Ходячий замок
Chapter 3
“Whatareyou?”
“Afiredemon,”answeredthepurplemouth.Therewasmorewhinethanspittoitsvoiceasitsaid,“I’mboundtothishearthbycontract.Ican’tmovefromthisspot.”Thenitsvoicebecamebriskandcrackling.“Andwhatareyou?”itasked.“Icanseeyou’reunderaspell.”
ThisrousedSophiefromherdreamlikestate.“Yousee!”sheexclaimed.“Canyoutakethespelloff?”
Therewasapoppling,blazingsilencewhiletheorangeeyesinthedemon’swaveringbluefacetraveledupanddownSophie.“it’sastrongspell,”itsaidatlength.“ItfeelslikeoneoftheWitchoftheWaste’stome.”
“Itis,”saidSophie.
“Butitseemsmorethanthat,”crackledthedemon.“Idetecttwolayers.Andofcourseyouwon’tbeabletotellanyoneaboutitunlesstheyknowalready.”ItgazedatSophieamomentlonger.“Ishallhavetostudyit,”itsaid.
“Howlongwillthattake?”Sophieasked.
“Itmaytakeawhile,”saidthedemon.Anditaddedinasoftpersuasiveflicker,“Howaboutmakingabargainwithme?I’llbreakyourspellifyouagreetobreakthiscontractI’munder.”
Sophielookedwarilyatthedemon’sthinblueface.Ithadadistinctlycunninglookasitmadethisproposal.Everythingshehadreadshowedtheextremedangerofmakingabargainwithademon.Andtherewasnodoubtthatthisonedidlookextraordinarilyevil.Thoselongpurpleteeth.“Areyousureyou’rebeingquitehonest?”shesaid.
“Notcompletely,”admittedthedemon.
