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Authors: Carolyn Keene

Tags: #Women Detectives, #Detective and Mystery Stories, #Girls & Women, #Mystery & Detective, #Juvenile Fiction, #Adventure and Adventurers, #Mysteries & Detective Stories, #Fiction, #Mystery Fiction, #Women Sleuths, #Adventure Stories, #Malicious Accusation, #Drew; Nancy (Fictitious Character), #General, #Sabotage, #Mystery and Detective Stories

Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion (16 page)

BOOK: Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion

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It was five minutes to nine. The countdown for the moon shoot proceeded. Finally the announcer called out the final seconds:

“Three ... two
...
one... zero!”

There was a burst of orange, green, and yellow gases from the base of the rocket. As it zoomed upward, enveloped in a varicolored cloud, the noise was ear-splitting and the grandstand shook as if a giant hand were shaking it violently.

“It’s off!” someone shouted.

Nancy and her friends were holding hands, their nails pressing into one another’s palms.

“Nothing is wrong so far!” Nancy thought, as a white vapor trail formed behind the spaceship. “Oh, I hope—I hope—”

The rocket curved slightly and in a few moments disappeared among the clouds. Bess said shakily, “Ev-everything’s A-OK!”

Seconds before this, a shout of triumph had gone up from the onlookers. Nancy and her friends did not cry out. Instead they were silently saying prayers of thankfulness.

When Nancy was breathing normally again she picked up the telephone in front of her. The main switchboard connected her with the Billington house.

Mr. Drew answered. “I knew it was you,” he said. “Everything’s A-OK here too. Fortin finally gave himself up, and his spy was caught. The transmitting antenna was ruined. The news was immediately telephoned to the Cape. This is why the astronauts were allowed to climb into the rocket and it was able to lift-off on time.”

“Oh, Dad, that’s wonderful!”

The lawyer chuckled. “You’ll be interested to know that Fortin blames his failure on your detective work. But I’m terribly proud of you!”