"Hoffman-HomeForChristmas" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hoffman Abbie)

She turned, clutching the cocoa, wondering what would happen now. Though she
couldn't be sure, she got no sense of threat from him at all, and she was still
in the heightened state of awareness she thought of as Company Manners. "Cocoa,"
she said, displaying the tin on her palms as though it were an award.

"Yeah, but -- "He looked up at the cupboard, down at her hands. "But --"

The tea kettle whistled -- a warbling whistle, like a bird call. The burner
turned itself off just as Jim glanced toward it. His eyes widened.

--Chill,-- Matt thought at the kitchen.

--Want warmth?-- A baseboard heater made clicking sounds as its knob turned
clockwise and it kicked into action.

--No! I mean, stop acting on your own, please. Do you want to upset Jim?--

--But this is -- ! -- The concept it showed her was delirious joy. --We never
knew we could do this!--

Matt sucked on her lower lip. She'd never seen a room respond to her this way.
Some things were wide awake when she met them, and leading secret lives when no
one was around to see. Other things woke up and discovered they could choose
movement when they talked to her, but never before so joyfully or actively.

"What --" Jim said again.

Matt walked over to the counter by the stove, popped the cocoa tin's top with a
spoon.

"Uh," said Matt.

"Can you -- uh, make things move around without touching them?" His voice was
thin.

"No," she said.

He blinked. Looked at the cupboard over the refrigerator, at the burner control,
at the baseboard heater. He shook his head. "I'm seeing things?"

"No," said Matt, spooning cocoa into the mugs. She reached for the tea kettle,
but before she could touch it, a pot holder jumped off a hook above the stove,
gliding to land on the handle.

"Design flaw in the kettle," Jim said in a hollow voice. "Handle gets hot too."

"Oh. Thanks," she said, gripping the pot holder and the kettle and pouring hot
water into the mugs. The spoon she had left in one mug lifted itself and started
to stir. "Hey," she said, grabbing it.