Now You See Me (14 page)

*

Th
e
afternoo
n
the
y
die
d
wa
s
a
gloriou
s
on
e
i
n
ver
y
earl
y
sprin
g.
Wil
d
freesia
s
stil
l
carpete
d
th
e
bank
s
wit
h
thei
r
cream
y
fragran
t
flower
s.
Th
e
frui
t
tree
s
wer
e
heav
y
wit
h
whit
e
an
d
pin
k
an
d
dee
p
puc
e
frill
y
blosso
m
an
d
th
e
wattl
e
tree
s
blaze
d
pal
e
yello
w
t
o
burn
t
orang
e
throug
h
al
l
the gullie
s.
M
y
mothe
r
didn’
t
hav
e
a
flowe
r
garde
n—
sh
e
couldn’
t
se
e
th
e
poin
t
o
f
plant
s
tha
t
didn’
t
hea
r
frui
t
o
r
vegetable
s—
bu
t
a
t
schoo
l
ther
e
wer
e
pri
m
bed
s
o
f
stock
s
an
d
primula
s,
al
l
bloomin
g,
an
d
th
e
fadin
g
daphn
e
i
n
a
po
t
outsid
e
th
e
headmaster’
s
offic
e
exude
d
a
shar
p,
almos
t
unbearabl
y
swee
t
spoo
r
.

Comin
g
hom
e
i
n
th
e
bu
s
fro
m
schoo
l,
pas
t
garden
s
wher
e
freshl
y
mow
n
lawn
s
la
y
velvet
y
gree
n
amon
g
ornamenta
l
shrub
s
an
d
flowerin
g
bulb
s,
walkin
g
hurriedl
y
u
p
th
e
lon
g
roa
d
t
o
ou
r
gat
e
throug
h
th
e
tang
y
scent
s
o
f
th
e
bus
h,
ou
r
driv
e
wa
s
lik
e
th
e
dan
k
entrancewa
y
t
o
som
e
Gothi
c
castl
e
o
f
doo
m.
Th
e
Lombard
y
pine
s
seeme
d
t
o
drai
n
al
l
ligh
t
an
d
warmt
h
int
o
themselve
s;
the
y
wer
e
th
e
essenc
e
o
f
sunlessnes
s
an
d
shado
w
.

W
e
ha
d
n
o
garde
n,
a
s
suc
h;
w
e
ha
d
a
yar
d,
wher
e
th
e
goat
s
wer
e
corralle
d,
an
d
wher
e
th
e
do
g
roame
d
moodil
y
o
n
hi
s
chai
n.
Ther
e
wer
e
severa
l
ancien
t
lila
c
tree
s
whic
h
neve
r
flowere
d,
competin
g
a
s
the
y
di
d
wit
h
th
e
tal
l
pittosporum
s
tha
t
sproute
d
al
l
ove
r
th
e
cleare
d
lan
d
lik
e
weed
s
an
d
gre
w
unchecke
d,
an
d
ther
e
wa
s
a
smal
l
patc
h
o
f
dust
y
gras
s
a
t
th
e
sid
e
o
f
th
e
hous
e,
oi
l-
spattere
d
wher
e
m
y
fathe
r
parke
d
th
e
va
n.
Th
e
honeysuckl
e
tha
t
swarme
d
al
l
ove
r
th
e
tankstan
d
mus
t
hav
e
seede
d
itsel
f.I
coul
d
neve
r
imagin
e
tha
t
m
y
mothe
r
ha
d
nurse
d
a
cuttin
g
t
o
lif
e
.

M
y
parent
s
wer
e
workin
g
dow
n
a
t
th
e
vegetabl
e
patc
h
whe
n
I
go
t
hom
e
tha
t
da
y.I
remembe
r
th
e
floodin
g
rus
h
o
f
relie
f
tha
t
I
woul
d
hav
e
a
smal
l
tim
e
t
o
mysel
f,
a
t
leas
t
whil
e
I
change
d
m
y
clothe
s
t
o
joi
n
the
m.I
couldn’
t
dawdl
e
to
o
lon
g,I
kne
w,
o
r
there’
d
b
e
a
n
ugl
y
scen
e,
bu
t
a
t
leas
t
I
could pu
t
o
n
m
y
workin
g
overall
s
an
d
shir
t
i
n
peac
e
an
d
gul
p
a
glas
s
o
f
mil
k
withou
t
m
y
mother’
s
silen
t
condemnator
y
glar
e,
o
r
m
y
father’
s
broodin
g
watchfulnes
s
.

I
neve
r
tol
d
yo
u
thi
s
a
s
i
t
reall
y
happene
d.
Yo
u
though
t
I
cam
e
hom
e
an
d
foun
d
th
e
hous
e
alread
y
o
n
fir
e,
m
y
parent
s
inexplicabl
y
trappe
d
insid
e.I
couldn’
t
tel
l
yo
u
th
e
trut
h,
becaus
e
I
ha
d
neve
r
tol
d
yo
u
abou
t
m
y
siste
r.
Yo
u
didn’
t
kno
w
I
ha
d
a
siste
r;
bu
t
the
n,
n
o-
on
e
di
d.
Sh
e
wasn’
t
ol
d
enoug
h
t
o
g
o
t
o
schoo
l,
an
d
I
don’
t
believ
e
he
r
birt
h
wa
s
eve
n
registere
d.
Sh
e
wa
s
wha
t
the
y
woul
d
cal
l
toda
y
intellectuall
y
challenge
d
o
r
som
e
suc
h
euphemisti
c
rubbis
h.
Severel
y
retarde
d,
that’
s
wha
t
sh
e
wa
s,
an
d
probabl
y
autisti
c
a
s
wel
l.A
swee
t
chil
d,
thoug
h.I
love
d
he
r
an
d
looke
d
afte
r
he
r
a
s
muc
h
a
s
I
coul
d.
M
y
parent
s
treate
d
he
r
slightl
y
les
s
kindl
y
tha
n
the
y
di
d
th
e
do
g;
bu
t
unti
l
tha
t
da
y
I’
d
though
t
sh
e
wa
s
saf
e
fro
m
the
m.
The
y
reall
y
hardl
y
seeme
d
t
o
notic
e
he
r
existenc
e
mos
t
o
f
th
e
tim
e.
Sh
e
slep
t
a
grea
t
dea
l,
o
r
sa
t
o
n
th
e
bac
k
ste
p
hummin
g
t
o
hersel
f.
Sh
e
woul
d
mak
e
a
n
unpleasan
t
hig
h
keenin
g
soun
d
i
f
m
y
mothe
r
o
r
fathe
r
wen
t
to
o
clos
e
t
o
he
r,
bu
t
sh
e
woul
d
com
e
t
o
m
e,
an
d
le
t
m
e
fee
d
he
r
an
d
pu
t
he
r
t
o
be
d
.