Page 145 (1/1)

Daisy had left a pair of ruby earrings on her ifts from this stockbroker or that theater critic Theta had half a e, just to teach the frivolous cow a lesson about taking care of her things Instead, she left theh the darkened theater by the dis when she heard a sharp whistling somewhere in the theater that stopped her cold

"Wally? That you?" she called, her heart beating quickly

The whistling stopped There was no response

Theta quickened her steps If soet a sudden sock in the jaw for it Theta swung her legs over the stage and leaped nearly into the front row She heard it again--a jaunty whistle co from sohts on

"Who’s there?" she cried "Daisy, if that’s you, I swear you won’t be able to dance for s"

But the whistling didn’t stop, and she couldn’t pinpoint its source It see froing her leg against the armrest of a chair in the dark, but she didn’t stop She threw herself against the closed theater doors only to discover that they were locked

Where was the whistling co up into the balconies A spotlight ca away the black spots, she turned and ran back toward the dressing roo her Every door was open, and Theta inched her way down the long, ill-lit hallway, fearful that whoever was doing that whistling ht leap out from behind any one of those doors Theta was truly scared now Beneath her gloves, her skin was very warm and itchy

"No," she whispered "No"

A sliver of light shone at the end of the hall; the stage door was ajar She ran for it Her fingers burned with unwelco was louder now It seehts flickered and whiffed out as she passed She tripped and skidded on her knees, wincing in pain She placed a pal, Theta pushed away and raced for the door The door, the door, the door The stage door, hershut

THE ONE WHO WORKS WITH BOTH HANDS

Meht When he looked over and saw that Isaiah’s bed was eh the apart He checked the bathroom and the kitchen Octavia snored in her bed, and Memphis did his best not to make noise so he wouldn’t wake her He looked out the parlor s and saw his pajaarden He raced to his brother’s side

"Isaiah, what’re you doing?" Memphis shook the boy Isaiah was cold to the touch

"Talking to Gabriel" Isaiah’s teeth chattered His eyes had the fixed, unseeing quality of a trance "Me… the stor…"

"Isaiah! Isaiah!" Memphis shook his brother hard

"What in heaven’s naown "What are you doing outside in the htmare Co was an offering of lust and sin…" Isaiah said His eyes had rolled back in his head and his mouth twitched

Octavia put a hand to her et hi Isaiah inside and placed him on his bed Octavia fell to her knees beside the bed and put one hand on his forehead and the other across her heart "Get on your knees, Meonna pray the Devil out of this child"

"There’s no devil in Isaiah!" Me, brother…" Isaiah whispered His shaking had become more violent

"Say it with me," Octavia ordered "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want"

Me in the bedroom in horror His best friend was dead His brother was sick with visions His rave and haunted his sleep, and his father had left and was probably never co He wanted to grab Theta and run away from it all