Devil's Mountain Read Online Free PDF

more than I can imagine. But there are worse things, love. Much worse things.”
    “I don’t expect some witchdoctor to help me. No one can.”
    “Be careful. Promise me you’ll be careful.”
    “Ma, I don’t believe in any of that nonsense.”
    “Promise me,” she demanded.
    I sipped the strong tea and stared at my mother’s thin, lined face. “I promise.”

    * * * *
    After a few days of sleeping in Orla’s spare room and going out every night to a different pub to meet one or the other of Bobby’s cousins or school friends, I was distracted, if not happy.
    It was impossible to sleep past eight, since Brendan woke the small house every morning. After a full Irish breakfast that Orla cooked us each morning--sausages, rashers, fried eggs--Bobby and I would leave the house and explore Dublin on foot. The Dublin Literary Tour, the Book of Kells at Trinity College, the Guinness Factory, we did it all. If Dublin had a Biggest Ball of Twine exhibit, I’m sure Bobby would’ve dragged us to it. With the constant motion and Bobby’s perpetual good cheer, I had begun to feel a bit better, less numb.
    Our bags were packed and we had finished yet another one of Orla’s breakfast extravaganzas. Brendan clung to Bobby’s leg.
    “Are you sure you don’t want to stay longer? You’re more than welcome,” Orla said.
    “Thanks, Orla, but we should see Mam as well. Plus, I want to show Caro the Mountain,”
    Bobby said.
    Orla rubbed her heavily pregnant belly. “Who’d want to see that godforsaken place?
    Honestly, Caro, it’s so dreary and it’s always raining, You’ll hate it. I hate it. I always have. I only go when Mam’s, uh...well, when Mam’s under the weather.”
    “You still blame the Mountain for your spider bite?” Bobby laughed. “Caro, Orla wandered off when we were visiting our Granny and was bit by a killer spider. It was very traumatic.” He playfully ruffled her hair. “We’ll be careful and we’ll watch out for spiders.”
    “Seriously though, why are you dragging Caroline there?”
    “I’ve always loved the Mountain. It’s quiet and restful, exactly what we need right now.”
    “And there’s no shopping, Caro, except for that tiny town, where I think the most fashionable thing you could find there is a pair of Wellies.”
    “The last thing Caro needs is more shopping, right, sweetheart?”
    I rubbed his arm. “I’m looking forward to seeing it, actually. My mother grew up near the Mountain and I still have family in Kilvarren.”
    Orla looked surprised. “You never went back, then?”
    “No. My father never wanted to visit Ireland. Most of my mother’s family made it out to visit us, so it’s not like I don’t know them. I always meant to take a trip to Ireland. For one reason or another I never made it.”
    “If you change your mind, we’re here.” Orla removed Brendan from Bobby’s leg. “And if Mam’s, well, if Mam’s not up for visitors, you’ll come back, right?”
    “Mam will be fine,” Bobby said stiffly.
    “You know what I mean, brother.”
    “I spoke to her last night. She’s looking forward to seeing us.”
    Orla gave him a conciliatory kiss on the cheek. “Right, then, off with you before you hit traffic.”
    I hugged her and kissed Brendan. Bobby put our bags in the rental car, and we were off.

    * * * *
    Four hours later, Bobby turned our rental car off what I’d say was some type of secondary highway and onto a small dirt road. Tall overgrown hedges made a tunnel of the narrow lane and scraped the car. My makeup case fell off the back seat and crashed to the floor as the little red Opel bounced along the pitted road.
    “Bobby, are you sure you’re going the right way? I didn’t see any signs.”
    “This is the right way.”
    “But--”
    He laughed. “And your mother’s one of the five families? Isn’t your heart singing to be back on the Mountain?”
    “My heart is half Connecticut Yankee, so no, the only organ that is speaking to me at the