Ходячий замок
Chapter 5
Calcifercrackledwithmaliciouslaughter.
SincenobodyexplainedwhereHowlhadgone,Sophieconcededhewasofftohuntyounggirlsagainandgotdowntoworkwithmorerighteousvigorthanever.ShedidnotdareharmanyspidersafterwhatHowlhadsaid.Soshebangedatthebeamswiththebroom,screaming,“Out,spiders!Outofmyway!”Spidersscrambledfortheirliveseverywhichway,andwebsfellinswathes.Thenofcourseshehadtosweeptheflooryetagain.Afterthat,shegotdownonherkneesandscrubbedit.
“Iwishyou’dstop!”Michaelsaid,sittingonthestairsoutofherway.
Calcifer,coweringatthebackofthegrate,muttered,“IwishI’dnevermadethatbargainwithyounow!”
Sophiescrubbedonvigorously.“You’llbemuchhappierwhenit’sallniceandclean,”shesaid.
“ButI’mmiserablenow!”Michaelprotested.
Howldidnotcomebackagainuntillatethatnight.BythattimeSophiehadsweptandscrubbedherselfintoastatewhenshecouldhardlymove.Shewassittinghunchedupinthechair,achingallover.MichaeltookholdofHowlbyatrailingsleeveandtowedhimovertothebathroom,whereSophiecouldhearhimpouringoutcomplaintsinapassionatemutter.Phraseslike“terribleoldbiddy”and“won’tlistentoaword!”werequiteeasytohear,eventhoughCalciferwasroaring,“Howl,stopher!She’skillingusboth!”
ButallHowlsaid,whenMichaelletgoofhim,was“Didyoukillanyspiders?”
“Ofcoursenot!”Sophiesnapped.Heachesmadeherirritable.“Theylookatmeandrunfortheirlives.
