When the Wind Blows - James Patterson [30]
She shrugged her shoulders, locked her elbows into position. Then Max slowly extended her forearms and the joints unfolded. Her feathers realigned with an enticing, whispering sound.
Bailey’s and Elizabeth’s blueberry-stained mouths dropped open—wide. Bailey oohhed, and popped his purple fingers into his mouth.
Max knew that her wings were quite beautiful. The primary feathers were arranged in tiers of snowy-white shafts; the barbs of each shaft nestled tightly against the next, forming an airtight seal. The undersides of the wings were lined with smaller secondary feathers, and her skin glowed through them. It was rosy-pink from freshly oxygenated blood.
Ooohh!
Chapter 29
JEEZ CARAMBA!” Bailey exclaimed. Whatever was that supposed to mean? Jeez caramba? Cheese caramba? Was that the was kids talked around here in the Colorado boonies? Guess so. Jeez caramba? Okay, fine then.
Max extended her index fingers, forcing her wings out to their fullest length. Her wingspan was nearly half again as wide as she was tall.
“Ooohh!”
Bailey shrank back toward his sister. His blue eyes were bigger than ever. He was actually a little cutie, though.
“Are they real?” Elizabeth Ellers finally got up the nerve to speak again. “They look like it.”
Max grinned. She knew she was trying to get the other kids to like her. “Of course they’re real.”
“Do it,” Bailey whispered. “Please do it. Fly for us.”
Elizabeth held Max’s eyes. She whispered, too, as if this were an outdoor church or something. “We won’t tell anybody. We promise.”
The small boy nodded solemnly. Up and down, up and down, and then sideways. He made a hurried sign of the cross where his heart was. “Cross my heart and hope to die. Cross both our hearts. Please. Do it. Just do it.”
“If I do, you can’t tell. It’s just between us,” Max said. “And never cross your heart and hope to die. It could happen.”
“We won’t tell,” the boy said.
“If you do, I’ll come get you.”
“Are you a vampire or something?” Bailey asked. He looked nervous and afraid again. His eyes crossed.
“Yeah, I’m a vampire. No, I’m not a vampire. Are you a little midget Martian? Are you from Mars?”
Elizabeth finally laughed out loud and Max could have hugged her. “You got that right. He’s definitely from Mars. What’s your name?”
“Oh… Tinkerbell.”
They all shared a pretty good laugh. She wanted to show off, but she also wanted to share something about herself. She loved to share, actually. She had always been a good girl, thoughtful, kind to others. She believed that sharing was essential to a good life. There was one absolutely true thing she’d learned at the School: what goes around comes around.
Max saw that the path ahead of her was flat and free of rocks and roots. She started to run.
It only took four or five steps before the air seemed to split around the thick leading edges of her wings. The air currents lifted her, raised her aloft.
“Jeez caramba!” she yelled, wondering if the kids got the humor?
She flew straight up—then dived at Bailey and Elizabeth. Instinctively they ducked, and Max laughed hysterically. She loved to play with other kids. Loved it more than anything.
And she desperately, desperately wanted to tell them the secrets. Except if she did, they would be in danger, too. Cross their hearts and hope to die.
Max beat her wings up and down, up and down. She was free-floating now! She circled overhead, tracing the outline of a cloud. Softly banked left, then right.
Down below, Elizabeth and Bailey Ellers watched in stunned silence. They held both hands out over their eyes, staring up intently without blinking.
Soon the kids were very small below her, but she could see their upturned faces, their O-shaped mouths perfectly. Max knew they couldn’t help. They were too little; they were helpless themselves—helpless and clueless. Besides, she couldn’t bear it if they got hurt because of her and what she knew.
She waved her hand “bye-bye.” Bailey and Elizabeth waved back.
“We won’t tell!” Bailey hollered. “Cross our—nothing.”
“Come