"Cooper,.Susan.-.Dark.Is.Rising.2.-.Dark.Is.Rising" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cooper Susan)

PART ONE

The Finding

Midwinter's Eve

"Too many!" James shouted, and slammed the door behind
him.

"What?" said Will.

"Too many kids in this family, that's what. Just too
many." James stood fuming on the landing like a small an-
gry locomotive, then stumped across to the window-seat and
stared out at the garden. Will put aside his book and pulled
up his legs to make room. "I could hear all the yelling," he
said, chin on knees.

"Wasn't anything," James said. "Just stupid Barbara
again. Bossing. Pick up this, don't touch that. And Mary
joining in, twitter twitter twitter. You'd think this house was
big enough, but there's always people."

They both looked out of the window. The snow lay thin
and apologetic over the world. That wide grey sweep was
the lawn, with the straggling trees of the orchard still dark
beyond; the white squares were the roofs of the garage, the
old barn, the rabbit hutches, the chicken coops. Further
back there were only the flat fields of Dawsons' Farm, dimly
white-striped. All the broad sky was grey, full of more snow
that refused to fall. There was no colour anywhere.

"Four days to Christmas," Will said. "I wish it would
snow properly."

"And your birthday tomorrow."

"Mmm." He had been going to say that too, but it would
have been too much like a reminder. And the gift he most
wished for on his birthday was something nobody could give

4 / PART ONE The Finding

him: it was snow, beautiful, deep, blanketing snow, and it
never came. At least this year there was the grey sprinkle,
better than nothing.

He said, remembering a duty: "I haven't fed the rabbits
yet. Want to come?"