"Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Past the Size of Dreaming" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hoffman Nina Kiriki)

A hand reached into the warmth, grabbed JulioтАЩs hand, and tugged him out of the wall. тАЬThatтАЩs not
quite right, Julio,тАЭ Nathan told him. Julio clung to his hand. тАЬI donтАЩt think youтАЩre dead. Your inner self got
separated from your body, thatтАЩs all. Can you tell us what happened to you?тАЭ
тАЬThis man came to my school and ordered me around. He had a voice like EdmundтАЩs. He could
make me do what he wanted just by saying it. He took me in his car to some house up in the mountains,
and started asking me about you and the others, and I wouldnтАЩt tell him. I donтАЩt get that part. He could
make me do anything he wanted. He ordered me to walk and I walked, ordered me to sit and I sat. But I
didnтАЩt answer his questions. I just got really mad.тАЭ
тАЬGood,тАЭ said Nathan. And then: тАЬHe already knew something. Otherwise, why would he have
picked you up? What happened after that?тАЭ
Julio said, тАЬHe made me break Mr. NoahтАЩs violin. I was trying to run away and he told me to stop,
and I fell on Mr. NoahтАЩs violin. I broke that beautiful violin. IтАЩll never be able to explain that!тАЭ Anger filled
Julio again. тАЬThen he made me sit down again and told me to tell about you. When I wouldnтАЩt talk, he
cast some kind of spell on me and sent me to hell.тАЭ
Nathan gripped JulioтАЩs hand harder. тАЬCan you remember anything about the spell?тАЭ
тАЬLight circles on the floor, with writing. Two blue circles, one inside the other, with red writing in
between. The guy said words and used gestures. I didnтАЩt know the language.тАЭ
тАЬAnd hell, what was that like?тАЭ
тАЬCold, dark, screams, pain.тАЭ Julio shook. тАЬHorrible horrible not-music.тАЭ
тАЬForget,тАЭ said Nathan gently. тАЬRelease it.тАЭ He touched JulioтАЩs cheek.
тАЬButтАФтАЭ
тАЬYou want to keep that?тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm not ready to forget yet. I want to kill that guy.тАЭ Rage filled him. Then he felt something flicker
through him, a calling and a pulling away. No! He was not going to leave the safety of this house! He
gripped NathanтАЩs shoulders. тАЬHelp me. SomethingтАЩs pulling me!тАЭ
Nathan took his hands and held on tight. After a moment the calling passed, and Julio relaxed. тАЬOh.
Thank you. Damn! Nathan, why canтАЩt I see anything?тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre not yourself.тАЭ
Julio waited a moment, trying to figure out how Nathan meant that. Of course he wasnтАЩt himself. He
was some kind of ghost. Nathan was a ghost, and he could see, couldnтАЩt he? Julio waved his free hand
around and touched NathanтАЩs face. тАЬAre you making fun of me?тАЭ he asked, brushing NathanтАЩs cheek, his
mouth. He couldnтАЩt feel a smile, but he hadnтАЩt touched peopleтАЩs faces while they were smiling enough to
know the difference.
тАЬNo,тАЭ Nathan said. He sighed. тАЬYouтАЩre ghostly, but not ghostlike. In the form you wear now, you
have no body.тАЭ
тАЬButтАФтАЭ Julio touched NathanтАЩs lips again. тАЬI feel you.тАЭ He moved his other hand in NathanтАЩs grasp.
тАЬHow can I hold on to you?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt know. I donтАЩt know how youтАЩre talking, either.тАЭ
тАЬWhat do I look like?тАЭ
Nathan hesitated, then said, тАЬA pillar of colored light.тАЭ
Julio hugged himself, feeling arms and elbows, chest and shoulders. тАЬThat canтАЩt be right, he
whispered.
Nathan said nothing.
Julio touched NathanтАЩs shoulder, arm. hand. Nathan opened his hand, let Julio take it again. It felt
cold but solid. тАЬBut,тАЭ Julio said. And then, тАЬI keep touching you. I never even asked. I was just so
scared, Nate.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs all right.тАЭ The ghost sounded relaxed. тАЬItтАЩs been an age since I touched anyone or anyone
touched me. I like it.тАЭ
тАЬWhat do I feel like to you?тАЭ
Nathan gripped his hand. тАЬThis feels like a hand, but looks like a streamer of light. When you touch