Ходячий замок
Chapter 15
AndsomuchfortheconscienceHowlsaidhehad!Butthemainthingonhermindwasthepuzzlingbehaviorofthedog.InspiteofSophietellinghimmanytimesthatshecouldnottakethespellofhim,hedidnotseemtowanttoleave.HedidnotwanttobiteHowl.HeletMichaeltakehimforarunonthePorthavenMarshesthatnightandthefollowingmorning.Hisaimseemedtobetobecomepartofthehousehold.
“ThoughifIwereyou,I’dbeinUpperFoldingmakingsuretocatchLettieontherebound,”Sophietoldhim.
Howlwasinandoutofbedallthenextday.Whenhewasinbed,Michaelhadtotearupanddownthestairs.Whenhewasup,Michaelhadtoraceabout,measuringthecastlewithhimandfixingmetalbracketstoeverysinglecorner.Inbetween,Howlkeptappearing,robedinhisquiltandcloudsofdust,toaskquestionsandmakeannouncements,mostlyforSophie’sbenefit.
“Sophie,sinceyouwhitewashedoverallthemarkswemadewhenweinventedthecastle,perhapsyoucantellmewherethemarksinMichael’sroomwere?”
“No,”saidSophie,sewingherseventiethbluetriangle.“Ican’t.”
Howlsneezedsadlyandretired.Shortly,heemergedagain.“Sophie,ifweweretotakethathatshop,whatwouldwesell?”
Sophiefoundshehadhadenoughofhatstolastalifetime.“Nothats,”shesaid.“Youcanbuytheshop,butnotthebusiness,youknow.”
“Applyyourfiendishmindtothematter,”saidHowl.“Oreventhink,ifyouknowhow.”Andhemarchedawayupstairsagain.
Fiveminuteslater,downhecameagain.
