The 5th Witch by Graham Masterton Read Free Book Online Page B

criminal, ever, even when his cousin Mike had been ambushed and shot dead three years ago by Puerto Rican racketeers. But what else could he do? How could he leave all of these people blinded?
    “How did you do it?” he asked Lida Siado. “Where did that wind come from?”
    She lifted the drum around her neck. “I was taught by the Uitoto Indians, in the Amazon Rainforest in Colombia. They know that every drum, big or small, contains a spirit. Sometimes the spirit of one of your ancestors. Your grandmother or your great-uncle. Sometimes a kukurpa .”
    “A very hungry spirit,” put in Orestes Vasquez. “It likes to eat eyes. And babies.”
    “I rouse the kukurpa by tapping the drum, and the kukurpa calls the spirit of the Night Wind in the hope that the Night Wind will leave it some easy pickings.”
    Chief O’Malley stared at them in disbelief. “You’re talking about black magic?”
    “You can call it that if you want to,” said Orestes Vasquez. “We prefer to call it ethnic spirituality .”
    Lida Siado said, “You should make your promise soon, Chief O’Malley. If you delay much longer, these people will stay blind for the rest of their lives.”
    Chief O’Malley took another look around at his guests. “All right,” he said. “Goddamn you to hell. I promise.”
    Orestes Vasquez smiled. “I knew that you would see reason, Chief O’Malley. For my part, I promise you that I will run my business in a responsible way. Therewill be no random violence on the streets. If I happen to have a dispute with any other businessman, I will settle it discreetly and efficiently, and your people will never have to be involved. You will see how peaceful and orderly this city will become. History will judge you as the best chief of police that Los Angeles has ever had.”
    “Just give them their sight back, you cockroach, before I change my mind.”
    “Very well. Lida?”
    Lida Siado cupped her hand in front of her face and allowed the two clamshells to drop out of her eye sockets.
    At once, there were cries of, “I can see again! My sight’s come back! I’m not blind anymore!” People started clapping and laughing and hugging each other. Even Mayor Briggs was weeping with relief.
    Orestes Vasquez said, “There! Everything is back to normal, as it should be! I am very pleased to have made your acquaintance, Chief O’Malley. I can see that you and I are going to get along very well.”
    Lida Siado placed four fingertips to her lips and blew Chief O’Malley the gentlest of kisses. “We have made something out of nothing, Chief O’Malley, just like Father Naimuena made the world out of nothing. He attached an illusion to a dream and held it together with his breath.”
    “You’d better leave now,” Chief O’Malley told her, his voice quaking with suppressed rage. “I wouldn’t like to spoil my guests’ evening any further by having you shot.”

Chapter Six
    When Dan returned to his apartment building on Franklin Avenue that evening, Annie was sitting outside under the globe light that illuminated the steps, playing with her fluffy white kitten. She had folded a piece of paper to look like a butterfly and tied it to a length of thread, and was tossing it into the air so that the kitten jumped up to catch it.
    “Hey, she’s grown,” Dan remarked. “Given her a name yet?”
    “Malkin. It means a witch’s cat.”
    “Very appropriate. Mixed me up any more of your disgusting potions today?”
    “I’m boiling you up some essence of nettle, but it’s not ready yet. I have some rue tea, though. It relaxes you and helps you to think more clearly. And it shows you the next person you will fall in love with.”
    “I’m not looking for love right now, thanks all the same.”
    “Of course you’re not. Nobody ever is. Love always comes looking for you .”
    Dan sat down next to her. “Clear thinking, on the other hand—I could use some of that. Something reallyweird happened to me today, and the more I