"Diana Wynne Jones - Howl's Moving Castle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jones Diana Wynne)

She taught Wizard Suliman too, you know, and she said Howl was twice as good-"
"But don't you know the reputation Howl has?" Michael interrupted.
Getting into Mrs. Fairfax's conversation was rather like getting into a skipping rope. You had to choose
the exact moment, but once you were in, you were in. Mrs. Fairfax turned herself slightly to face
Michael.
"Most of it's just talk to my mind," she said. Michael opened his mouth to say that it was not, but he
was in the skipping rope then and it went on turning. "And I said to Lettie, 'Here's your big chance, my
love.' I knew Howl could teach her twenty times more than I could-for I don't mind telling you, Lettie's
brains go way beyond mine, and she could end up in the same league as the Witch of the Waste, only in
a good way. Lettie's a good girl and I'm fond of her. If Mrs. Pentstemmon was still teaching, I'd have
Lettie go to her tomorrow. But she isn't. So I said, 'Lettie, here's Wizard Howl courting you and you
could do worse than to fall in love with him yourself and let him be your teacher. The pair of you will
go far.' I don't think Lettie was too keen on the idea at first, but she's been softening lately, and today it
seems to be going beautifully."
Here Mrs. Fairfax paused to beam benevolently at Michael, and Sophie dashed into the skipping rope
for her turn. "But someone told me Lettie was fond of someone else," she said.
"Sorry for him, you mean," said Mrs. Fairfax. She lowered her voice. "There's a terrible disability
there," she whispered suggestively, "and it's asking too much of any girl. I told him so. I'm sorry for him
myself-"
Sophie managed a mystified "Oh?"
"-but it's a fearsomely strong spell. It's very sad," Mrs. Fairfax would on. "I had to tell him there's no
way someone of my abilities can break anything that's put on by the Witch of the Waste. Howl might,
but of course he can't ask Howl, can he?"
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Here Michael, who kept looking nervously to the corner of the house in case Howl came round it and
discovered them, managed to trample through the skipping rope and stop it by saying, "I think we'd
better be going."
"Are you sure you won't come in for a taste of my honey?" asked Mrs. Fairfax. "I use it in nearly all my
spells, you know." And she was off again, this time about the magical properties of honey. Michael and
Sophie walked purposefully down the path to the gate and Mrs. Fairfax drifted behind them, talking
away and sorrowfully straightening plants that the dog had bent as she talked. Sophie meanwhile racked
her brain for a way to find out how Mrs. Fairfax knew Lettie was Lettie, without upsetting Michael.
Mrs. Fairfax paused to gasp a bit as she heaved a large lupine upright.
Sophie took the plunge. "Mrs. Fairfax, wasn't it my niece Martha who was supposed to come to you?"
"Naughty girls!" Mrs. Fairfax said, smiling and shaking her head as she emerged from the lupine. "As if
I wouldn't recognize one of my own honey-based spells! But as I said to her at the time, 'I'm not one to
keep anyone against their will and I'd always rather teach someone who wants to learn. Only' I said to
her, 'I'll have no pretense here. You stay as your own self or not at all.' And it's worked out very happily,
as you see. Are you sure you won't stay and ask her yourself?"
"I think we'd better go," Sophie said.
"We have to get back," Michael added, with another nervous look toward the orchard. He collected the
seven-league boots from the hedge and set one down outside the gate for Sophie. "And I'm going to
hold onto you this time," he said.
Mrs. Fairfax leaned over her gate while Sophie inserted her foot in the boot. "Seven-leaguers," she said.
"Would you believe, I've not seen any of those for years. Very useful things for someone you age, Mrs.
Er-I wouldn't mind a pair myself these days. So it's you Lettie inherits her witchcraft from, is it? Not
that it necessarily runs in families, but as often as not-"
Michael took hold of Sophie's arm and pulled. Both boots came down and the rest of Mrs. Fairfax's talk
vanished in the Zip! and rush of air. Next moment Michael had to brace his feet in order not to collide