Imagine by Jill Barnett

Author:Jill Barnett
Language: ara, eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BelleBooks, Inc.
Published: 2015-04-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

“Let me see if I have this straight. You want me to hold hands with a guy in earrings, purple pants, and toe bells, then fly around in a cloud of smoke and shrink so I can fit inside this bottle?”

Muddy kept a straight face, but it wasn’t easy. Hank was making his mastership more interesting than most.

“I don’t know what else we can do.” Margaret threw up her hands and watched Hank pace. “Theodore won’t come out.”

Hank ran a hand through his hair and turned, winced once, then slowly began to walk a new path, favoring one leg.

Margaret frowned at Hank. “Are you hurt?”

He stopped suddenly and pivoted with the rigid motion of a German soldier. He gave her a black look. “No.”

“Then why are you limping?”

His look turned incendiary and shifted to the goat, gnawing on some grass behind Margaret. Lydia stood over the animal, stroking it like one stroked a pet cat. “I’m just stiff,” he barked, then glared at all of them, his expression warning them to drop the subject.

Not that Muddy was foolish enough to bring it up. He had survived for two thousand years, after all. Besides which, Hank could barely look at him without getting a wild look in his eyes that warned Muddy to stay away.

“Hank, we need to find out why Theodore refuses to come out of the bottle. He told the genie he wants you. You have to go into the bottle with Muddy. The only way to do that is to take hold of his hand.”

“If you’re lying, chump, it’ll be your last lie.” Hank gave him a hard stare.

Muddy remained silent.

“Why would he lie?” Margaret asked.

“I believe Hank is afraid that all I truly want is to hold his hand.” Muddy kept a perfectly straight face even though Hank’s was red._

“Do you think he’s afraid?” Margaret asked with enough exaggeration that Muddy wanted to congratulate her. He winked at her instead.

“I’m standing here, dammit. And I’m not afraid of a chump in purple pants.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Margaret appeared to be biting back a laugh. “Then just pretend you’re giving a handshake.”

After a few minutes of grousing and swearing, Hank stepped in front of the genie and stuck out his hand.

Muddy grabbed it. The devil in him wanted to tickle Hank’s palm, but he was afraid he might get punched. Instead, he donned an appropriately serious look. “Tell me when you’re ready.”

Hank scowled at all of them but especially at him.

“You want to say your last good-byes?” Margaret laughed a little as she bounced Annabelle on her hip.

“Cute, Smitty.”

“No last words, huh?” She had a wicked glint in her eye.

“Yeah, I have something to say. Tie that damn goat up while I’m gone.”

She looked at him, then at his backside. “Did the goat butt you again?”

Hank’s silence gave them the answer.

“Oh! I thought of a name!” Lydia said, showing the first bit of excitement anyone had seen. They turned and stared at her. “For the goat! We can call her Rebuttal!”

Margaret smiled at the little girl.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.