The Shadow by James Patterson

Author:James Patterson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: None
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

CHAPTER 52

IT’S SUPPERTIME. WE’RE eating macaroni soup out of coffee mugs and drinking water from tin cups.

“Lamont,” says Margo. “This cannot go on!”

“Apologies,” says Lamont. “Fletcher didn’t leave a great assortment in the pantry.”

“And no alcohol, I assume?” asks Margo.

“Only some methyl hydrate,” says Lamont. “Intoxicating. But fatal.”

The stove is crackling behind us and the sky outside the window is totally black. Bando is curled up beside me. Margo and Lamont are sitting next to each other on the other side of the crate. Margo’s wearing her freshly cleaned party dress, and Lamont is wearing his tux jacket and white shirt. If it wasn’t for the soup can and tin cups, they’d look like they were at a fancy party in the last century.

I’ve tried to imagine what their life must have been like back then. Nothing like this, I’m sure. Earlier, when I was heating up the soup, I heard them bickering about invisibility. Now they’re at it again.

“I’m telling you, Lamont, it’s mass hypnotism, pure and simple. You don’t actually dematerialize. You just create the illusion that you’re invisible. It’s all in the mind of the beholder.”

“The power to cloud men’s minds?” says Lamont. He wiggles his fingers in front of his forehead. “Nonsense! That’s just some bunk the radio writers made up because they had no other way to explain it.”

“So what is it, really?” I ask. “How does it work?”

“Well,” says Lamont. “There’s technique, of course. Things that can be taught and practiced. But first you need the predisposition, like perfect pitch. ‘Being attuned’ is how the monks described it. Zokhikh yos.”

“Now, don’t start throwing Mongolian at us, Lamont,” said Margo.

“Look,” said Lamont. “You can call it the spirit of the universe, you can call it black magic, one of the dark arts—call it whatever you want. But I assure you, it’s physical. It’s real. And it’s been around for longer than you can imagine.”

“Then explain something,” says Margo. She nods toward me. “Why can Maddy see you when nobody else can? Not even me.”

“You talked about that?” he asks.

“Among other things,” says Margo.

Lamont looks at me.

“The truth is,” he says, “I’m not sure yet. There’s a lot about Maddy that I haven’t figured out.”

Margo gives me a little smile. “Don’t worry,” she says. “It took him a while to figure me out too.”

“Years!” says Lamont, pretending to be serious.

“And worth every minute!” says Margo. She leans over and snuggles against him. He puts his arm around her shoulders. For a second, their cheeks touch. I swear I can see actual electricity in the air. I start blushing. Suddenly I feel like a total third wheel. I put down my mug of soup and get up from the so-called table.

“I think I’ll take Bando out for a walk,” I say. “Just down to the river.”

Margo stretches her long arms out over her head and yawns. I mean, pretends to yawn. I can tell the difference.

“I might just turn in early,” she says.

“Me, too,” says Lamont. “I’m exhausted.

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