A Wrinkle in Time Quintet by Madeleine L'Engle Read Free Book Online

the broad gold band on the third finger of her left hand. “I’m still quite a young woman, you know,” she said finally, “though I realize that that’s difficult for you children to conceive. And I’m still very much in love with your father. I miss him quite dreadfully.”
    “And you think all this has somethingto do with Father?”
    “I think it must have.”
    “But what?”
    “That I don’t know. But it seems the only explanation.”
    “Do you think things always have an explanation?”
    “Yes. I believe that they do. But I think that with our human limitations we’re not always able to understand the explanations. But you see, Meg, just because we don’t understand doesn’t mean that the explanation doesn’t exist.”
    “I like to understand things,” Meg said.
    “We all do. But it isn’t always possible.”
    “Charles Wallace understands more than the rest of us, doesn’t he?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why?”
    “I suppose because he’s—well, because he’s different, Meg.”
    “Different how?”
    “I’m not quite sure. You know yourself he’s not like anybody else.”
    “No. And I wouldn’t want him to be,” Meg said defensively.
    “Wanting doesn’t haveanything to do with it. Charles Wallace is what he is. Different. New.”
    “New?”
    “Yes. That’s what your father and I feel.”
    Meg twisted her pencil so hard that it broke. She laughed. “I’m sorry. I’m really not being destructive. I’m just trying to get things straight.”
    “I know.”
    “But Charles Wallace doesn’t
look
different from anybody else.”
    “No, Meg, but people are more than just the waythey look. Charles Wallace’s difference isn’t physical. It’s in essence.”
    Meg sighed heavily, took off her glasses and twirled them, put them back on again. “Well, I know Charles Wallace is different, and I know he’s something
more
. I guess I’ll just have to accept it without understanding it.”
    Mrs. Murry smiled at her. “Maybe that’s really the point I was trying to put across.”
    “Yah,” Megsaid dubiously.
    Her mother smiled again. “Maybe that’s why our visitor last night didn’t surprise me. Maybe that’s why I’m able to have a—a willing suspension of disbelief. Because of Charles Wallace.”
    “Are
you
like Charles?” Meg asked.
    “I? Heavens no. I’m blessed with more brains and opportunities than many people, but there’s nothing about me that breaks out of the ordinary mold.”
    “Yourlooks do,” Meg said.
    Mrs. Murry laughed. “You just haven’t had enough basisfor comparison, Meg. I’m very ordinary, really.”
    Calvin O’Keefe, coming in then, said, “Ha ha.”
    “Charles all settled?” Mrs. Murry asked.
    “Yes.”
    “What did you read to him?”
    “Genesis. His choice. By the way, what kind of an experiment were you working on this afternoon, Mrs. Murry?”
    “Oh, something my husband and Iwere cooking up together. I don’t want to be
too
far behind him when he gets back.”
    “Mother,” Meg pursued. “Charles says I’m not one thing or the other, not flesh nor fowl nor good red herring.”
    “Oh, for crying out loud,” Calvin said, “you’re
Meg
, aren’t you? Come on and let’s go for a walk.”
    But Meg was still not satisfied. “And what do you make of Calvin?” she demanded of her mother.
    Mrs.Murry laughed. “I don’t want to make anything of Calvin. I like him very much, and I’m delighted he’s found his way here.”
    “Mother, you were going to tell me about a tesseract.”
    “Yes.” A troubled look came into Mrs. Murry’s eyes. “But not now, Meg. Not now. Go on out for that walk with Calvin. I’m going up to kiss Charles and then I have to see that the twins get to bed.”
    Outdoors the grasswas wet with dew. The moon was halfway up and dimmed the stars for a great arc. Calvin reached out and took Meg’s hand with a gesture as simple and friendly as Charles Wallace’s. “Were you upsetting your mother?” he asked