Read Online Grand & Humble by Brent Hartinger - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brent Hartinger
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always going to parties. And since parties meant lots of people, that meant lots of chances for her to stumble upon some important interaction of his. Then there was the “accident in the water.” How vague was that? And besides, he’d just told her what the Ouija board had spelled out.
H 2 O danger Tub.
She had just taken the little bit of information he’d given her, rearranged it, and repeated it back to him to make it sound like she was saying something real.
Her act had been a good one—especially the bit with her serving tea, and the dead husband. And she’d performed it impressively—well enough for it to be worth the price he would pay for it, to tell the truth. He had almost been convinced. But it had been an act. He was sure of that now. At least he had realized the truth before she had made him do something stupid—or bilked him out of a lot of money.
“That’s funny,” Mrs. Swan said to herself. She still hadn’t taken a bite of the cookie in her hand.
“What is?” Harlan asked.
“Richard is gone.” She dropped the cookie back on the plate; it landed with a clink and broke into pieces. Then she glanced around the room. “Richard?”
“Maybe he stepped out for a minute,” Harlan said, starting to stand again. “And I think that I should—”
“You don’t understand. Richard has never left before!” Her eyes had gone wild; her jaw had become a junction of creases and tremors.
She was an incredible actress. She should be doing theater, Harlan thought, except it probably didn’t pay as well.
Suddenly Mrs. Swan stood up from her chair. Her leg caught the corner of the tea tray, knocking it over. Nothing broke, but everything spilled—milk, tea, and sugar, all over the carpet.
“Mrs. Swan?”
She didn’t say a word. She ignored the spilled tea and milk, just let it soak into the carpet. She stood there, hunched down and glaring around the roomlike a cat before an earthquake.
“What is it?”
“There’s something here with us!” she hissed. “Not Richard!”
Harlan smiled. Here it goes. There were “dark forces” stowing away on his “confused” soul after all. And of course only Mrs. Swan was going to be able to banish them—for a not inconsequential price, of course. He marveled at how cleverly it had all been set up.
But to Harlan’s surprise, she didn’t ask him for money. Instead, she said, “You must go!” Without waiting for a response, she stepped closer to him but stopped short, like she was afraid to actually touch him. “Please! You must leave!”
“Wait,” Harlan said. “Don’t you have something to banish the dark forces?”
“What? No! Now go!”
“But the money I owe you—”
“No! Just go! And please don’t come back!”
“Don’t come back”? Harlan thought. But if he didn’t come back, how was she going to scam him out of his money?
“Mrs. Swan…?”
Now she was touching him, roughly, prodding him toward the door but still trying to keep her hands offhim as much as possible, like she had just learned he had leprosy. “Go!” she said. “You must go!”
Okay, now he was confused. What sort of con was this? Did she ruin her carpet for all her dupes? Was she able to conjure up such a convincing fear in her eyes for everyone?
They reached the door, and she threw it open. “I’m sorry!” she said. Even before he could respond, she tried to push him through.
He caught himself on the doorframe. “Wait!” he said. “At least tell me what to do! To get rid of the dark forces? I’ll do anything you want!” This was what she wanted, right? For him to plead with her? For him to be willing to spend any amount of money? Because this was all a con; it had to be! Because if it wasn’t—
Mrs. Swan shoved him through the door.
“Mrs. Swan—”
She slammed the door in his face.
MANNY
Manny stood in the bridge of the original U.S. starship Enterprise . The door had just swooshed closed behind him.
“Captain.” Mr. Spock
H 2 O danger Tub.
She had just taken the little bit of information he’d given her, rearranged it, and repeated it back to him to make it sound like she was saying something real.
Her act had been a good one—especially the bit with her serving tea, and the dead husband. And she’d performed it impressively—well enough for it to be worth the price he would pay for it, to tell the truth. He had almost been convinced. But it had been an act. He was sure of that now. At least he had realized the truth before she had made him do something stupid—or bilked him out of a lot of money.
“That’s funny,” Mrs. Swan said to herself. She still hadn’t taken a bite of the cookie in her hand.
“What is?” Harlan asked.
“Richard is gone.” She dropped the cookie back on the plate; it landed with a clink and broke into pieces. Then she glanced around the room. “Richard?”
“Maybe he stepped out for a minute,” Harlan said, starting to stand again. “And I think that I should—”
“You don’t understand. Richard has never left before!” Her eyes had gone wild; her jaw had become a junction of creases and tremors.
She was an incredible actress. She should be doing theater, Harlan thought, except it probably didn’t pay as well.
Suddenly Mrs. Swan stood up from her chair. Her leg caught the corner of the tea tray, knocking it over. Nothing broke, but everything spilled—milk, tea, and sugar, all over the carpet.
“Mrs. Swan?”
She didn’t say a word. She ignored the spilled tea and milk, just let it soak into the carpet. She stood there, hunched down and glaring around the roomlike a cat before an earthquake.
“What is it?”
“There’s something here with us!” she hissed. “Not Richard!”
Harlan smiled. Here it goes. There were “dark forces” stowing away on his “confused” soul after all. And of course only Mrs. Swan was going to be able to banish them—for a not inconsequential price, of course. He marveled at how cleverly it had all been set up.
But to Harlan’s surprise, she didn’t ask him for money. Instead, she said, “You must go!” Without waiting for a response, she stepped closer to him but stopped short, like she was afraid to actually touch him. “Please! You must leave!”
“Wait,” Harlan said. “Don’t you have something to banish the dark forces?”
“What? No! Now go!”
“But the money I owe you—”
“No! Just go! And please don’t come back!”
“Don’t come back”? Harlan thought. But if he didn’t come back, how was she going to scam him out of his money?
“Mrs. Swan…?”
Now she was touching him, roughly, prodding him toward the door but still trying to keep her hands offhim as much as possible, like she had just learned he had leprosy. “Go!” she said. “You must go!”
Okay, now he was confused. What sort of con was this? Did she ruin her carpet for all her dupes? Was she able to conjure up such a convincing fear in her eyes for everyone?
They reached the door, and she threw it open. “I’m sorry!” she said. Even before he could respond, she tried to push him through.
He caught himself on the doorframe. “Wait!” he said. “At least tell me what to do! To get rid of the dark forces? I’ll do anything you want!” This was what she wanted, right? For him to plead with her? For him to be willing to spend any amount of money? Because this was all a con; it had to be! Because if it wasn’t—
Mrs. Swan shoved him through the door.
“Mrs. Swan—”
She slammed the door in his face.
MANNY
Manny stood in the bridge of the original U.S. starship Enterprise . The door had just swooshed closed behind him.
“Captain.” Mr. Spock
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