Chapter 9- Amelia in Matthew's World

Just then, a churchgoer spotted Matthew and shouted, "You! Bell-ringer! What are you doing down here?" At that, Matthew tripped over a candleholder. Amelia noticed the sound and ran to the Canadian.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble already?" the churchgoer continued as Matthew scurried away.

"Wait up!" Amelia cried out as she continued to run after Matthew. "I-I wanna talk to you!" And they both ran up the stairs, American after Canadian.

Finally, they had reached the top, whereupon the Asian gargoyles—Yong Soo, Kiku, and Yao—noticed that Matthew had brought a girl with him.

"Look," said Yao, "He's got a friend with him, aru."

"Yeah," Yong Soo chimed in, "Maybe today wasn't a total loss after all."

"Hai," agreed Kiku, "A vision of loveliness."

"The one in the dress ain't so bad either," said the Korean, who didn't quite understand what the Japanese gargoyle was talking about.

All at once, the gargoyles dropped in on Matthew.

"Way to go, Mattie!" shouted Yong Soo.

"Congratulations," said Kiku.

"We knew you had it in ya, aru," agreed Yao.

"Got the girls chasin' ya already," the Korean continued.

Matthew didn't quite understand what his Asian friends were saying, so he tried to tell them, "Actually, I…"

But Kiku said to the Canadian, "You mustn't run too fast, or she might get away."

"Yes, I-I know. That's what I…" the Canadian continued.

But Yong Soo told Matthew, "Give her some slack, then reel her in! Then give her some slack, then reel her in! Then give her some slack…"

Just then, Yao bonked him in the head, scolding him. "Knock it off, Yong Soo," he told his youngest brother. "She's a girl, not a koi fish, aru."

Finally, Amelia had caught up with Matthew. "Here you are," she panted. "I was afraid I'd lost ya."

"Yes," Matthew said to her, "Well, I, uh…I have chores to do. I-it was nice…seeing…you… again. Oh, maple hockey!" he groaned as he walked away.

"No, wait!" Amelia called to the shy Canadian boy.

As Amelia's cat Feliciano tried to follow his mistress, he noticed that the Korean gargoyle come to life and try to kiss him. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"I'm really sorry about this afternoon," Amelia called out to Matthew, "I had no idea who ya were. I would never in my life have pulled ya…up…on…the…stage."

Presently, she noticed a platform. In the center of this platform was a table holding a miniature city set made of wood. "What is this place?" she asked the Canadian boy.

"This is where I live," Matthew answered.

"Did ya make all them things yerself?"

"Well, most of them."

"Why, this is beautiful. If I could do this, ya wouldn't find me dancin' in the streets fer coins."

"But you're a wonderful dancer."

"Well, it keeps bread on the table, anyway," said Amelia. Then, she noticed two unpainted wooden models. "What are these?"

"Oh, no, please!" stammered Matthew. "I-I-I'm not finished! I still have to paint them!"

Amelia chucked at the sight of these models. "It's the blacksmith," she mused, "and the baker."

Just then Feliciano the cat began pawing at a tassel hanging from the tablecloth.

"You're a surprising person, Matthew," the American girl said to the Canadian boy. "Not to mention lucky. All this room to yerself."

"Well, it's not just me," Matthew shyly responded, "There's the Asian gargoyles and, of course, the bells. Would you like to see them?"

"Why, of course we would," answered Amelia, "Wouldn't we, Feli?" Feliciano then immediately stopped playing with the tassel and meowed in agreement.

"Follow me," Matthew told Amelia as they climbed upstairs, "I'll introduce you."

As they walked past the bells, Amelia thought, "I never knew there were so many."

"That's Little Sophia," Matthew pointed out to Amelia, "And Jeanne-Marie, Anne-Marie, and Louise-Marie. Triplets, you know."

"And who's this?" asked Amelia as she approached one particularly big bell.

"Big Marie," Matthew answered.

"HOWDY!" the American girl shouted as she entered the mouth of the bell. Her "Howdy" echoed inside the bell.

"She likes you," Matthew informed her. "Would you like to see more?"

"How's about it, Feli?" Amelia asked her cat, whose meow of agreement echoed inside the bell. "We'd love to," she told the Canadian.

"Good, 'cause I've saved the best for last," Matthew told Amelia as the two went up to the roof of Notre Dame, where Matthew showed her an aerial view of Paris itself.

"Oh," Amelia sighed, "I'll bet yer boots that the king himself doesn't have a view like this. I could stay up here forever."

"Y-you could, you know."

"Nah. I couldn't."

"Oh, yes, you have sanctuary."

"But not freedom. To quote that ol' limey Kirkland, 'Americans don't do well inside stone walls'."

"But y-y-you're not like other Americans. They are…obnoxious."

"Why, who told ya that?"

"My master, Arthur Kirkland. He raised me."

Amelia was startled at that thought. "But how can such a cruel ol' limey raise someone like you?"

"Cruel? Oh, no. He saved my life. He took me in when no one else would. I am a monster, you know."

"He told ya that?" asked Amelia, even more confused.

"Look at me," Matthew said to her.

"Give me yer hand," said Amelia as she clasped Matthew's hand. "Just let me see it." She then read Matthew's palm, telling him, "A long life line. Oh, and this one means you're shy." As she continued to read, she seemed to notice something strange. "Now, that's funny," she thought.

"What?" asked Matthew.

"I don't see any…"

"Any what?"

"Monster lines. Not a single one. Now you look at me," Amelia said to Matthew, handing out her own hand. "Do you think I'm obnoxious?"

"Why, no!" exclaimed Matthew. "No, no. You are kind and good and…and…"

"And an American. And maybe Kirkland's wrong 'bout the both of us."

Meanwhile, the Asian gargoyles were overhearing their conversation.

"What did she say?" asked Yong Soo.

"Kirkland's nose is long and he wears a dress, aru," Yao whispered to his youngest brother.

"Ha!" shouted the Korean to Kiku, "Told ya! Pay up."

"Oh, fudge," moaned Kiku.

"Chump!"