Read Online February Thaw by Tanya Huff - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tanya Huff
Tags: Sci Fi & Fantasy
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can we go somewhere less noticeable? My school’s just north of here."
They ended up sitting in the concrete doorway of the TransAc Club, half a block south on Brunswick, Fred assuring her that they'd be undisturbed for a while. A while lasted two and a half hours by Isabel's watch. Two and a half hours spent chasing the sizzle under her skin while Fred gave lectures to passing ants.
They moved on just before the lunch shift showed up, heading south, then east along Dundas. Fred walked slowly, hitting up almost everyone they passed for change. When they got to Dundas and Yonge, he dropped what he’d collected in the battered old box sitting in front of an equally battered old man playing the harmonica.
"I don’t need money," he explained. "And the world needs music."
"Even bad music?" Isabel winced. Behind them, the harmonica wailed painfully.
"Yes."
"Is that the third lesson?"
"Sure. Why not."
"Do you have any idea of what you’re doing?"
"Put your sizzle in your hands."
"Now?"
"The shadows don't ask so many questions."
It was hard to concentrate with the traffic and the people but, after a moment, she managed to herd the sizzle down her arms, past her wrists... "Okay."
"Put your palms together and pull them apart slowly."
Isabel rolled her eyes, but did as she was told. For a heartbeat, three pale lines of light connected her palms then they were gone.
Fred held up his hands. Even in sunlight, the multiple lines were a brilliant white. "This is control. This is what you need to be able to do before you can learn what to do with it. So, to answer your question..." The lines disappeared as he whirled to face a passing suit, grimy hand outstretched. "Spare some change, mister?"
*
Godfry caught up with them in the small park behind the Eaton Center. Isabel vetoed a garbage can lunch and bought the three of them takeout. After they finished eating, she lounged back, the crow on the grass by her head, while Fred talked loudly to one of the spindly trees.
"He's got special sauce all over himself."
"Saving it for later."
"Gross."
"Hey, you're seeing him at very nearly his best. He's really into this whole master/apprentice thing."
"Master," she snorted. "As if. Godfry, how..."
"Did one of the nine end up a loony who sleeps on subway grates and talks to trees? Well, the other wizards think he couldn’t cope with being so different but me, I think he couldn’t cope with not being able to change things."
"What do you mean?"
Godfy studied her with his left eye then his right. "When you get control of your power, what are you going to do?"
"I don't know; I haven't really had time to think about it." Plucking a few pieces of grass, she dropped them onto the wind. "Travel, I guess. Find a matching Queen Anne vase to replace that one of my grandmother's I broke."
"Fred wanted to make the world a better place, but you can't do that with power, you can only do it one person at a time. Even if you change the outside crap, easing droughts, ending wars that sort of stuff, you can't change the way people behave and that's where the problems really come from. After a while, the frustration just got to him."
"So he's too good to be a wizard?"
"Essentially."
"And I’m not?"
"Apparently."
"I'd be more upset about that but..." She waved at hand at the topic of the conversation who was methodically sliding lengths of folded newspaper down his pants.
*
They spent the afternoon down by Lake Ontario, freaking out a scattering of tourists and condo owners. Isabel kept expecting someone to call the cops but apparently these buildings had no Mrs. Harris. Lucky them.
Toward sunset, one of the waves rose higher than the others and half turned toward them, a translucent, but nearly human face momentarily under the crest.
"Water elemental," Fred told her when Isabel squeaked out an incoherent question. "Don't trust them – most of the time, they work with the under-toad. But good eyes on your part. You
They ended up sitting in the concrete doorway of the TransAc Club, half a block south on Brunswick, Fred assuring her that they'd be undisturbed for a while. A while lasted two and a half hours by Isabel's watch. Two and a half hours spent chasing the sizzle under her skin while Fred gave lectures to passing ants.
They moved on just before the lunch shift showed up, heading south, then east along Dundas. Fred walked slowly, hitting up almost everyone they passed for change. When they got to Dundas and Yonge, he dropped what he’d collected in the battered old box sitting in front of an equally battered old man playing the harmonica.
"I don’t need money," he explained. "And the world needs music."
"Even bad music?" Isabel winced. Behind them, the harmonica wailed painfully.
"Yes."
"Is that the third lesson?"
"Sure. Why not."
"Do you have any idea of what you’re doing?"
"Put your sizzle in your hands."
"Now?"
"The shadows don't ask so many questions."
It was hard to concentrate with the traffic and the people but, after a moment, she managed to herd the sizzle down her arms, past her wrists... "Okay."
"Put your palms together and pull them apart slowly."
Isabel rolled her eyes, but did as she was told. For a heartbeat, three pale lines of light connected her palms then they were gone.
Fred held up his hands. Even in sunlight, the multiple lines were a brilliant white. "This is control. This is what you need to be able to do before you can learn what to do with it. So, to answer your question..." The lines disappeared as he whirled to face a passing suit, grimy hand outstretched. "Spare some change, mister?"
*
Godfry caught up with them in the small park behind the Eaton Center. Isabel vetoed a garbage can lunch and bought the three of them takeout. After they finished eating, she lounged back, the crow on the grass by her head, while Fred talked loudly to one of the spindly trees.
"He's got special sauce all over himself."
"Saving it for later."
"Gross."
"Hey, you're seeing him at very nearly his best. He's really into this whole master/apprentice thing."
"Master," she snorted. "As if. Godfry, how..."
"Did one of the nine end up a loony who sleeps on subway grates and talks to trees? Well, the other wizards think he couldn’t cope with being so different but me, I think he couldn’t cope with not being able to change things."
"What do you mean?"
Godfy studied her with his left eye then his right. "When you get control of your power, what are you going to do?"
"I don't know; I haven't really had time to think about it." Plucking a few pieces of grass, she dropped them onto the wind. "Travel, I guess. Find a matching Queen Anne vase to replace that one of my grandmother's I broke."
"Fred wanted to make the world a better place, but you can't do that with power, you can only do it one person at a time. Even if you change the outside crap, easing droughts, ending wars that sort of stuff, you can't change the way people behave and that's where the problems really come from. After a while, the frustration just got to him."
"So he's too good to be a wizard?"
"Essentially."
"And I’m not?"
"Apparently."
"I'd be more upset about that but..." She waved at hand at the topic of the conversation who was methodically sliding lengths of folded newspaper down his pants.
*
They spent the afternoon down by Lake Ontario, freaking out a scattering of tourists and condo owners. Isabel kept expecting someone to call the cops but apparently these buildings had no Mrs. Harris. Lucky them.
Toward sunset, one of the waves rose higher than the others and half turned toward them, a translucent, but nearly human face momentarily under the crest.
"Water elemental," Fred told her when Isabel squeaked out an incoherent question. "Don't trust them – most of the time, they work with the under-toad. But good eyes on your part. You
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