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."They probably aren't the only two denning up there, especially considering all the stuff they were buying.I just need to get an invitation from one of the other kids living there to get us in.""You think?" Eric asked doubtfully.Those kids—there wouldn't be one of them that was over eighteen, he was sure.He had never felt so old before."I mean, you know what we used to say, 'never trust anyone over thirty.' You don't think they'd figure me for someone trying to hustle them?""Well—not if you make like Rainman," Kayla replied, with a sly grin."Someone whose ducks aren't all in a row—harmless, but dippy.Then you use your winning ways to get next to him, scope out the situation, and figure out where to go from there," she added, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.Eric thought about it.It seemed like an elegant solution, even if he would have to give an impression of a lunatic.If he could get the chance to talk to Magnus, get an idea of what his situation was—or what Magnus thought it was.The best thing would be to find some way to break through the spell barrier Magnus had surrounded himself with, so that Eric's own magic could work reliably, and so if Magnus ran again, Eric would have a tag on him.And at least this way he'd have something to go to Ria with.If he'd already found Magnus, there was no reason to go searching for him, and no reason to hire more specialists.For to see Mad Tom O'Bedlam, ten thousand miles I'd travel.The song rang through his head, unbidden.Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes to save her shoes from gravel.So here they were, Mad Tom and Mad Maudlin."It sounds like the best idea.if we can pull it off," Eric said slowly."But I can't use magic to get us in.He'll sense it."Kayla made a face."Every problem in the world doesn't have to be solved by magic, Ultra Bard," she said."Now come on.There's an alleyway outside the building.Let's find some place where we can watch it.and be inconspicuous about it.It's going to be a long cold night, whether we pull this off or not.""Just give me a minute to call Ria once we get outside," Eric said."I've got to break a date."Not that he thought Ria would be unhappy about that.At least, not this time.* * *She was sure they'd been followed, but Ace hadn't seen anybody.She didn't say anything.It had been hard enough talking Magnus into coming out with her, but he'd been jumpy and cross all day (more than usual), and she'd thought a breath of air—even New York air—would do him some good.Besides, if he came with her on her shopping run, she could buy more stuff, and she wouldn't have to worry as much about being jumped on the street.She wondered what was bothering him.In particular and lately, of course.Probably somebody was trying to rope him into something—everybody was always trying that.So far he'd had the sense to stay clear, just as she had, but the offers Magnus was probably getting were undoubtedly more tempting than hers.They wouldn't just be asking him to sell his body.No, they'd be asking him to run drugs, or numbers, or do any number of other things that seemed cleaner but were just as bad—and far more dangerous over time.But lecturing him would do neither of them any good—and would probably drive him right into doing them.When they got back and divvied up what she'd bought, she went to check on Jaycie, as usual.He was right where she'd left him, and Ace breathed a sigh of relief.He'd given her an almighty fright this morning.She'd been having trouble sleeping because it was so cold.The other kids were still coming in and out, so she hadn't really been doing a good job of getting her head down, and the place was fairly well-lit besides, and one time, when she'd looked over to where Jaycie slept, he hadn't been there.She'd been terrified.She'd never seen him leave The Place—never!She'd sat bolt upright, trying to figure out what to do.Wake Magnus? Go out looking for him herself?She'd worked herself up into a fine tizzy and had just been about to shake Magnus awake when Jaycie had come strolling in, innocent as you please.She'd realized then she was just being foolish.He'd just gone to the bathroom.He couldn't spend every minute in bed, after all.But then he'd seen she was awake, and smiled—that heartbreakingly beautiful smile of his—and taken her hand.And before she'd realized quite what he was about, Jaycie was back in bed and she was holding a wad of money that would choke a Central Park carriage horse.She hadn't told Magnus about that, either.But now."He's getting sicker," she said harshly, looking down at the sleeping boy.He was thinner than before—she'd seen it clearly this morning when he'd been up and about.And paler than he had been, almost as if there were a light shining through him.And he slept even more than he had when she'd first come here.Now Jaycie slept almost all the time."He isn't," Magnus said stubbornly."He isn't sick.""He is," Ace said, not bothering to lower her voice."He always wakes up when I come back—but he isn't waking up now."Magnus dropped to his knees beside Jaycie and shook him roughly, which just went to prove that he was as scared as she was, for all his fine talk."Magnus, no—" Ace cried, but it was too late.You did not startle Jaycie, or wake him up suddenly.Both of them knew that.But she'd frightened Magnus, and he'd forgotten.She heard a cry—Jaycie's—and then something happened—she didn't know what.And then a yelp from Magnus as he went flying across the room, knocking bags and jar candles every whichway.And Jaycie was on his feet, staring around himself wildly, about to run."Jaycie?" Ace said softly, moving a little so he'd focus on her.She stepped back, not forward."It's me—Ace.We didn't mean to wake you up."Now that was a flat lie, but she didn't think he was quite awake yet.The important thing was to wake him up the rest of the way, so he'd know where he was before he went and did something almighty foolish.He looked terrified—his face was as white as scraped bone, and he was panting just as if he'd run a dozen blocks."Jaycie?" she said again, very softly."It's okay.You're safe here."Finally his eyes focused and he saw her.Some of the wild look left his eyes."Ace?" he said."I thought— I saw— I dreamed—"He reached for her—a rare gesture—and she went to him, holding him tight.She could feel him tremble as she held him, and worse, she could feel how the layers of cloth collapsed inward at her touch.He was nothing but skin and bones underneath all those clothes."It's all right," she said again [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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."They probably aren't the only two denning up there, especially considering all the stuff they were buying.I just need to get an invitation from one of the other kids living there to get us in.""You think?" Eric asked doubtfully.Those kids—there wouldn't be one of them that was over eighteen, he was sure.He had never felt so old before."I mean, you know what we used to say, 'never trust anyone over thirty.' You don't think they'd figure me for someone trying to hustle them?""Well—not if you make like Rainman," Kayla replied, with a sly grin."Someone whose ducks aren't all in a row—harmless, but dippy.Then you use your winning ways to get next to him, scope out the situation, and figure out where to go from there," she added, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.Eric thought about it.It seemed like an elegant solution, even if he would have to give an impression of a lunatic.If he could get the chance to talk to Magnus, get an idea of what his situation was—or what Magnus thought it was.The best thing would be to find some way to break through the spell barrier Magnus had surrounded himself with, so that Eric's own magic could work reliably, and so if Magnus ran again, Eric would have a tag on him.And at least this way he'd have something to go to Ria with.If he'd already found Magnus, there was no reason to go searching for him, and no reason to hire more specialists.For to see Mad Tom O'Bedlam, ten thousand miles I'd travel.The song rang through his head, unbidden.Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes to save her shoes from gravel.So here they were, Mad Tom and Mad Maudlin."It sounds like the best idea.if we can pull it off," Eric said slowly."But I can't use magic to get us in.He'll sense it."Kayla made a face."Every problem in the world doesn't have to be solved by magic, Ultra Bard," she said."Now come on.There's an alleyway outside the building.Let's find some place where we can watch it.and be inconspicuous about it.It's going to be a long cold night, whether we pull this off or not.""Just give me a minute to call Ria once we get outside," Eric said."I've got to break a date."Not that he thought Ria would be unhappy about that.At least, not this time.* * *She was sure they'd been followed, but Ace hadn't seen anybody.She didn't say anything.It had been hard enough talking Magnus into coming out with her, but he'd been jumpy and cross all day (more than usual), and she'd thought a breath of air—even New York air—would do him some good.Besides, if he came with her on her shopping run, she could buy more stuff, and she wouldn't have to worry as much about being jumped on the street.She wondered what was bothering him.In particular and lately, of course.Probably somebody was trying to rope him into something—everybody was always trying that.So far he'd had the sense to stay clear, just as she had, but the offers Magnus was probably getting were undoubtedly more tempting than hers.They wouldn't just be asking him to sell his body.No, they'd be asking him to run drugs, or numbers, or do any number of other things that seemed cleaner but were just as bad—and far more dangerous over time.But lecturing him would do neither of them any good—and would probably drive him right into doing them.When they got back and divvied up what she'd bought, she went to check on Jaycie, as usual.He was right where she'd left him, and Ace breathed a sigh of relief.He'd given her an almighty fright this morning.She'd been having trouble sleeping because it was so cold.The other kids were still coming in and out, so she hadn't really been doing a good job of getting her head down, and the place was fairly well-lit besides, and one time, when she'd looked over to where Jaycie slept, he hadn't been there.She'd been terrified.She'd never seen him leave The Place—never!She'd sat bolt upright, trying to figure out what to do.Wake Magnus? Go out looking for him herself?She'd worked herself up into a fine tizzy and had just been about to shake Magnus awake when Jaycie had come strolling in, innocent as you please.She'd realized then she was just being foolish.He'd just gone to the bathroom.He couldn't spend every minute in bed, after all.But then he'd seen she was awake, and smiled—that heartbreakingly beautiful smile of his—and taken her hand.And before she'd realized quite what he was about, Jaycie was back in bed and she was holding a wad of money that would choke a Central Park carriage horse.She hadn't told Magnus about that, either.But now."He's getting sicker," she said harshly, looking down at the sleeping boy.He was thinner than before—she'd seen it clearly this morning when he'd been up and about.And paler than he had been, almost as if there were a light shining through him.And he slept even more than he had when she'd first come here.Now Jaycie slept almost all the time."He isn't," Magnus said stubbornly."He isn't sick.""He is," Ace said, not bothering to lower her voice."He always wakes up when I come back—but he isn't waking up now."Magnus dropped to his knees beside Jaycie and shook him roughly, which just went to prove that he was as scared as she was, for all his fine talk."Magnus, no—" Ace cried, but it was too late.You did not startle Jaycie, or wake him up suddenly.Both of them knew that.But she'd frightened Magnus, and he'd forgotten.She heard a cry—Jaycie's—and then something happened—she didn't know what.And then a yelp from Magnus as he went flying across the room, knocking bags and jar candles every whichway.And Jaycie was on his feet, staring around himself wildly, about to run."Jaycie?" Ace said softly, moving a little so he'd focus on her.She stepped back, not forward."It's me—Ace.We didn't mean to wake you up."Now that was a flat lie, but she didn't think he was quite awake yet.The important thing was to wake him up the rest of the way, so he'd know where he was before he went and did something almighty foolish.He looked terrified—his face was as white as scraped bone, and he was panting just as if he'd run a dozen blocks."Jaycie?" she said again, very softly."It's okay.You're safe here."Finally his eyes focused and he saw her.Some of the wild look left his eyes."Ace?" he said."I thought— I saw— I dreamed—"He reached for her—a rare gesture—and she went to him, holding him tight.She could feel him tremble as she held him, and worse, she could feel how the layers of cloth collapsed inward at her touch.He was nothing but skin and bones underneath all those clothes."It's all right," she said again [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]