"Nancy Springer - Snickerdoodles" - читать интересную книгу автора (Springer Nancy)

do not want to spend my life alone.тАЭ

тАЬOf course not, dear.тАЭ

Walking to the corner store, Blake trailed rumor like a villainтАЩs cloak: he could
hex with a glance, he wandered the night as a black cat spying on peo-pleтАЩs dreams,
he performed salacious acts with animals. In his garage he had set up a black altar
under a black pen-tacle hex and an inverted cross. There he killed stray dogs and
mutilated them and drank their blood. Strange howling noises were heard in the sky
above his house at night. Some of the schoolchil-dren swore they had seen on him
the beginnings of a poison-tipped tail. Blake Bloodsworth was a hex witch and a
priest of Satan, and wasnтАЩt it a shame for that nice mother of his who baked such
divine cookies, she must be heart-broken. The boyтАЩs unknown father must be the
devil himself.

Within a few days every God-fearing woman in Diligence had called her
min-ister. The men of God counseled caution and discretion and not believing
every-thing one heard. Then as early as their busy schedules would allow they met
(those of them who practiced ecumen-ism and were on speaking terms) over
morning coffee at the Diligence Cafe in order to discuss paganism, Satanism and the
possibilities of exorcism. None of them disputed these isms, but they could not
agree on a rite. It was each preacher for himself.

Within a few days Enola Bloodsworth (who belonged to no church) had
received phone calls from every priest and pastor in town. In a voice flavored with
honeyed venom she told Blake, тАЬIтАЩve lived here for forty years and I never knew
they cared.тАЭ

тАЬSo what did you tell them?тАЭ

тАЬI invited them over for cookies.тАЭ

Blake eyed her warily. тАЬMother, what are you up to?тАЭ

тАЬWell, if they think you are a hex witch, it seems to me we ought not to
disappoint them.тАЭ

тАЬMother,тАЭ he said, using asperity to mask his less manly feelings, тАЬam I going
to have to leave town?тАЭ

тАЬWhy, perhaps eventually, dear. DonтАЩt you want to?тАЭ

In fact, he did. If there was going to be a life for him, he knew, it was going to
be outside Diligence. A life, and someone to love him and teach him the mysteries of
the word that rhymed with hex. To some extent, then, she under-stood him. Cared
what he wanted, even. His fear of her eased.

тАЬYes,тАЭ he said in a different tone.

тАЬThen stop worrying. Just let me ar-range things, dear. WeтАЩre going to have a