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

like some kind of special effect.тАЭ Her hand felt warm and tasted of earth. тАЬJulio? What happened to
you?тАЭ
тАЬNathan already said. This guy was trying to make me tell him about you guys, and when I wouldnтАЩt,
he said, тАШThink about this for a while,тАЩ and he turned me into a ghost, I guess. He sent me someplace
horrible. I called Nathan and came here.
тАЬAre you dead?тАЭ Deirdre whispered.
тАЬI donтАЩt know. Nathan doesnтАЩt think so.тАЭ
тАЬThe colors in JulioтАЩs light are signals,тАЭ Nathan said, тАЬand heтАЩs got enough red in him to still be alive.
We donтАЩt know whatтАЩs being done to his body while heтАЩs away from it, though. If the witch left a void in
it, it could be ailing. If heтАЩs put something in JulioтАЩs place ...тАЭ
тАЬPossession?тАЭ Edmund said after a pause.
 тАЬMm,тАЭ Nathan said. тАЬI havenтАЩt had dealings with the tribe of demons, but IтАЩve heard things over the
years. This witch sounds wicked, either way. We need more strength.тАЭ
тАЬWitch fights,тАЭ Deirdre whispered. тАЬIтАЩm just a dumb nothing.тАЭ She spoke so softly Julio wasnтАЩt sure
anyone was meant to hear, but he heard, and pressed her fingers. Before now, Julio had had his own
dark thoughts about remaining ordinary while Edmund had changed into a witch, and Susan had changed
into someone who could make the haunted house do tricks. Deirdre and Julio had stayed stubbornly
normal since they had met the ghost and the house five years earlier.
Nathan heard Deirdre too, and answered. тАЬNot so. You can be JulioтАЩs anchor.тАЭ
тАЬWhat does that mean?тАЭ
тАЬThis happened somewhere else, and I canтАЩt leave the house unless I make arrangements. EdmundтАЩs
going to have to face the man, and Julio has to have a way of traveling. He seems to be able to propel
himself through the house, but heтАЩs been here before and knows his way around. If youтАЩll let him hang on
to you, maybe he can travel with you.тАЭ
тАЬOh. Sure, IтАЩm up for that,тАЭ Deirdre said. тАЬItтАЩll look weird, though, me walking around with this light
storm.тАЭ
тАЬHe can adjust his size.тАЭ
тАЬYou can?тАЭ Deirdre asked.
I can? Julio wondered, then remembered how he had become bigger than the kitchen.
тАЬIтАЩll try it,тАЭ he said. тАЬExcuse me, Dee.тАЭ She was the least physically demonstrative person he knew,
as uncomfortable with her gender as he was, guarded about touch. He brushed her sleeve with his free
hand (I had a thousand hands. Better have only two right now or she might get upset.), trailed his
fingers up her sleeve, across the back of her collar, under her braids, and down the other sleeve. She
was wearing her big blue all-weather coat: he could tell by the tight, waterproof texture of the cloth, the
way the cuffs turned up at the ends of the sleeves, and the hood that hung down her back. Let me be
part of this coat, he thought, and melted against her back, touching fabric and binding to it without
pressing against her, afraid, afraid that he might spook her or hurt her or make her mad if he touched her
too hard or in the wrong place. Just the coat.
тАЬWow,тАЭ she cried, holding her arms out as he spread all over her coat, clinging only to the smooth
waterproof fabric, and pulling the rest of himself smaller and more dense. тАЬSo beautiful. PeopleтАЩll want to
rip this right off of me. ItтАЩs the first time I ever wore something fashionable. You donтАЩt weigh anything,
Julio.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm a ghost,тАЭ he reminded her.
тАЬOh yeah,тАЭ she said after a moment. тАЬWe gotta fix that.тАЭ
тАЬThe wicked witch,тАЭ Edmund said. тАЬHow are we going to deal with a wicked witch? I donтАЩt have
much training in this witch business, Nathan.тАЭ He had only been a witch for about a year, and aware of
what he was for less time than that.
тАЬCall the twins.тАЭ
тАЬThey donтАЩt have much training either.тАЭ
тАЬCall the twins and then summon me.тАЭ