"Jody Lynn Nye - The Grand Tour" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nye Jody Lynn)

his toe, and Chuck found himself staggering wildly after the weight in his arms.
тАЬHelp!тАЭ he cried. The spirit guide stepped forward and helped him lower his burden to the floor. He
tucked the smaller valises under his arm while he took the steamer trunk and tied it to ChuckтАЩs back.
Chuck kept looking over his shoulder in disbelief. No one could hold four suitcases with his elbow as
if they were newspapers. But when Keir heaped them in ChuckтАЩs arms once again, the carryall and the
document cases puffed out to three very heavy dimensions.
тАЬTake it slowly,тАЭ Keir told him, giving a final pat to the top valise. тАЬNo one gets more than he or
she can handle.тАЭ
Chuck doubted that as he took a gingerly step. The pile was manageable, but clumsy, as if
something kept shifting inside each piece, throwing off his balance.
тАЬI hope I can get all this home with me,тАЭ Chuck said, peering around the jumble at his companion.
тАЬOh, no,тАЭ Keir said. тАЬYour object is to leave as much behind as you can.тАЭ
тАЬThen why did I pick it up at all?тАЭ Chuck asked, surprised and a little resentful.
тАЬYou canтАЩt help it,тАЭ Keir said, with a wise, little smile that irritated Chuck. тАЬYou have to start out
this way. YouтАЩll lighten the load. I promise you. This way, now.тАЭ
Keir put his hands on ChuckтАЩs shoulders and turned him until he was facing toward a row of high, -
mahogany-framed doorways in the far wall, each with elaborate carvings around the arch, and its own
incomprehensible sign overhead. Their bags in hand, people streamed out of the hall. Chuck wondered
which way to go. With a little toss of his head, Keir started walking. Chuck had no choice but to
follow.
The boxes propped on his arms cut into his muscles and jabbed sly corners into his ribs. It seemed
that at each step the weight lurched a different way. Chuck found himself trotting in an impromptu
cha-cha, trying to avoid dropping anything. He gritted his teeth and struggled to take the shortest path
possible. It was difficult. Sweat dripped down strands of his hair and rolled into his eyes. He blinked
angrily. Why did he need so many things for his journey? Keir said heтАЩd be abandoning them sooner or
later. Why couldnтАЩt he do it now? As much as he loved them, he could do without them. He tilted the
pile to one side, hoping to dump off at least the top two briefcases. TheyтАЩd never be noticed, in this
heaving crowd.
Contrarily, the valisesтАЩ weight shifted so they fell back against him. Their touch reminded him that
they were something familiar in a strange place. The top one nestled into his chin and neck like a kitten
seeking a caress. Chuck relented. He just couldnтАЩt abandon them. They were his. Hating himself for
being so weak, he settled his burden into the neatest pile he could, and kept walking.
Just ahead of him, a woman in a neat forest-green pantsuit stumbled. Some of her bags dropped to
the floor. She stopped short to frown down at them. Chuck started forward to help her pick them up,
when she suddenly threw all the rest that she was carrying into the air. She shrieked with delight, and
skipped toward the portals, free. Chuck tried to emulate her, but his arms refused even to try. He
watched her go, full of envy.
Suddenly, the woman stopped, spun about, and hurried back to her pile of discarded luggage. She
picked it all up again, looking frightened.
тАЬToo soon,тАЭ Keir sighed, having reappeared beside Chuck. тАЬBut it shows a willingness of spirit.
That means everything in the end. Keep that in mind.тАЭ
Chuck looked forward to attaining even that one moment of liberty. Still, he should be happy to be
here at last. It was so exciting to know he had finally succeeded in his goal of reaching an altered state
of consciousness. He had found the guide who would help him solve all his problems. This dream
landscape gave him power. In spite of the heavy load he was carrying he had more energy than he ever
did in his daily life. He was about to set out and explore the world inside himself.
тАЬWhere will we go first?тАЭ he asked Keir.
тАЬWe must board the train,тАЭ Keir said, guiding him into the leftmost portal. тАЬBut first we must pick
up the others.тАЭ
тАЬOthers?тАЭ Chuck demanded, twisting his head to look at Keir even as he was steered along. тАЬWhat