Read an Excerpt

Passwords

Nita went white with shock at the sight of Dairine. Dairine didn't care. "You're going to tell me everything," she said, and ran down the beach to distract her parents just long enough for Nita and Kit-also just changed back from a whale-to get back into their bathing suits. And after the noisy, angry scene with their parents that followed, after the house was quiet, Dairine went to Nita's room, where Kit was waiting, too, and let them tell her the whole story.

Wizard's manuals, oaths, wizardry, spells, quests, terrible dangers beyond the world, great powers that moved unseen and unsuspected beneath the surface of everyday existence and every now and then broke surface-Dairine was ecstatic. It was all there, everything she had longed for. And if they could have it, she could have it too. . . .

Dairine saw their faces fall and felt the soft laughter of the world starting behind her back again. You couldn't have this magic unless you were offered it by the Powers that controlled it. Yes, sometimes it ran in families, but there was no guarantee that it would ever pass to you. . . .

At that point Dairine began to shut their words out. She promised to keep their secret for the time being and to cover for them the best she could. But inside she was all one great frustrated cry of rage: Why them-why them and not me! Days later, when the cry ebbed, the frustration gave way to blunt, stubborn determination. I'll have it. I will.

Copyright © 1990 by Diane Duane

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be mailed to the following address:

Permissions Department, Harcourt, Inc.,
6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32887