answer.
“Aunt Min?”
He couldn’t tell whether she had walked away or just dropped to the bottom of the drawer. Either way, it wasn’t good.
“Aunt Min? Are you okay?”
In the teachers’ room later that night, Eddie and Alfie found a chunk of pear, only slightly spoiled, as well as a cracker and a jelly bean. Eddie told Alfie to leave the jelly bean behind.
“It’s not food, Alfie.”
“So what?” said Alfie. “YOU got to eat LICORICE! Auntie Min even said so. You got to eat it ALL NIGHT LONG!”
“What?” said Eddie.
“And you ate it ALL UP! You didn’t leave any for ME!” added Alfie. “Only a horrible LUMP full of SPIT!”
Eddie reeled backward. He was so mad, he started yelling the same way his brother did. “What are you TALKING about, Alfie? I didn’t WANT the licorice. I didn’t even LIKE the licorice. I just—I just—oh for CRYING OUT LOUD, Alfie, go ahead and EAT THE JELLY BEAN!”
“Goody,” said Alfie. “Thanks, Eddie.”
Alfie ate a very big hole into the jelly bean. Then he gave a loud burp and was happy to leave the rest behind.
On the way back, both brothers carried chunks of pear for Min. She liked pear, Eddie knew, and it was full of water.
She probably needed water.
The Library was bathed in moonlight when they returned.
“Aunt Min?” called Eddie. “Are you there?”
“AUNTIE MIN! COME TO THE KEYHOLE!” hollered Alfie.
When she finally arrived, all she said was, “I’m not hungry.”
“But you must be thirsty,” said Eddie. “Eat this pear. Please. You need to keep your strength up so . . . so you can walk home, when we get you out.”
Aunt Min managed, with great effort, to haul herself to the keyhole. Her eyes looked faded and dull.
“Oh,” she croaked. “Moonlight . . . pretty.”
Eddie couldn’t speak.
“Eddie?” she whispered.
“Yes?”
“Don’t get . . . hopes up.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean . . . glad Alfie’s safe . . . but me . . . a good long life, Eddie . . . wonderful adventures . . . maybe I won’t. . . .”
“Don’t say it, Aunt Min!”
“Not the . . . worst thing . . . in the world.”
“Yes, yes, it would be! It would be the worst thing ever! Don’t give up. There must be something I can do.”
“Sometimes,” said Min slowly, “nothing . . . to do.”
Impossible, thought Eddie.
That night he couldn’t fall asleep. As his brother dozed on the pad of stickies under the desk, Eddie moved out into the open. He needed to gaze at the stars. He didn’t believe in wishing on stars, but that night he felt desperate enough to try, choosing a particularly bright one that stood out from the others. It twinkled back in what seemed to be a friendly manner . . . but it offered no answer. Eddie wondered if his wish was too big.
Turning away, he searched his own brain instead. How could he rescue his aunt? Ideas came. None good. His mind raced in circles from one terrible idea to another. Round and round and round.
It was his worst night of worrying—ever.