Virginia Hamilton Read Online Free PDF Page B

walking through the walls of a large hall full of unexpected clutter, sometimes unimaginable treasure. Wherever Thomas entered, he at once owned it and could do with it whatever he wanted. Thomas could mind-jump and control anyone except his sister, and the Sensitive Mrs. Jefferson back home, whose power was stronger than his.
    Inside the Siv, Thomas felt he was looking down a dusty tunnel. The view centered narrowly on the outline of the Siv’s leader. Everywhere Thomas turned in the tunnel, there were statues and photographs of the leader.
    Doesn’t this dude ever think of anything else? he wondered. Lining the tunnel was a dark coating of fear, relieved only by sudden memory flashes of running and killing, eating and sleeping. All at once Thomas felt he would smother. He got out of there fast.
    Silence had fallen over the packen. Thomas could see the pool dully through the murk, fifty yards away. It was a good-sized pool, all right. He felt the cool freshness of it.
    Suddenly he knew that he, Dorian and Levi had been made invisible to Duster and his tribe.
    Justice must’ve done it, he decided. Yet they could still see one another and everybody but Justice.
    Still being small? Thomas traced outward, searching for her, guessing that she had become minute because he could not divine a normal-sized human being.
    Right, came the reply from Justice. Listen, Duster and the others are forming lines to go up and drink. It would be too easy to tell that the three of you don’t belong. So you’ll stay invisible until we know everything’s okay.
    You expect the Mal to come follow us? he traced.
    I don’t know what to expect, she traced. We should just be careful.
    All right, he agreed. But I want to head home just as soon as we can.
    Thomas, don’t start, she traced.
    What do you mean, don’t start? I got a right, and I want to go home!
    Justice closed her mind to him, leaving him seething with anger. She couldn’t take them home now. How could she, when they’d just broken the ice with Duster and his people?
    Now the five smooth-keeps were in a line and moving toward the pool. Warily the leaders and the Sivs came on behind them. The pool area was clear. There were no small animals to be seen; perhaps they had been scared away by the arrival of Duster’s tribe.
    The pool glinted and rushed. The packen was so entranced by it that no one saw the she-animal Miacis on the far shore. Not even Duster or his Siv and Glass. Justice watched as Miacis blinked her enormous eyes and lifted her wide, leafy ears. The orange membrane pouches, air filters, on either side of her neck swelled and pulsated as she scanned Duster and the others.
    Justice was quick to shield the four from Miacis’ strong empathy before her scan reached them. Better to keep our presence from her for a while, she thought, long enough to see what Duster will do with an animal like her.
    Duster must’ve come in contact with Miacis before. Within the shield, she traced this to the others.
    You want to find out if they come from the same place beyond Dustland, Levi traced. He had been silent, for most of the journey to the pool, watchful .and thinking.
    Right, Justice answered.
    They were by the pool, invisible, to one side of Duster and the packen.
    “O Leader, there be water and water!” toned Glass in a piercing outcry that took the four by surprise.
    Duster gave her a smile and crawled on his stomach through the line of smooth-keeps to the water. Glass held his feet as he stretched out, his chest lying in the pool. He drank, making loud sucking sounds. In between, he laughed his melodious tones. Then, timidly, other leaders came forward.
    What they think the water’s gonna do, eat them? Thomas traced.
    Maybe they’re afraid of going under. How deep is it? Dorian asked.
    Must be about four feet, Levi divined. But even a foot or two will terrify you if you don’t know water.
    The dummies haven’t even noticed Miacis, traced Thomas. He tightened inside as he