The Gypsy Game
The kids from The Egypt Game are back. What game will they play next? The answer is Gypsies. While April plunges in with her usual enthusiasm, the more Melanie learns, the more something seems to be holding her back. But it's Toby who adds a really new wrinkle when he announces that he himself is a bona fide Gypsy. Plus he can get them some of his grandmother's things to use as real Gypsy props for the new game. What could be more thrilling? Then Toby suddenly and mysteriously disappears, and the kids discover that living as real-life Gypsies may not be as much fun as they thought. How will they find Toby and rescue him from the very real problems that are haunting his life?
An Excerpt fromThe Gypsy Game
"Not very much I guess. Why?"
That was the first thing Melanie said when April asked her if she
knew anything about Gypsies. April didn't answer. A minute or so later
Melanie waved her hand in front of April's eyes and said, "Hey, anybody
home? Come back to earth." Still no answer. April just went on staring
into space. . . .
So when it took a long time for April to say why she asked the Gypsy
question, it didn't surprise Melanie all that much. She knew that
when April's blue eyes got that spacey look it usually meant that
she was on to something new and exciting, and if you waited long enough,
you were sure to hear all about it. So Melanie waited. While she waited,
she had time to sit up, scratch the mosquito bite on her ankle, make
a face at herself in the mirror on April's dressing table, and flop
back down again.
Finally April sighed and said, "Oh, I don't know. It's just what you
said about it not being the same. Going back and doing the same things
over and over. You know, all that Egyptian stuff. And just the other
day I was reading this magazine that had all this great stuff about
Gypsies. I was just thinking how maybe we could. . ." She sat up,
shoved back a straggle of blond hair, grinned at Melanie, and went
on, "I was thinking that maybe we could try being Gypsies for a change."