The Graves of Plague Canyon (The Downwinders Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

make
out most of the rest, but there’s still a few words we don’t understand.”
    “I’m telling you,” Carma said, “it’s Batchelder. She’s losing
it in her old age. Writing a diagnosis that the reader likely couldn’t make out.
She knows better.”
    “You know this woman in New Harmony?” Winn asked, shoveling a
forkful of casserole into his mouth.
    “From way back,” Carma replied. “She’s so old, I’m surprised
she can still write. She does remote visits for a fee, so I expect my niece
paid her.”
    “Remote visits?” Deem asked.
    “She can travel extensively from her body while in the
River,” Carma said, “and she made a name for herself visiting the sick in very
remote places. Normally she’d heal them while she’s there; sending a diagnosis
like this after the visit is a bit unusual.”
    “Here,” Deem said, handing Winn the envelope. He opened it
and inspected the letter inside.
    “I can’t read most of this,” Winn said. “The words just
confuse me.”
    “Well, not that I’d want to give away my age,” Carma said,
“but I can read a lot of it. The problem is the four or five words I can’t
read. They could be important. Batchelder should never have made it so complex.
I doubt my niece would ever have been able to do anything with it.”
    “What about the part you can read?” Winn asked.
    “It doesn’t look good,” Deem said.
    “Yes, she’s in a bad state,” Carma said. “I feel anxious for
her. If you go to New Harmony and talk to Batchelder, she should be able to
explain what the unintelligible words are. If she’s willing to talk to you,
that is. She can be so infuriatingly anal. She’s very opinionated and wordy,
too. If I didn’t despise the c-word so much, I’d call her that.”
    Winn snickered.
    Deem rolled her eyes at the snickering. Sometimes he’s so
immature, she thought.
    “No, I’m not kidding!” Carma said to Winn. “You go with Deem
and meet her. Come back and tell me if she isn’t a… a c-word.”
    Winn began to laugh.
    Carma turned to Deem. “What’s so funny?”
    “Ignore him,” Deem said, returning to her plate of food.
    “It’s the way you say ‘c-word’,” Winn said, laughing more.
“Your face scrunches up like you’ve bitten into a lemon.”
    Carma looked at Deem again. “I like lemons!” she said.
    Winn laughed more. “Yes, I’ll go with you, Deem,” Winn said,
trying to catch his breath. “Now I have to meet this woman. See if she’s a
c-word.” He broke into laughter again.
    “You may laugh at my expense all you want,” Carma said,
picking up her wine glass and taking a sip. “But when she’s being a c-word with
you, you’ll see what I mean.”
    Winn began to laugh so hard he put his fork down and turned
away from the others, holding his hand over his mouth as though he might spit
out his food.
    Carma turned back to Deem, who shrugged her shoulders.
    “Men,” Carma said. “So easily amused.”
    “You don’t want to come with us to New Harmony, I take it?”
Deem asked, Winn still trying to control his laughter on the other side of the
table.
    “I would, but I’m so busy with Lyman right now,” Carma said.
“His plans are on a tight timetable, and I have assignments.”
    “Can you tell us what it is you’re working on with him?” Deem
asked.
    “Best not, dear,” Carma said. “That way, if you’re ever
called into court, you won’t have to perjure yourself.”
    Not the answer I was expecting, Deem thought.
    “Have you heard from Awan recently?” Winn asked, still
laughing a little.
    “He called and left me a message yesterday,” Carma replied. “He
said he’s enjoying his trip. Mentioned something about the conference, but I
didn’t pay attention to most of the details. This work with Lyman has me so
distracted.”
    Deem finished her dinner and joined Winn in clearing the
table for Carma, who protested that they didn’t need to help.
    “Really, really, I’ve got this,” Carma said,