Read Online The Third Magic by Molly Cochran - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Molly Cochran
Ads: Link
quickly becoming one of the biggest tourist attractions in the eastern United States.
"Just a ..." He became momentarily engrossed in something he was reading, then looked up, suddenly seeming to remember the woman standing in front of him. "Um, the water's outside," he said, noticing her scars. "Help yourself."
"I am Arthur Blessing's aunt and legal guardian," she said without preamble. "Did you kill him for the cup?"
Diamond looked at her as if someone had just knocked the air out of his lungs.
"Well, did you?"
"No! He didn't want it. I mean ..." His mouth opened and closed in frustration. "No," he repeated quietly. "He's fine, as far as I know."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know," he said honestly. "If I did, people might be able to find out by torturing me. So I don't keep in touch."
Emily stared at the man for a moment. He was afraid. She did not have to verify her suspicions about the cup. By his silence, Zack Diamond had confirmed everything she had wanted to know.
"Look, whoever you areâ"
"I'm who I said I was," Emily explained, her voice more gentle than it had been. "I'm not a spy, and I don't want to take the cup from you, if that is your suspicion. If you have it, then it's because Arthur wants you to have it. And I rather like what you're doing with it." She looked around the cluttered room. "This office, however, is another matter."
Diamond smiled sheepishly. "I can't afford any help yet."
"You will. Meanwhile, I can help you to organize this mess." She looked down at her scarred hands. "I haven't anything else to do with my time, anyway."
Diamond faltered.
"You're wondering if you can trust me," Emily said, writing down the phone number of the boardinghouse where she had rented a room. "Let me know when you've made your decision." She turned to leave. "Just one more question."
Diamond looked at the papers clutched in both of his hands. "Yes?"
"Is Hal still alive?"
At Hal's name, Diamond's brow relaxed. "You know Hal?"
"I do," she said simply.
"He's alive. He's keeping Arthur hidden."
Emily smiled. "Hal's good at hiding things," Emily said. "Better than you. Why didn't you just keep the cup to yourself?"
Zack swallowed hard. "I wanted to do some good," he said. "And ... and I was afraid to be alone with it."
She nodded. "I understand." She held out her hand. "Emily Blessing," she said. "If you want to reach me, I'll beâ"
"I want you to work here," Diamond said. "For no money, and no guarantee of ever getting any money."
"Agreed," Emily said. "Until I decide to leave."
"Okay." He shook her hand. '"Er, you won'tâ"
"I won't tell anyone."
"Thanks."
"You could still be killed, though."
"I know."
"And I could be lying."
"I know," Diamond said.
Emily sighed. "I think I'd better get to work," she said. "You're hopeless."
Within a month, the administrative office of Miller's Creek was running smoothly. The following month, Diamond received a large donation from the father of a young girl whose bone cancer had gone into complete remission after an encounter with the healing waters. It was enough to pay Emily a modest salary for the next year. After that, Zack Diamond was called to speak all over the world about the miraculous water of Miller's Creek, and Emily Blessing was left to run the place alone.
She never told the young man that she had gone to the creek on the same day she had first come to see him.
E mily Blessing had never been a vain womanâher mind had always been her best featureâbut when she heard the gasps of those who had been miraculously healed at the creek right in front of her, when she watched people fall to their knees in prayerful gratitude, when she saw an old woman's goiter shrink before her eyes and the fingers at the end of a five-year-old boy's withered arm move, she had been filled with hope for herself.
Before she went in to see Zack Diamond, she had waited in the line for hours, ashamed that she was putting off the task she had traveled a
"Just a ..." He became momentarily engrossed in something he was reading, then looked up, suddenly seeming to remember the woman standing in front of him. "Um, the water's outside," he said, noticing her scars. "Help yourself."
"I am Arthur Blessing's aunt and legal guardian," she said without preamble. "Did you kill him for the cup?"
Diamond looked at her as if someone had just knocked the air out of his lungs.
"Well, did you?"
"No! He didn't want it. I mean ..." His mouth opened and closed in frustration. "No," he repeated quietly. "He's fine, as far as I know."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know," he said honestly. "If I did, people might be able to find out by torturing me. So I don't keep in touch."
Emily stared at the man for a moment. He was afraid. She did not have to verify her suspicions about the cup. By his silence, Zack Diamond had confirmed everything she had wanted to know.
"Look, whoever you areâ"
"I'm who I said I was," Emily explained, her voice more gentle than it had been. "I'm not a spy, and I don't want to take the cup from you, if that is your suspicion. If you have it, then it's because Arthur wants you to have it. And I rather like what you're doing with it." She looked around the cluttered room. "This office, however, is another matter."
Diamond smiled sheepishly. "I can't afford any help yet."
"You will. Meanwhile, I can help you to organize this mess." She looked down at her scarred hands. "I haven't anything else to do with my time, anyway."
Diamond faltered.
"You're wondering if you can trust me," Emily said, writing down the phone number of the boardinghouse where she had rented a room. "Let me know when you've made your decision." She turned to leave. "Just one more question."
Diamond looked at the papers clutched in both of his hands. "Yes?"
"Is Hal still alive?"
At Hal's name, Diamond's brow relaxed. "You know Hal?"
"I do," she said simply.
"He's alive. He's keeping Arthur hidden."
Emily smiled. "Hal's good at hiding things," Emily said. "Better than you. Why didn't you just keep the cup to yourself?"
Zack swallowed hard. "I wanted to do some good," he said. "And ... and I was afraid to be alone with it."
She nodded. "I understand." She held out her hand. "Emily Blessing," she said. "If you want to reach me, I'll beâ"
"I want you to work here," Diamond said. "For no money, and no guarantee of ever getting any money."
"Agreed," Emily said. "Until I decide to leave."
"Okay." He shook her hand. '"Er, you won'tâ"
"I won't tell anyone."
"Thanks."
"You could still be killed, though."
"I know."
"And I could be lying."
"I know," Diamond said.
Emily sighed. "I think I'd better get to work," she said. "You're hopeless."
Within a month, the administrative office of Miller's Creek was running smoothly. The following month, Diamond received a large donation from the father of a young girl whose bone cancer had gone into complete remission after an encounter with the healing waters. It was enough to pay Emily a modest salary for the next year. After that, Zack Diamond was called to speak all over the world about the miraculous water of Miller's Creek, and Emily Blessing was left to run the place alone.
She never told the young man that she had gone to the creek on the same day she had first come to see him.
E mily Blessing had never been a vain womanâher mind had always been her best featureâbut when she heard the gasps of those who had been miraculously healed at the creek right in front of her, when she watched people fall to their knees in prayerful gratitude, when she saw an old woman's goiter shrink before her eyes and the fingers at the end of a five-year-old boy's withered arm move, she had been filled with hope for herself.
Before she went in to see Zack Diamond, she had waited in the line for hours, ashamed that she was putting off the task she had traveled a
Similar Books
