Read Online Weekend by Christopher Pike - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christopher Pike
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He's a desireless man."
"If he has never demonstrated unusual abilities, how do you know he has them?" Park asked.
"Because heknows me," Robin said suddenly emotional. She quieted. "I'm sorry, this is nothing I should talk about."
Flynn, however, was getting interested. "Did he give you the eagle as a protective amulet?"
"No."
"Robin," Lena said, as if accusing her sister of lying.
"Well, he didn't," Robin protested. "He gave it to me as a gift. He never said it was to protect me or to make me bet—" Robin halted, but was too late, having revealed more than she had wished. Was she staying down here to be near this peculiar man because she believed he could cure her? Perhaps that was why Lena viewed him cynically.
"What did he say about your kidneys?" Flynn asked.
Robin was defensive. "What makes you think I asked him?"
Flynn's tone was apologetic. "I was just thinking of myself. I would have asked."
"I did ask him, once," Robin admitted, sounding tired.
"I'm being nosey. I'm sorry," Flynn said. "Let's talk about something else."
Lena sighed. She was getting exasperated and bored. "This is all sounding more mysterious than it really is. Robin, just tell them the story that he told you when you asked about your health. Don't be embarrassed, wise men are always telling short parables that no one understands."
"I don't want to."
"Why not?" Lena insisted.
"Because… it doesn't have an ending."
"You brought up the subject and got everyone going," Lena said.
"I did not."
"If you won't tell them, I will."
"If it's private, Robin doesn't have to tell us," Shani said. Yet she, too, was curious.
"Okay, okay," Robin said. "I'm supposed to be the hostess. I guess I shouldn't be so rude. It won't matter to talk about it now, anyway. Lena, I'm feeling awfully tired. Could you get it for me? I wrote it down that day he told me. It's in a manila envelope in my desk, second drawer on the right. Thank you."
Lena returned in a minute with the envelope, plus a woolen blanket, which Robin accepted gratefully, wrapping it around her shoulders. The breeze coming in from the ocean had turned the room absurdly cold. Robin cleared her throat, saying, "This is what he told me when I asked him if I was going to get better. It doesn't really say yes or no and, like I said, it doesn't have an ending. Also, my Spanish is okay, but I'm not fluent. I can only give you the gist of what he told me. It reads like a parable."
"Once, not so long ago, there were two birds, Dove and Eagle. They were as one, very close, and would talk long and deep together. They made a vow to one another that they would always be together.
But one terrible day, a storm came, and they were separated, and Dove flew alone, always searching for Eagle, but never finding him."
"Now it came to happen one day that Dove met Raven, and they became good friends. Raven was clever and strong, and helped Dove live. And Dove respected Raven, for she could do many things that Dove could not. But Dove could sing, whereas Raven could not. Often, Raven pleaded for Dove to sing to her, and Dove always would."
"After being many days together, Raven told Dove of a new and exciting place she had heard of. She wished to go to this place, for Raven was very inquisitive, and she persuaded Dove to come with her, though Dove did not really want to go. But coming to this place, they found nothing but desert and got lost — or so it seemed — and became very thirsty. Flying high, Raven spotted a pond, and said, 'Let us drink here,' and Dove followed."
"Now, this pond belonged to Snake, and Raven knew this. Long ago, Raven had promised to bring Snake tasty food in exchange for its rattle, for more than anything, Raven wished to be able to make music like Dove. But Raven did not intend for Dove to be killed, for Raven in truth liked Dove. Together, Raven thought they could kill Snake, and she would get its rattle. But Snake had no intention of giving up its rattle. And Snake really
"If he has never demonstrated unusual abilities, how do you know he has them?" Park asked.
"Because heknows me," Robin said suddenly emotional. She quieted. "I'm sorry, this is nothing I should talk about."
Flynn, however, was getting interested. "Did he give you the eagle as a protective amulet?"
"No."
"Robin," Lena said, as if accusing her sister of lying.
"Well, he didn't," Robin protested. "He gave it to me as a gift. He never said it was to protect me or to make me bet—" Robin halted, but was too late, having revealed more than she had wished. Was she staying down here to be near this peculiar man because she believed he could cure her? Perhaps that was why Lena viewed him cynically.
"What did he say about your kidneys?" Flynn asked.
Robin was defensive. "What makes you think I asked him?"
Flynn's tone was apologetic. "I was just thinking of myself. I would have asked."
"I did ask him, once," Robin admitted, sounding tired.
"I'm being nosey. I'm sorry," Flynn said. "Let's talk about something else."
Lena sighed. She was getting exasperated and bored. "This is all sounding more mysterious than it really is. Robin, just tell them the story that he told you when you asked about your health. Don't be embarrassed, wise men are always telling short parables that no one understands."
"I don't want to."
"Why not?" Lena insisted.
"Because… it doesn't have an ending."
"You brought up the subject and got everyone going," Lena said.
"I did not."
"If you won't tell them, I will."
"If it's private, Robin doesn't have to tell us," Shani said. Yet she, too, was curious.
"Okay, okay," Robin said. "I'm supposed to be the hostess. I guess I shouldn't be so rude. It won't matter to talk about it now, anyway. Lena, I'm feeling awfully tired. Could you get it for me? I wrote it down that day he told me. It's in a manila envelope in my desk, second drawer on the right. Thank you."
Lena returned in a minute with the envelope, plus a woolen blanket, which Robin accepted gratefully, wrapping it around her shoulders. The breeze coming in from the ocean had turned the room absurdly cold. Robin cleared her throat, saying, "This is what he told me when I asked him if I was going to get better. It doesn't really say yes or no and, like I said, it doesn't have an ending. Also, my Spanish is okay, but I'm not fluent. I can only give you the gist of what he told me. It reads like a parable."
"Once, not so long ago, there were two birds, Dove and Eagle. They were as one, very close, and would talk long and deep together. They made a vow to one another that they would always be together.
But one terrible day, a storm came, and they were separated, and Dove flew alone, always searching for Eagle, but never finding him."
"Now it came to happen one day that Dove met Raven, and they became good friends. Raven was clever and strong, and helped Dove live. And Dove respected Raven, for she could do many things that Dove could not. But Dove could sing, whereas Raven could not. Often, Raven pleaded for Dove to sing to her, and Dove always would."
"After being many days together, Raven told Dove of a new and exciting place she had heard of. She wished to go to this place, for Raven was very inquisitive, and she persuaded Dove to come with her, though Dove did not really want to go. But coming to this place, they found nothing but desert and got lost — or so it seemed — and became very thirsty. Flying high, Raven spotted a pond, and said, 'Let us drink here,' and Dove followed."
"Now, this pond belonged to Snake, and Raven knew this. Long ago, Raven had promised to bring Snake tasty food in exchange for its rattle, for more than anything, Raven wished to be able to make music like Dove. But Raven did not intend for Dove to be killed, for Raven in truth liked Dove. Together, Raven thought they could kill Snake, and she would get its rattle. But Snake had no intention of giving up its rattle. And Snake really
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