"Judith Moffett - The Bird Shaman's Girl" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moffett Judith)

that Granpa was looking up with interest, not concern. In fact the chopper
was landing behind some trees above the road, and he was turning the car
into the parking area at one of the abandoned picnic sites that used to be
popular back when people could take private cars up into the canyons east
of Salt Lake.

LexiтАЩs heart plummeted. This wasnтАЩt rescue, this was rendezvous.
Granpa was handing her over to the Church. He hadnтАЩt kidnapped her for
some reason of her motherтАЩs and his own, heтАЩd done it with the
cooperation, maybe even on the orders, of the Church leadership.

Her grandfather quieted the car and came around to pull Lexi out. тАЬUp
there,тАЭ he said tersely, and started pushing her ahead of him, up a trail that
wound among derelict picnic tables set on terraces.

The trail went pretty much straight up the side of the steep canyon.
Granpa had to stop partway to catch his breath, holding onto LexiтАЩs arm and
bending over to pant. She could probably have wrenched herself loose
while he was preoccupied with panting, but there wasnтАЩt much point, the
terrain was way too rough and her bare feet, toughened though they were
by all that traipsing over rough ground while the cameras rolled, would slow
her down, even if she could keep her balance with her buzzing hands tied
behind her. She would never get away. тАЬIf you untied me I could walk by
myself,тАЭ she said anyway.

тАЬDonтАЩt make me laugh,тАЭ he growled. They started up again.

Lexi expected to see Sire Cooper, but the person standing by the
chopper was the Canon of her own Parcel, the one who was GranpaтАЩs
friend, the one who always used to say how wonderful it was that their
Parcel had a real family with a real testimony.

Canon Erickson gave Lexi a big smile, then frowned when he saw that
her hands were tied. тАЬWas it necessary to truss her up like that, Ed?тАЭ

тАЬTrust me,тАЭ Granpa puffed, very red in the face. тАЬIt was necessary.
The kid can run like a rabbit.тАЭ

Canon Erickson leaned over LexiтАЩs bonds. He tsked sympathetically,
and Lexi made a strategic tear slip down her right cheek, already streaked
with actual tears. тАЬOh dear, itтАЩs digging into her skin, look. Jared,тАЭ he said,
turning to a person inside the chopper, тАЬwill you take a knife and cut this
childтАЩs hands free?тАЭ

тАЬAt least put her in there first and lock the doors,тАЭ Granpa said. тАЬYou
donтАЩt know her like I do, Carl.тАЭ

The Canon nodded. тАЬAll right, Lexi, up you go.тАЭ The man called Jared
swung to the ground, picked her up like a sack of flour, and boosted her
onto the helicopter behind the pilot. He climbed in after her and opened a