Page 3 (1/2)

She paused, blushing, and giggled

"Shhh," Thin Elderly reminded her

Littlest One covered her le "There's a kiss," she said "Well, a fraght," Thin Elderly told her "It sounds as if you are quite good at touching and collecting But here is what you ainst Always remember this" He leaned toward her and spoke very seriously

"Delvingthat lovely light flickering touch you just showed ivers beco When they start to like it too much"

"Like the kiss?" Littlest whispered

"Possibly Never linger and press, because everything has apieces" He sighed

"Even by mistake?" Littlest asked

Thin Elderly nodded "It's what happened to Rotund He pressed and delved So We tried to warn him, but--"

Littlest sighed "Then he disappeared"

"Well, he had to go away He becaiver when you become consumed by the dark side, the menace"

"What did he become, then?"

Thin Elderly shuddered "Promise me you won't talk about this in the Heap"

"I won't Cross my heart" Littlest touched her own pale wisp of a chest

"The term is"--he lowered his voice and whispered the word--"Sinisteed Don't ever say it aloud"

She looked puzzled "Steed means 'horse,' doesn't it? I touched a picture of a beautiful horse in the wos Quite powerful It stamps the earth, and the nostrils quiver That's what Rotund is now And others

"But there is no beauty to it," he added "It's hideous"

Littlest treave a scornful laugh "We bestow dreaain his voice dropped to a whisper--"Sinisteed?" He pondered for a moment

Then he said, "It inflicts"

"Inflicts?"

"Inflicts sohtlancing sideways to be certain he wasn't looking, slid her thuoing We have work to do Mustn't delay Fastidious told me about the wo yet"

He looked down at Littlest She withdrew her thuments," she told him, "but she never let me bestow"

"Well," Thin Elderly said, "tiuess You say you have a party? And a kiss?"

Littlest nodded "Fragentle dream," he said "I'll show you how"

Thin Elderly took her hand "Co hands, they coht's as beginning

7

The woh it was late, she had been wakeful, troubled by the letter that had arrived in yesterday'smail She had found it on the floor, just inside the h with an oil bill and a notice of a half-price sale on tuna at the local grocery store

"Whatever is this?" she had said aloud, speaking as she usually did, to the dog Toby had watched as she turned the envelope over and over in her hand Then she had gone to the kitchen table, sat, and ripped it open

Now the letter, folded and returned to its envelope, was on the table beside her bed Littlest could see it there, in the ht

"Should I touch that?" she asked Thin Elderly, whispering

He had seen it, too "No It "

The wo

"Dissolve!" Thin Elderly commanded in a whisper Littlest obeyed, and concentrated on seeping her for But it worked When the woman blinked herself awake in the

They could still see her They watched as she looked around, sighed, plumped her pillow, and lay her head back down She closed her eyes After a ain

"Reintegrate," Thin Elderly whispered "And stay very still"

Together they returned to their working selves, casting visible shadows in the ht at hers, anda sort of marionette of herself She was not accustomed to shadows yet

Thin Elderly looked pointedly at her and she blushed and stopped playing

"I'," Thin Elderly whispered, "partly to keep him occupied, and partly to show you how You've probably watched Fastidious do it, of course, but we all have different styles"