Shelby and Shauna Kitt and the Dimensional Holes. P. H. C. Marchesi

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СКАЧАТЬ long will it take to get there?” asked Shelby, noticing that the red-haired flight attendant was still firing disapproving glances at him from a distance.

      “I’m guessing it’s about four hours,” said Marina. “When I was working on the MG planes, people talked about a secret base somewhere in Colorado. I bet that’s where we’re going.”

      “Cool,” said Shelby, as the plane began to move along the runway. “We’ve never been anywhere but Chicago and New York.”

      “You won’t get to do much sightseeing, unfortunately,” said Marina. “They’re keeping everything a big secret, so I doubt you’ll be able to get off the base.”

      Shelby sat back and sighed. Colorado did not seem nearly as exciting now that he could not go snowboarding or mountain climbing. He did not have much time to nurse his disappointment, however, because the plane began speeding through the runway. Within moments, Shelby felt it tilt upwards and lift off. He could not get enough of looking out the window, and had the strangely persistent feeling he had flown before, though he knew he had not – they had taken the train when they moved to New York City.

      Shauna, seeing that her brother was completely absorbed in watching the plane go through the clouds, turned her attention to Tippy, who seemed outraged at the amount of turbulence she was having to endure. Lendox, too, began to shift uneasily in his chair, and Marina finally noticed.

      “If I didn’t know better,” she said, “I’d say you’re nervous.”

      “I am,” said Lendox. “I am not accustomed to lifeless transportation. First the helicopter, now the plane. How do you do it?”

      “Do what?”

      “Trust something that has no soul.”

      Marina looked utterly perplexed at this, but a giant sneeze overcame her before she could say anything. She glanced disapprovingly at Tippy, who looked particularly proud of what she had just accomplished.

      “Oh, yes, I forgot,” said Lendox, rummaging through his bag. “I meant to give you something for your allergies.”

      Marina watched eagerly to see what Lendox would take out of his bag, and stared in disbelief at the little green mushroom he gave her.

      “It will retrain your system,” he explained. “Within a few minutes, your body will no longer react negatively when it senses a cat.”

      Marina scanned the mushroom carefully from behind her glasses.

      “You’re sure this isn’t poisonous?” she asked. “Here on Earth you’d have to be crazy to put a green mushroom anywhere near your mouth.”

      “Then perhaps you should allow yourself some temporary insanity,” said Lendox, smiling. “There is nothing better for allergies than green mushrooms. Chew it first, and then swallow.”

      Somewhat reluctantly, Marina chewed the mushroom, wincing at the taste. A few minutes later, however, she found herself affectionately petting Tippy without the slightest hint of a sneeze.

      “I always wanted a cat,” she explained. “My dad got me a goldfish because of my allergies. I wasn’t happy at first, but I eventually loved Mr. Bubbles.”

      “Mr. Bubbles?” laughed Shelby. ”I thought Shauna was the only one who came up with lame names.”

      “Very funny,” said Shauna, with a smirk. “Tippy’s a good name, ok?”

      “It’s better than Mr. Bubbles, in any case,” joked Shelby.

      “Hey, I was seven when I named him,” protested Marina. “I have a picture of him in my laptop. Let me show you guys.”

      Marina quickly retrieved her laptop from under her seat and turned it on, while the three of them waited eagerly for a picture of the famous goldfish.

      “I actually scanned all my pictures last year – I was going crazy without something to do. I know it’s here somewhere,” she added, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes. “Give me a second – I’m feeling kind of weird all of a sudden. I’m having trouble focusing on –”

      To their surprise, Marina never finished what she was saying. Instead, she jumped up, sprang towards the two soldiers, and knocked them out so violently and unexpectedly that they never saw her coming. Grabbing one of their guns, Marina turned to Shelby and Shauna, and they saw that her clear, gray eyes were completely black, as if a dark cloud had swept across them.

      “Stay behind me,” Lendox warned, stepping in front of Shelby and Shauna. “I do not think it is Marina looking at us.”

      Marina’s empty grin was so chilling that Shauna felt a shiver run down her spine.

      “Is it a klodian?” asked Shelby. Since the attack on his mother, he had promised himself that he would confront any klodian, anywhere.

      “Yes,” said Lendox, quietly. “They are using Marina to get to us.”

      “Good guess,” Marina said, in a hollow voice that was extremely unsettling.

      “Have you killed them?” Lendox asked, glancing at the two soldiers on the floor.

      “They are insignificant,” she replied, disdainfully.

      “Is that what you thought when you attacked my mom?” Shelby asked, his voice shaking with anger.

      “Yes,” said Marina, “but you interrupted me before I could kill her. I should have killed you first, and her afterwards.”

      An overwhelming urge to lunge at Marina overcame Shelby, but a surprisingly strong hand from Lendox blocked him.

      “This is exactly what they want, Shelby,” Lendox said, without taking his eyes off Marina. “Are you going to make it easy for them to kill you?”

      Shelby, suddenly ashamed of his behavior, mumbled something apologetic.

      “You do not have the right to harm humans,” continued Lendox to Marina. “Your planet could not survive without them.”

      “Our planet is doing better than ever,” she said, in what sounded almost like a hiss. “Besides, we only kill a few humans at a time. We have no plans to attack the planet.”

      “Of course not,” said Lendox, sternly. “Your aim is to create panic and confusion, and take advantage of those who suffer its effects. You search for the grief-stricken, hopeless, and desperate, because they are easy victims.”

      “The weak die,” said Marina, grinning cruelly. “It is the law of the universe.”

      “The Earth’s energy has sustained both our planets for thousands of years,” replied Lendox. “You will not succeed in upsetting the balance in your favor.”

      Marina ignored Lendox, and turned all of her empty gaze to Shauna and Shelby. Shelby felt a wave of hopelessness overwhelmed him – he had never been so depressed before. He was just thinking that everything in life was pointless, when he felt the warm touch of Shauna’s hand, and immediately felt more like himself.

      “We СКАЧАТЬ