"Joseph Delaney - The Spook's Curse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Delaney Joseph)

beneath the branches of an ancient oak on the boundary of the churchyard. The pit would be close to
holy ground, but not too close. The nearest gravestones were just twenty paces away.
 тАШDig the pit as close as you can get to that,тАЩ I said, pointing towards the trunk of the tree.

Under the SpookтАЩs watchful eye IтАЩd dug lots of practice pits. In an emergency I could have done the
job myself but these men were experts and theyтАЩd work fast.

As they went back for their tools, I pushed through the hedge and weaved between the gravestones
towards the old church. It was in a bad state of repair: there were slates missing from the roof and it
hadnтАЩt seen a lick of paint for years. I pushed open the side door, which yielded with a groan and a
creak.

The old priest was still in the same position, lying on his back near the altar. The woman was kneeling
on the floor close to his head, crying. The only difference now was that the church was flooded with light.
SheтАЩd raided the vestry for its hoard of candles and lit them all. There were a hundred at least, clustered
in groups of five or six. SheтАЩd positioned them on benches, on the floor and on window ledges but the
majority were on the altar.

As I closed the door, a gust of wind blew into the church and the flames all flickered together. She
looked up at me, her face running with tears.

тАШHeтАЩs dying,тАЩ she said, her echoing voice full of anguish. тАШWhy did it take you so long to get here?тАЩ

Since the message reached us at Chipenden, it had taken me two days to arrive at the church. It was
over thirty miles to Horshaw and I hadnтАЩt set off right away. At first the Spook, still too ill to leave his
bed, had refused to let me go.

Usually the Spook never sends apprentices out to work alone until heтАЩs been training them for at least
a year. IтАЩd just turned thirteen and had been his apprentice for less than six months. It was a difficult,
scary trade, which often involved dealing with what we call тАШthe darkтАЩ. IтАЩd been learning how to cope
with witches, ghosts, boggarts and things that go bump in the night. But was I ready for this?

There was a boggart to bind which, if done properly, should be pretty straightforward. IтАЩd seen the
Spook do it twice. Each time heтАЩd hired good men to help and the job had gone smoothly. But this job
was a little different. There were complications.

You see, this priest was the SpookтАЩs own brother. IтАЩd seen him just once before when weтАЩd visited
Horshaw in the spring. HeтАЩd glared at us and made a huge sign of the cross in the air, his face twisted
with anger. The Spook hadnтАЩt even glanced in his direction because thereтАЩd been little love lost between
them and they hadnтАЩt spoken for over forty years. But family was family and thafs why heтАЩd eventually
sent me to Horshaw.

тАШPriests!тАЩ the Spook had raved. тАШWhy donтАЩt they stick to what they know? Why do they always have
to meddle? What was he thinking of, trying to tackle a ripper? Let me get on with my business and other
folks get on with theirs.тАЩ

At last heтАЩd calmed down and spent hours giving me detailed instructions on what had to be done and
telling me the names and addresses of the rigger and mason I had to hire. HeтАЩd also named a doctor,
insisting that only he would do. That was another nuisance because the doctor lived some distance away.
IтАЩd had to send word and I just hoped that heтАЩd set off immediately.