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7/27/2019 The Sultans Tigers Excerpt
1/16
ADVANCE
READING COPY
r
NOT FOR SALE
The author of Island of Thieves
7/27/2019 The Sultans Tigers Excerpt
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Coyrght y Joh Lacey
A rght reerved. For ormato aot ermo to rerodce
eecto rom th ook, wrte to Permo, Hoghto M Har-
cort Phg Comay, 5 Park Avee Soth,
New York, New York .
Hoghto M a mrt oHoghto M Harcort Phg Comay.
www.hmhook.com
Te text o th ook et K
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lacey, Joh.Te ta' tger / y Joh Lacey.
. cm.
Orgay hed Great Brta y Adere Pre, .
Seqe to: Iad o Teve.
Smmary: om, who come rom a og e o crma, trave wth
h rogh ce to Ida to d a amy trearea ejeweed tger
toe rom the Sta' throe hdred o year ago.
isbn 9--544-9645-5
[. Advetre ad advetrerFcto. . FameFcto.
. UceFcto. 4. CrmaFcto. 5. IdaFcto.] I. te.
pz7.l128su 2013
[Fc]dc
4464
Maactred K
K 9 6 5 4
45XXXXXXXX
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My name is Tomreawey ad I come rom a og eo ar, cheat, crook, adt, theve, ad mgger.
Tat what my ce ay, ayway.
Id ke to eeve hm, t or amy cot etrey
o crma, what wet wrog wth my dad? He roaythe mot hoet ero o the aet.
He ot a rea reawey, ay Uce Harvey. Not ke
yo ad me.
Accordg to my ce, or amy orgay came rom a
ma vage Corwa, a rgged corer o Egad that
tck ot to the Atatc, otg ke a ger at Amer-ca. Te reawey caed themeve herme, t they
actay made ther vg y racy, mggg ega good
ahore ad hdg them the cave that rdde the Corh
coat.
My gradather wa a rea reawey too.
He wat a rate or a mgger, t he ever dd a ho-et day work h e. He wa away rg rom ome-
1
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2
joshlacey
oe, away earchg or a ace to hde, ad he et a tra
o eeme a arod the word.
I ever reay kew hm.I wh I had.
We oy aw Grada oce a year, ometme eve e.
Te at tme he came to the State or Chrtma, he drak
too mch we ad had a g argmet wth Dad.
e moth ater, he wa dead.
He had a heart attack whe watchg V, ad that wa
that, kat, he wa goe.
A good death, my mom caed t, ad erha he rght,
athogh t ot exacty what Id ca a good death. What
wrog wth eg gawed to ece y raha? Or g
rom a ae wthot a arachte? I Grada had ded kethat, I reay wod have ee rod o hm. Bt he ded
ttg h recer, med rot o the V, accordg
to the eghor who od hm, o maye that reay wa a
good death.
Grada had ved a over the word, t he et the
at ew year o h e a ma vage o the wet coato Iread. We arrved Shao at daw o the mor-
g o the era. (By we, I mea me, my mom, my dad,
my tte ro, Jack, ad my g ter, Grace.) Dad reted a
rght e Ford Foc at the arort ad drove acro the
cotry to Grada vage.
Not may eoe came to the era: jt ad a ew
eghor.
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thesultan'st igers
3
Haway throgh the ervce, the door qeaked oe
ad Uce Harvey tmed dow the ae. Sorry Im ate,
he whered ody eogh or everyoe to hear. Te vcargave hm a ter ook ad carred o wth the ermo. Uce
Harvey gred at ad d to a ew o the other de
o the chrch. I gred ack whe Dad gave hm a drty
ook. Tey mght e rother, t they dot ke each other
mch.
I wa ookg orward to takg to my ce. Earer
the year, we had traveed to Per together, htg dow a
tah o red god that had eoged to Sr Frac Drake.
Later, ack the U.S., wed ee gve der at the Per-
va emay, t I hadt ee my ce ce. I wated to
kow hed had ay more advetre. Had he ee chaedy crook? Treateed y thg? Or eat ? Had he toe
aythg? Or cheated ayoe? Eve ater edg a week
wth my ce Per, I ddt kow very mch aot h
e, t I kew oe thg or re: t wa a ot more teret-
g tha me.
Te ceremoy cocded wth rayer, the we hedto the graveyard ad tood e to hake had wth the
vcar. Whe my tr came, the vcar med dow at me
ad ad h warm Irh accet, So whch o the grad-
o are yo? Are yo Jack or are yo om?
Im om.
Ah, the amo om. Yor gradather tod me a aotyo. He ad yo were o mche. I that tre?
I oe o.
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joshlacey
He ao ad he aw hme yo. I ca ee what he
meat.
Reay? I ad. What ee dd he ay?Oh, th ad that. Maye I te yo whe yore a t
oder. Chckg, the vcar et go o my had ad graed
the ext e, whch haeed to eog to Uce Harvey.
Yor ather wa a ovey ma, the vcar ad. Yo mt e
mg h reece.
Ive heard hm caed a ot o thg, ad Uce Harvey.
Bt ever ovey. Maye he wa oveer to yo tha he wa
to .
Te vcar ooked a t ervo, ot watg to ay the
wrog thg. I ddt kow yor ather we, t we thoght
o hm a a vaed memer o the commty.Dd yo reay? Uce Harvey oded rred. So
he ddt tea ay o yor ver? Or og yor hym ook
o eBay?
Actay, we dd have a ew thg go mg, ad
the vcar. Te he otced that my ce wa mg. Ah!
Yore havg a joke wth me, aret yo?Im o orry, ad Uce Harvey. I cat he mye.
Eve tme o troe, t good to have a me o
yor ace. Te vcar eamed ad moved to tak to the ext
ero e.
A my ce ad I waked throgh the chrchyard, he
wked at me. I wked ack. Now we kew how Gradahad ee emetg h eo.
Uce Harvey ad, How e, kd?
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thesultan'st igers
5
It OK. A tte org. How yor?
I wod ay t good, t my dad jt ded o I roay
hodt. How ote dd yo ee the od ma?Not very ote, I reed. He ometme vted or
Chrtma. Bt he ad Dad away eded argg.
He arged wth everyoe. Tat wa jt h way.
Dd yo arge wth hm too?
A the tme, ad Uce Harvey. Bt we away made
aga. He wa ke that. Wed get drk together ad
have a g row, the orget a aot t the ext day. It a ty
yo wot get to kow hm etter. Dd yo ever come ad
tay wth hm?
Dad wodt et me. I dot kow why ot.
I do, ad Uce Harvey.Yeah? Why?
He kow that a ar a he cocered, the reawey
gee ked a geerato. Yore more ke yor grad-
ather tha yor ather. He mt have ee worred aot
what wod hae the two o yo ever got together. Jt
ke he worred aot the two o . Ad he rght, t he?Ah, heo, Smo. How are yo?
Smo my dad. He ddt ook artcary eaed to
ee h rother, t maye he wa jt eeg ad. I ge
yo wod ee ad yor ather ded, eve the two o yo
had ro argmet wheever yo haeed to e the
ame room at the ame tme.Te rother hook had. Te Uce Harvey ked my
mom o oth cheek ad ad heo to Jack ad Grace.
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joshlacey
Ive vted the vcar to jo or ch, my ather ad
to Harvey. Ca yo gve hm a t yor car? Tere t
mch room or.Sre. Where are we gog?
Ive ooked a tae at a retarat o the coat. Aar-
ety t very good. Yo ca oow me there.
Great. I go ad get the vcar.
Oce Uce Harvey wa trdg acro the chrchyard,
Dad tred to me. Here are the key to Grada hoe.
We ee yo there a coe o hor.
I took the key ad tared tdy at my ather. Why are
yo gvg me thee?
Becae yore gog to go to the hoe.
What am I oed to do there?Whatever yo ke. Read a ook, ay a game. It to
yo.
What aot ch?
What aboutch?
Why cat I come to ch?
Yo kow why ot.Becae Im groded?
Exacty.
Bt th Grada era! Yove got to et me come
to the ch!
Im arad ot, om. Yore groded.
Tat o ar!Yo hod have thoght aot that eore yo toe the
go cart. We e a coe o hor. See yo ater.
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thesultan'st igers
7
Dad
Dot Dad me.
Bt, Dad I ad dot Dad me.
Bt, Dad, t jt ot ar.
See yo ater, ad my ather, howg ot a trace o
ymathy. Go o. Go to the hoe.
Grace tred to arge o my eha, whch wa ce o her,
ad Jack ad he wodt md tayg wth me, whch wa
ce o hm, too, t Dad aked they oth wated to e
groded a we, ad o core they ddt. He tod them
to go to the car. Grace gred at me ad Jack gave me a
thm-, the they oed away. Dad tred ack to me.
Im orry, om. I dot ke dog th. I wh there wereome other way. Bt yove reay gve me o choce.
I ooked at my dad or a momet. Te I ad, Yore a
dot.
H ace tred red ad he tod me ever to tak to hm
ke that, ad Mom ad I hod rememer where I wa, t
I ddt care. I tred my ack o my aret ad wakedaway, ther agry voce oowg me ot o the graveyard.
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id been grounded for a moth. It wa my ow tdat. I had ee caght orrowg a go cart rom the oca
go core. Te grodkeeer ad I wa teag. I ad I
wat teag, I wa orrowg. Tey ad what the d-
erece? I ad the derece that I wod have roghtt ack aga. Tey ad how do we kow yo wod have
roght t ack? I ad yo have to trt me. Tey ad how
ca we trt yo whe yo tea thg? I ad I wat tea-
g, I wa orrowg, t y that tme o oe wa teg.
It wa o ar. O core I wat teag ther go
cart. I jt wated to have a t o ad drve arod thecore. Uortatey Id oy gotte a ar a the rt hoe
whe two grodkeeer came rg ater me.
I ged the throtte ad tred to oe them, ad roay
wod have ome dot hadt ated a tree rght where I
wated to go.
Whch wa how I ow came to d mye wakg dowthe treet to Grada hoe whe the ret o my amy
drove tweve me to the earet ce retarat.
2
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thesultan'st igers
9
I wated to e there. I wated my ch. I wated to ee
Uce Harvey. Ad more tha aythg, I wated to hear
aot a the cray thg that Grada had doe h ogad dretae extece.
Yeah, I kow, I hodt have toe that go cart.
Eve etter, I hodt have gotte caght.
Bt I codt he mye. Im a reawey. We do dm
thg ke teag go cart.
A I waked dow the treet, I thoght aot Grada
ad wodered how he eded vg here, a wet vage o
the weter coat o owhere. What dd he do a day? T
vage eemed ce eogh, t t wat exacty exctg. I
wodt have choe to ve here. Or de here.
A the other hoe had mowed aw ad ed o rghtower, t Grada ooked a o oe had ved there
or year. Pat wa eeg o the rot door. Tere wa a
hoe oe o the wdow. Te rot garde wa a jme
o weed ad rame, the odd roke otte ad what
ooked ke the rema o a cyce. Becae Id ee here
eore, I kew Grada hoe hadt ee wrecked theday ce h death; t had away ooked ke th. He ddt
other wth xg t . Or eve ceag.
Ide, thg were eve wore. Te hoe wa a dager
oe. Te ktche k wa ocked ad the tove wa caked
wth dred ood. I the haway, the ght wtch had ae
o. Exoed wre drooed ot o the wa. It wa a mraceGrada had rvved o og.
I wet htg or ood. Te rdge cotaed othg
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10
joshlacey
t ome carrot covered ack ot ad a ha-drk
carto o mk wth a e-y date o three week ago, t
I od ome ca o tomato o a coard. I oeedoe ad ted the cotet to a acea. Whe the o
wa g hot, I ored t to a ow ad ate my ch
rot o the V, ckg throgh every chae. Tere wa
othg o. I ee orry or the Irh. Ter V ame.
Grada had a ew ook ad there were ome od
magae yg arod, t I ddt ee ke readg. So
I exored the hoe, ookg throgh the room, okg
arod, eeg what I cod d. I dot kow what I wa
ookg or, t I hoed I mght cover ome cro trea-
re rom oe o Grada advetre.
I wa tadg h edroom, targ at the t adhrt hagg h wardroe, whe I heard a od ke
reakg ga. It eemed to have come rom dowtar.
I tood very t, teg.
Had I maged t?
Ye, I mt have maged t.
Te I heard the oe aga. Aother mah. More gatkg. A omeoe wa kockg the ooe ece ot
o a wdowae.
Why wod ayoe wat to reak to th hoe?
Maye t wat a ero. Maye t wa a cat htg or
a warm ace to take a a.
I decded to vetgate.I took three te aog the adg ad heard a od
thm.
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thesultan'st igers
11
Tat wat a cat. Tat wa the od o eet ammg
dow o the oor. Now I cod hear them crchg o the
ga that theyd jt kocked ot o the wdow.I cod have r. I cod have hdde. I cod have ck
to the wardroe Grada edroom or jmed ot o
a tar wdow. Bt t wa dayght ad I wa my ow
gradather hoe, o I thoght Id e ae to ook ater
mye.
Ayway, I kew what Id d whe I wet dowtar.
A kd ke me.
Who ee wod reak to a emty hoe?
Ive doe t mye. I yore ored o a Satrday a-
teroo ad the tow qet ad yor red are oth-
erwe occed, what cod e etter tha eakg toa derect hoe ad okg arod? I ke eeg what
et ehd. Sometme eoe have to get ot a hrry
ad they dcard everythg a the jk they codt
carry, cothe ad V ad t o ta h. Oce I od
a twety-doar the crack o a ktche drawer. A-
other tme, I od a whte ag ted wth atc g-rae. Who cod oy wat a hdred atc grae?
I took oe a a memeto. It t o a he my ed-
room.
Ayway, that how I kew who wod have roke to
Grada hoe. It wod jt e omeoe ookg or a t
o exctemet. Some kd who ved th org tte v-age o the edge o owhere ad wated to get a kck rom
exorg ome dead gy aadoed home. I I wa reay
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12
joshlacey
cky, he mght wat to hag ot wth me or the ext co-
e o hor whe I wa watg or my amy to come ack
rom ch.I jogged dow the tar ad headed aog the haway. I
wa jt aot to tro to the ttg room ad make ome
q, ookg orward to tartg the kd whod dared to
reak to my gradad hoe, whe a ma aeared ot o
the hadow.
Not aother te, he ad, h voce ow ad threate-
g.
Who are yo? I tammered. What are yo ?
He wg at me. I dodged ackward, t he maaged to
gra me arod the eck. I hed h arm wth oth had.
H ger reed to my throat. I trgged. Lrchedackward. red to wrgge ot o h gra. Te I et
omethg reg to my de ad kew t wa a ke.
Hed jt have to h a t harder ad the ade wod e
dg etwee my r. I wet very t.
He wa a g gy. Mch taer tha me. Mch roader,
too. H eye were dark ad cod. Who here? he hed.Who ee?
No oe, I ad, the cred mye or teg the trth.
Why ddt I ay my red the ack et wa comg over
or ch?
Whe w they e ack?
Who?He reed the ke deeer to my de. Whe w
they e ack?
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thesultan'st igers
13
Soo.
How oo?
It dfct to thk traght whe yove got a kehg agat yor r, ad o, ke a dot, I tod hm
exacty what he wated to kow. I ge I wa ervo. I
eve tod hm the retarat wa tweve me away, wherea
Id ee thkg traght, I wod have ad t wa jt
arod the corer ad my ok mght e ack ay mte.
I roay wod have tod hm aot eg groded ad
the are o t a, t he terrted me: What yor
ame?
om.
T way, om. Ad kee qet. I yo make a oe, Im
goa hrt yo. Got that?Ye.
Yo re?
Ye.
Come o, the.
He ha hed, ha dragged me dow the haway ad
to the ktche.I kew who he wa. Id heard aot th. Tere are theve
who read the oca aer, ookg or aocemet o
weddg ad era, the day that hoe w detey
e emty. He mt e oe o them. We, he wa watg h
tme today. Tere wa othg worth teag Grada
hoe. Not e yo wated eeve ca o tomato o orome very mey ock.
Te oy thg wa, th gy ddt ook ke a crook. Not
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