[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
couldn t get out the obligatory fuck you. He shouldn t have bothered. It just got him
laughed at again.
The unmistakable sound of a cart being pushed became deafening. Kane held his hands
over his ears, but it did little to dampen the noise. He turned almost completely around, but
saw nothing. Just when he thought his eardrums were going to explode, something hit the
back of his legs, and he spun around. The cart was right behind him. The archaic medical
tools in a jumbled pile on the metal tray didn t make a sound as the cart bounced off him and
came to a rest a foot away. In the silver moonlight over a dozen cutting implements from
handsaws to knives to& Kane didn t want to see anymore.
The moon laughed a final time. Forgive me if I must ensure you will take the message
back verbatim. I promise to leave you most of your tongue if you think your pantomime
skills are somewhat lacking.
Kane felt himself falling back. He knew with the dream logic of a nightmare that there
was going to be a gurney behind him. It would be stained a rusted brown color and stink of
old, wasted blood. But when he did fall back, it was onto his bed.
Vision stared down at him, his face pale. Or even paler than usual. Their relationship
was a tedious one at best, yet still Kane sat up and touched his face. His skin felt cool to
Kane s flushed skin, but it was solid and real and not part of the dreamscape at all. Hanz
stood to Vision s side. The concern on Hanz s face was obvious, and Kane wondered how
long he d been screaming. If his throat was any indication, it had probably been quite a
while. Kane looked around, trying to find Jinx, but it was just the three of them in his and
Jinx s bedroom.
He couldn t stand the noise, Hanz said, almost apologetically. We sent him out.
62 Angela Fiddler
Can you call him back? Kane asked, his voice rusty. Please?
Vision stood up off the bed and stepped out of Kane s line of sight. Kane still felt a little
dizzy. Watching Vision would be too much for what little control he had. He covered his
eyes with his arm as the door opened and closed, and felt the familiar pulse. The door
opened, and Jinx ran into the room and threw himself onto the bed. It only took Jinx a
second to burrow beside him. Vision returned to the bedside.
Obviously, that was not a normal nightmare, Vision said. Will you tell us what
happened?
Kane did. When he finished, Vision nodded once. He patted Hanz on the shoulder,
once, and left them.
Master of the Lines 5: Coda 63
Chapter Eight
Once Vision and Hanz had gone, Jinx sat up on the bed with naked accusation on his
face. Loose strands of hair had escaped his braid and fell down his face, and with his pointy
chin he would have looked almost pixie if it hadn t been for the dour look on his face. Kane
held out his hand. Before, Jinx would have snuggled in beside him and slept with him, but
Jinx crossed his arms over his chest and glared. I told you, I m fine, Kane said.
Jinx snorted. He tapped his foot against the carpet, frowning, then crossed the room
and opened the window. The night breeze was warmer than the room, but Kane didn t dare
complain. Finally, Jinx looked back to him. You let them in, he said accusingly.
I don t let them in anywhere, Kane said.
Jinx shot him a withering look and crossed back to the bed. He took Kane s head in his
hands and tilted it back and forth. You do, Jinx said.
And, pray tell, how do I do a dumb thing like that?
You re not firewalled.
I m not what? Kane demanded. He tried to pull back, but Jinx must have decided he
wasn t going to allow it, because Kane suddenly had to choose between staying still and
snapping his neck. He chose to stay still.
64 Angela Fiddler
Firewalled, Jinx said. He frowned again, glancing out to the open window, and then
nodded to himself. Now hold still.
Something touched him, like weeds wrapping around his foot in a lake. It was
unpleasant, but not painful. Not at first. What are you doing? Kane asked.
Firewalling you, what do you think?
You do know that was the most you ve ever said to me at once, Kane said, but obeyed
him. Jinx was strange, occasionally crossing over to weird, but Kane was the first one to say
that he knew his stuff.
Jinx leaned over and kissed the top of his head. This will hurt, he whispered, and
then the unpleasant feeling around his ankle became shooting flames of pain. It wrapped its
way up his leg, not unlike the way the mark had taken over his arm, but at least it didn t scar
him. It touched his belly, setting off a cramp that just about split him in two, and he cried
out, but Jinx held him, tight enough that he shared the pain. His torso hurt less, and when it
touched his head, he barely felt it at all.
There, Jinx announced, and in that one word, Kane heard just how very pleased he
was.
Kane s whole body hummed. He recognized the pattern as from Vision s lines. How
Jinx had the ability to channel it, he had no idea. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
couldn t get out the obligatory fuck you. He shouldn t have bothered. It just got him
laughed at again.
The unmistakable sound of a cart being pushed became deafening. Kane held his hands
over his ears, but it did little to dampen the noise. He turned almost completely around, but
saw nothing. Just when he thought his eardrums were going to explode, something hit the
back of his legs, and he spun around. The cart was right behind him. The archaic medical
tools in a jumbled pile on the metal tray didn t make a sound as the cart bounced off him and
came to a rest a foot away. In the silver moonlight over a dozen cutting implements from
handsaws to knives to& Kane didn t want to see anymore.
The moon laughed a final time. Forgive me if I must ensure you will take the message
back verbatim. I promise to leave you most of your tongue if you think your pantomime
skills are somewhat lacking.
Kane felt himself falling back. He knew with the dream logic of a nightmare that there
was going to be a gurney behind him. It would be stained a rusted brown color and stink of
old, wasted blood. But when he did fall back, it was onto his bed.
Vision stared down at him, his face pale. Or even paler than usual. Their relationship
was a tedious one at best, yet still Kane sat up and touched his face. His skin felt cool to
Kane s flushed skin, but it was solid and real and not part of the dreamscape at all. Hanz
stood to Vision s side. The concern on Hanz s face was obvious, and Kane wondered how
long he d been screaming. If his throat was any indication, it had probably been quite a
while. Kane looked around, trying to find Jinx, but it was just the three of them in his and
Jinx s bedroom.
He couldn t stand the noise, Hanz said, almost apologetically. We sent him out.
62 Angela Fiddler
Can you call him back? Kane asked, his voice rusty. Please?
Vision stood up off the bed and stepped out of Kane s line of sight. Kane still felt a little
dizzy. Watching Vision would be too much for what little control he had. He covered his
eyes with his arm as the door opened and closed, and felt the familiar pulse. The door
opened, and Jinx ran into the room and threw himself onto the bed. It only took Jinx a
second to burrow beside him. Vision returned to the bedside.
Obviously, that was not a normal nightmare, Vision said. Will you tell us what
happened?
Kane did. When he finished, Vision nodded once. He patted Hanz on the shoulder,
once, and left them.
Master of the Lines 5: Coda 63
Chapter Eight
Once Vision and Hanz had gone, Jinx sat up on the bed with naked accusation on his
face. Loose strands of hair had escaped his braid and fell down his face, and with his pointy
chin he would have looked almost pixie if it hadn t been for the dour look on his face. Kane
held out his hand. Before, Jinx would have snuggled in beside him and slept with him, but
Jinx crossed his arms over his chest and glared. I told you, I m fine, Kane said.
Jinx snorted. He tapped his foot against the carpet, frowning, then crossed the room
and opened the window. The night breeze was warmer than the room, but Kane didn t dare
complain. Finally, Jinx looked back to him. You let them in, he said accusingly.
I don t let them in anywhere, Kane said.
Jinx shot him a withering look and crossed back to the bed. He took Kane s head in his
hands and tilted it back and forth. You do, Jinx said.
And, pray tell, how do I do a dumb thing like that?
You re not firewalled.
I m not what? Kane demanded. He tried to pull back, but Jinx must have decided he
wasn t going to allow it, because Kane suddenly had to choose between staying still and
snapping his neck. He chose to stay still.
64 Angela Fiddler
Firewalled, Jinx said. He frowned again, glancing out to the open window, and then
nodded to himself. Now hold still.
Something touched him, like weeds wrapping around his foot in a lake. It was
unpleasant, but not painful. Not at first. What are you doing? Kane asked.
Firewalling you, what do you think?
You do know that was the most you ve ever said to me at once, Kane said, but obeyed
him. Jinx was strange, occasionally crossing over to weird, but Kane was the first one to say
that he knew his stuff.
Jinx leaned over and kissed the top of his head. This will hurt, he whispered, and
then the unpleasant feeling around his ankle became shooting flames of pain. It wrapped its
way up his leg, not unlike the way the mark had taken over his arm, but at least it didn t scar
him. It touched his belly, setting off a cramp that just about split him in two, and he cried
out, but Jinx held him, tight enough that he shared the pain. His torso hurt less, and when it
touched his head, he barely felt it at all.
There, Jinx announced, and in that one word, Kane heard just how very pleased he
was.
Kane s whole body hummed. He recognized the pattern as from Vision s lines. How
Jinx had the ability to channel it, he had no idea. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]