Read Online The Spirit House by William Sleator - Free Book Online
Authors: William Sleator
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take over again. I tried to assure myself that this spirit was different, she had specific rulesâyou bargained with her, you paid her for your wish. And if you paid her first , wouldnât that protect you from any gruesome surprises? I hoped so.
But how could I be sure?
All I knew was that if there really were anything to this, it was a lot scarier than I had realized at first. Maybe I shouldnât ask for anything at all. If I did, I would have to be extremely careful, and consider all the options and ramifications. Well-meant wishes, like Domâs experiments, could backfire as easily as selfish ones.
Half an hour later I slipped out the back door, feeling self-conscious even though I knew nobody was there to see me. I approached the spirit house, my hands clenched at my sides, making an effort to maintain a steady pace. It was a beautiful day, the sun warm on my face, the yard green and bright and comfortingly familiar. I could see how small the spirit house was under the endless sky, I knew it was just a crude box hammered together by my little brother.
And I was trembling. In my mind, the shadow of the spirit house engulfed the yard, the street; its dark influence stretched all the way across the ocean from Asia.
I imagined the creature waiting inside, her head lolling upon its pulpy bed of intestines, her vacant eyes watching me approach. I paused. It was necessary to remind myself of how Bia had stolen the real Thamrongsakâs rightful opportunityâand had also taken advantage of me. I plodded forward again. I stopped a foot in front of the spirit house; I pressed my palms together and deeply lowered my head.
I had thought very carefully about what to ask. I had practiced the wording. And I had not forgotten to be respectfulâI had learned from Bia the Asian way of extreme politeness and deference to those of superior status. But I still made several false starts, my thoughts stumbling. Finally it dawned on me to imagine I was talking to someone who didnât speak much Englishâlike Biaâand that helped me to keep it slow and precise. It was important to be very clear, to make sure the spirit understood who I was, and that she did not confuse me with anyone else.
I offer you most respectful greetings, honorable one, and sincerest wishes that you are comfortable in this house my brother Dominic made for you. My name is Julie Kamen, and I beg your kind permission to hear my small request. For your consideration, I offer you something very precious to me, more precious than anything else I have to give. I offer it to you now, in hopes of earning your trust, and so that you will know how seriously I honor my part of the bargain .
What I ask you is to please let my brother Dominic learn the truth about Bia, the young man from Thailand who is staying with us, and the truth about a young man named Thamrongsak Tan-ngarmtrong. I ask that no harm come to Dominic as a result of this request or this knowledge. I ask you to ignore this request, rather than to let any harm come to Dominic .
Please understand, the precious thing I am giving you once belonged to someone else, but it was freely given to me, and it is rightfully mine. Parting with it is a great sacrifice for me. And now I freely give it to you, for considering my request. I offer you my deepest gratitude for listening to me. Thank you .
The hard part wasnât removing the chain from my neckâthe loose clasp fell open at a touch. And although giving it away, now that I was really doing it, was painful enough to bring tears to my eyes, it was something I could do unflinchingly, because it made a kind of sense, and I knew that my intentions were good.
The hardest part was willing my hand to move past the miniature porch and actually reach inside the dark open doorway of the spirit house.
I heard laughter and splashing from the neighborsâ pool, the inane happy bleating of a radio, the sounds of twentieth-century
But how could I be sure?
All I knew was that if there really were anything to this, it was a lot scarier than I had realized at first. Maybe I shouldnât ask for anything at all. If I did, I would have to be extremely careful, and consider all the options and ramifications. Well-meant wishes, like Domâs experiments, could backfire as easily as selfish ones.
Half an hour later I slipped out the back door, feeling self-conscious even though I knew nobody was there to see me. I approached the spirit house, my hands clenched at my sides, making an effort to maintain a steady pace. It was a beautiful day, the sun warm on my face, the yard green and bright and comfortingly familiar. I could see how small the spirit house was under the endless sky, I knew it was just a crude box hammered together by my little brother.
And I was trembling. In my mind, the shadow of the spirit house engulfed the yard, the street; its dark influence stretched all the way across the ocean from Asia.
I imagined the creature waiting inside, her head lolling upon its pulpy bed of intestines, her vacant eyes watching me approach. I paused. It was necessary to remind myself of how Bia had stolen the real Thamrongsakâs rightful opportunityâand had also taken advantage of me. I plodded forward again. I stopped a foot in front of the spirit house; I pressed my palms together and deeply lowered my head.
I had thought very carefully about what to ask. I had practiced the wording. And I had not forgotten to be respectfulâI had learned from Bia the Asian way of extreme politeness and deference to those of superior status. But I still made several false starts, my thoughts stumbling. Finally it dawned on me to imagine I was talking to someone who didnât speak much Englishâlike Biaâand that helped me to keep it slow and precise. It was important to be very clear, to make sure the spirit understood who I was, and that she did not confuse me with anyone else.
I offer you most respectful greetings, honorable one, and sincerest wishes that you are comfortable in this house my brother Dominic made for you. My name is Julie Kamen, and I beg your kind permission to hear my small request. For your consideration, I offer you something very precious to me, more precious than anything else I have to give. I offer it to you now, in hopes of earning your trust, and so that you will know how seriously I honor my part of the bargain .
What I ask you is to please let my brother Dominic learn the truth about Bia, the young man from Thailand who is staying with us, and the truth about a young man named Thamrongsak Tan-ngarmtrong. I ask that no harm come to Dominic as a result of this request or this knowledge. I ask you to ignore this request, rather than to let any harm come to Dominic .
Please understand, the precious thing I am giving you once belonged to someone else, but it was freely given to me, and it is rightfully mine. Parting with it is a great sacrifice for me. And now I freely give it to you, for considering my request. I offer you my deepest gratitude for listening to me. Thank you .
The hard part wasnât removing the chain from my neckâthe loose clasp fell open at a touch. And although giving it away, now that I was really doing it, was painful enough to bring tears to my eyes, it was something I could do unflinchingly, because it made a kind of sense, and I knew that my intentions were good.
The hardest part was willing my hand to move past the miniature porch and actually reach inside the dark open doorway of the spirit house.
I heard laughter and splashing from the neighborsâ pool, the inane happy bleating of a radio, the sounds of twentieth-century
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