Vicky Banning Read Online Free PDF

waited for Sarah’s reaction, but none came. It was as if she had gone catatonic, glaring at Vicky with her pale brown eyes as if trying to decipher gibberish. “Keith’s wife almost had heart failure when she woke up the next morning and found a black man in bed with her.” She chuckled. “But the children thought the whole thing was quite delightful. Aren’t children wonderful?”
    During the long pause that followed, Sarah’s face remained as solid as if it had been chipped from ice. Then, slowly, her lips stretched to a crooked sneer; her eyes narrowed to slits, nostrils fluttering in spasms. “You…are… insane !” she rasped. Her voice rose from deep within her chest. “Either that, or you are the worst liar ever created. If something like that happened it would have made the headlines of every newspaper in the world ! You must think I’m an absolute moron! The idea…”
    “Not at all,” Vicky cried. “Can you imagine what would have happened if all this got out?”
    Sarah’s face went blank, all the muscles turning flaccid.
    “Just think of those poor people who live at Three Mile Island ,” Vicky explained, “and work there making fall-out, or whatever it is they do. Those brave people know that another ‘incident’ is possible, and they accept the threat, knowing full well that terrible things could happen. They could be killed, or their children maimed. They accept all that…as long as it’s just a threat. But you know how some people are,” she added with a wise narrowing of her eyes. “If they were given proof that they could turn colored , the place would be deserted in an hour! Then who’d make our fall-out?”
    Sarah’s lips parted and stayed that way. “But your son…”
    “That’s why it’s a government secret,” Vicky interjected. “Top secret, remember that. When Keith went to report what had happened to him, the officials didn’t even believe it was him until they took his fingerprints. He’s been kept under cover ever since it happened, in a sort of witness protection program. He’s not allowed anywhere near Three Mile Island , and can only see his family away from there, when the government allows him to. They’ve been giving him tests to see what caused his change, and to turn him white again…if they can. That’s important, because if another ‘incident’ should occur, then everyone within a hundred mile radius of the plant could be affected…if not the whole country!”
    Vicky watched as Sarah’s face paled to a shade even whiter than her powder. There was a faint tinge of green around her lips. Fascinating . It was like watching a thermometer, the color rising and falling in her face as her emotions ebbed and flowed.
    “Personally,” Vicky said, “I think it would be rather exciting. Such a change after a lifetime of being just one color, don’t you think? Can’t you just visualize yourself as being colored?”
    Sarah was growing more and more colored every minute—green.   “Are you feeling quite well, dear?” Vicky asked. “Maybe you should go lie down for a while.”
    Sarah nodded as if in a daze, looked away from her. Her napkin slid from her lap to the floor, unnoticed, as she strained up from the table with great effort. She left without a word, eyes directed toward the door, unseeing.
    “That’s all right, dear,” Vicky said to the waitress when she came to clear Sarah’s place. “I’ll take her dessert.”
    * * * *
     
    The parlor, across the entranceway from the dining room at the front of the house, was abuzz with talk as Vicky entered after dinner. A quick glance showed her that Sarah had recuperated from her trauma, and was reporting the
seven o’clock
news to a circle of eager ears. Vicky perused the collection of magazines on the grand piano between the two tall windows, pretending to be unaware that the conversation had quieted considerably at her entrance. Only an occasional what? and/or ridiculous! reached her from the