"Laymon, Richard - DarknessTellUs" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laymon Richard)

But 'tis strange:
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray 's
In deepest consequence.

-- _Macbeth_, Act I, scene iii









Chapter One


"I don't think that's such a good idea," Dr. Dalton said.
"Oh, come on. It'll be kicks." Lana, standing on tiptoes, continued to pull the flat box of the Ouija off the bookshelf. The games stacked on top of it teetered. Monopoly and Careers, high above her, started sliding.
"Look out!" Keith warned.
She flung up a hand and blocked the boxes. But a leather dice cup, out of sight until now, slid down the tilted ramp of the Monopoly box and fell. It bounced off her forehead. She flinched, muttered, "Shit!" and plucked out the Ouija. The rest of the games dropped, jolting the shelf.
Howard grinned. Served Lana right for going against the professor's wishes. Some of the other students were laughing.
Dr. Dalton neither grinned nor laughed, but Howard saw a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "I _told_ you it wasn't a good idea."
"I didn't know you had booby-traps," Lana said.
"Every so often I get lucky and trap a booby."
"Funny," Lana muttered. Bending down with the Ouija box under one arm, she picked up the dice cup and set it on a shelf. She turned around and met the professor's eyes. "You don't really mind if we give this thing a try, do you? I've never seen a Ouija board in action."
"You're better off that way."
Keith went, "Oooooo, ominous."
Lana gave him a quick look as if she didn't appreciate his interference. To Dr. Dalton, with a smile and a shrug of her shoulders, she said, "It's just a game, Corie."
"So is Russian Roulette."
"Woooo," said Keith.
What a scrote, Howard thought. But he kept the opinion to himself. He was no dummy. Keith, who looked and acted like a jock in spite of being an English major, could probably demolish him with a single blow.
From a padded chair in a corner of the den, Doris said, "The analogy seems somewhat inflated, if you ask me."
"Nobody asked," Keith pointed out.
Lana, on tiptoes, studied the stack of games. "Have you got a revolver up there, Corie?"
"Of course not."
"Then why a Ouija board, if it's just as dangerous?"
"It's sort of a keepsake. Obviously, I _should've_ gotten rid of it."
"What's the big deal?" Keith asked.
"One must beware of tampering with the unknown," Doris said, her voice full of menace. She widened her eyes at Keith, though he wasn't even looking in her direction. Then she swung her thick legs off the foot rest, bounded up and pranced toward the group.
Here she comes, Howard thought. Our fat Puck. Our spritely, pedantic gnome.
She raised a warning finger. "There are forces lurking in the shadowy corners of the universe that . . ."
"Stuff it," Keith suggested.