Mood Indigo Read Online Free

the past five minutes, had just slipped through his legs by leaning forward as far as possible and the rush of air that he created lifted Colin several yards above the ground. He clutched the edge of the first floor gallery, got his balance and after doing a backwards somersault the wrong way round, landed back at the sides of Chick and Alyssum.
    â€˜They ought to be stopped from going too fast,’ said Colin.
    Then he quickly crossed himself because the culprit had just skated straight into the wall of the restaurant at the other end of the rink and flattened himself against it like a marshmallow jellyfish picked to pieces by a destructive child.
    The serf-sweepers once again did their duty and one of them planted a cross of ice on the spot where the accident had occurred. As it melted, the Master of Ceremonies played a selection of religious records.
    Then everything went back to normal. And Chick, Alyssum and Colin went round and round and round.

4
    â€˜Here’s Nicholas!’ cried Alyssum.
    â€˜And there’s Isis!’ said Chick.
    Nicholas had just turned up at the pay-desk, and Isis had just appeared in the rink. The former went to the upper floors; the latter to join Chick, Colin and Alyssum.
    â€˜Hallo, Isis,’ said Colin. ‘This is Alyssum. Alyssum, this is Isis. You know Chick.’
    There were handshakes all round and Chick made themost of this to slip away with Alyssum, leaving Isis in Colin’s arms, in which position they both immediately took off.
    â€˜It’s nice to see you again,’ said Isis.
    Colin thought it was nice to see her again too. During her eighteen years of life Isis had managed to equip herself with chestnut hair, a white tee-shirt and a yellow skirt with a sharp green scarf, white and yellow shoes and a pair of sunglasses. She was pretty. But Colin knew her parents very well.
    â€˜There’s a tea-party at our place next week,’ said Isis. ‘It’s Wry-Tangle’s birthday.’
    â€˜Who’s Wry-Tangle?’
    â€˜My poodle. So I’m asking all my friends round. You’ll come, won’t you? Will four be all right? …’
    â€˜Of course,’ said Colin. ‘I’d love to come.’
    â€˜Bring your friends too!’ said Isis.
    â€˜Chick and Alyssum?’
    â€˜Yes, they’re nice … See you on Sunday then!’
    â€˜Are you going already?’ said Colin.
    â€˜Yes. I never stay anywhere long. And I’ve already been here since ten o’clock, you know …’
    â€˜But it’s only eleven!’ said Colin.
    â€˜Ah, but I was in the bar! … See you! …’

5
    Colin hurried through the glistening streets. The wind was keen and dry, and little patches of ice snapped, crackled and popped underfoot.
    People hid behind anything they could find – the collarsof their overcoats, their scarves, their muffs – and he even saw one man who had wrapped himself in a gilded birdcage with its little door pressing down on his nose.
    â€˜I’m going to the High-Pottinuice’s tomorrow,’ thought Colin.
    That was Isis’s parents’ name.
    â€˜And tonight I’m having supper with Chick …
    â€˜I’ll go back home to get ready for tomorrow …’
    He took a big step to avoid a join in the pavement that looked particularly dangerous.
    â€˜If I can do twenty steps without walking on the joints,’ said Colin, ‘I won’t get a pimple on my nose tomorrow.’
    â€˜But it won’t make any difference,’ he said, jumping on to the ninth joint with both feet, ‘because that kind of superstition is stupid. I won’t get a pimple whatever I do.’
    He bent down to pick a pink and blue orchid that the frost had brought out of the earth.
    It smelt like Alyssum’s hair.
    â€˜I’ll be seeing Alyssum tomorrow …’
    But that was something he shouldn’t think about. Legally Alyssum belonged to