Read Online King of the Dark Mountain by Galili Black - Free Book Online

that she was really thinking about the occasions when Ted had been dismissive to her.
    “I’ve spent so many months traveling, shopping, visiting people, all the while thinking, I’ll go back to him and he’ll be so happy to see me, because I’ve been gone for so long this time. I’ll show him all the wonderful, unusual things I’ve found and he’ll be thrilled and admire what great taste I have, and we’ll have a great time as I explain where I found it all and what it means to me. Except I won’t get to tell him anything and the new things will go with the old things and collect dust until they go to a consignment shop in town. That’s my marriage now, long shopping trips broken up by short visits home followed by more shopping trips.”
    “At least you get to see the world,” he said gently. 
    “It’s not much of a world, Mr. McCane. I think it used to be, but it’s all just become the same little world with all the same little shops.”
    “Maybe the next time you go traveling, you should go on a mission.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I mean you should go out into the world and find something to share rather than just shop.”
    She looked at him as though he had said, the next time you should go by flapping your arms and flying. “Is that what Ellie does?” she asked bitterly, “I heard from Ted that she goes abroad and teaches or something. That’s all very well, it’s a noble profession,” she sniffed, “But thankfully my teaching days are over.”
    Hez laughed, “You see, you’ve achieved your dream, no more papers to grade or sniveling undergrads to deal with, but instead of enjoying it you make yourself miserable because Ted doesn’t understand you.”
    “Easy for you to judge, you’re not married to Ted.”
    “Mrs. Griffin, I have driven a long way, as you said. I’m road weary and I’m not leaving this house without my sister. Ted may think I’m just going to turn around, but I’ m not leaving unless I see Ellie and she tells me that’s what she wants.”
    “Well he didn’t drag her up here did he? I mean she came of her own volition, isn’t that right?” Her voice did that odd octave change again. It made him want to lose patience with her, but he forced himself to remain calm.
    “It was of her own volition, but … it’s complicated.”
    She regarded him evenly, “She does unusual things, this sister of yours doesn’t she? If you go to the police and you tell them about her psychic abilities what would they think? I’ll tell you what they would think, that you are nuts. And maybe that wouldn’t be far off the mark for you or your sister.”
    He felt the blood rush to his face, “Why would you say such a thing?”
    “It’s just an impression I have. Something in her background, my husband mentioned your parents weren’t around; you were raised by an elderly grandparent. This could make you unstable.”
    He laughed, “My grandmother wasn’t elderly. She was a great surrogate parent. I just want to talk to my sister, nothing crazy about that is there?”
    “What?” She looked at him as though he had just come up with a total non sequitur,
    “I want to talk to Ellie; do you have a phone number where they can be reached?”
    “There’s not good service out here, but you can try his cell.” She went over to the desk near the window and began digging through her purse. She pulled out her cell phone, pushed a button and waited, then abruptly handed it to him. He took it and listened to the rings. After he counted eight rings, he handed the phone back to her, “At least it rang. I doubt if they have service up where they’re located. It’s in the national forest on one of the mountain tops.”
    “Do you know which one by any chance?”
    “Let me see,” she began rifling through some papers on the desk. “Here,” she thrust a piece of paper towards him. It was a map that had been printed up from some online service; a red circle was drawn where a line marked