"Mercedes Lackey - Dumb Feast" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

humbug.

What did all four of these nights have in common? According to the
Spiritualist woman, it was that they were nights when the "vibrations of the
earth-plane were in harmony with the Higher Planes." According to his
grandmother, those were the nights when the boundary between the spirit world
and this world thinned, and many kinds of creatures, both good and evil, could
manifest. According to her, that was why Jesus had been born on that nightтАФ

Well, that was superstitious drivel. But the Spiritualist had an explanation
that made sense at the time; something about vibrations and currents, magnetic
attractions. Setting up the meal, with himself, and all of Elizabeth's
favorite things, was supposed to set up a magnetic attraction between him and
her. The packet she had given him to burn was supposed to increase that
magnetic attraction, and set up an electrical current that would strengthen
the spirit. Then, because of the alignment of the planets on this evening, the
two Planes came into close contact, or conjunction, orтАФsomething.

It didn't matter. All that mattered was that he see Elizabeth again. It had
become a hunger that nothing else could satisfy. No one he knew could ever
understand such a hunger, such an overpowering desire.

The hunger carried him through the otherwise unpalatable meal, a meal he had
timed carefully to end at the stroke of midnight, a meal that must be carried
out in absolute silence. There must be no conversation, no clinking of
silverware. Then, at midnight, it must end. There again, both the Spiritualist
and his grandmother had agreed. The "dumb feast" should end at midnight, and
then the spirit would appear.

He spooned up the last bite of too-sweet, sticky cobbler just as the bells
from every church in town rang out, calling the faithful to Christmas
services. Perhaps he would have taken time to feel gratitude for the
Nickleson's party, and the fact that Rebecca was well out of the wayтАФ

Except that, as the last bell ceased to peal, she appeared. There was no
fanfare, no clamoring chorus of ectoplasmic trumpetsтАФone moment there was no
one in the room except himself, and the next, Elizabeth sat across from him in
her accustomed chair. She looked exactly as she had when they had laid her to
rest; every auburn hair in place in a neat and modest French Braid, her body
swathed from chin to toe in an exquisite lace gown.

A wild exultation filled his heart. He leapt to his feet, words of welcome on
his lipsтАФ

Tried to, rather. But he found himself bound to his chair, his voice, his lips
paralyzed, unable to move or to speak.

The same paralysis did not hold Elizabeth, however. She smiled, but not the
smile he loved, the polite, welcoming smileтАФno, it was another smile
altogether, one he did not recognize, and did not understand.