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Back The Lollipop Shoes
Chapters (96)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Book
  3. The Lollipop Shoes
  4. Dedication
  5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  6. PART ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. PART TWO
  13. 1
  14. 2
  15. 3
  16. 4
  17. 5
  18. 6
  19. 7
  20. 8
  21. PART THREE
  22. 1
  23. 2
  24. 3
  25. 4
  26. 5
  27. 6
  28. PART FOUR
  29. 1
  30. 2
  31. 3
  32. 4
  33. 5
  34. 6
  35. 7
  36. 8
  37. 9
  38. PART FIVE
  39. 1
  40. 2
  41. 3
  42. 4
  43. 5
  44. 6
  45. 7
  46. 8
  47. 9
  48. 10
  49. 11
  50. 12
  51. PART SIX
  52. 1
  53. 2
  54. 3
  55. 4
  56. 5
  57. 6
  58. 7
  59. 8
  60. 9
  61. 10
  62. 11
  63. 12
  64. PART SEVEN
  65. 1
  66. 2
  67. 3
  68. 4
  69. 5
  70. 6
  71. 7
  72. 8
  73. 9
  74. PART EIGHT
  75. 1
  76. 2
  77. 3
  78. 4
  79. 5
  80. 6
  81. 7
  82. 8
  83. 9
  84. 10
  85. 11
  86. 12
  87. 13
  88. 14
  89. 15
  90. 16
  91. 17
  92. 18
  93. 19
  94. Epilogue
  95. About the Author
  96. Also by Joanne Harris

‘But what about me and Rosette?’ I said. ‘We’re having a party on Christmas Eve.’ I took out his card from my schoolbag and held it out. ‘You’ve just got to be there,’ I told him desperately. ‘Look, you’ve got an invitation and everything.’

He gave a nasty laugh. ‘Who, me? You must be thinking of someone else’s father.’

Oh boy, I thought. What a mess this is. It seemed like the more I tried to talk to him, the angrier he seemed to get, and my new System, which has already worked changes for Nico and Mathilde and Madame Luzeron, doesn’t work on Roux at all.

If only I’d just finished his doll—

And then I had an inspiration.

‘Look,’ I said. ‘You’ve got dust in your hair.’ I reached up to brush it off.

‘Ouch!’ said Roux.

‘Sorry,’ I said.

‘Please can I see you tomorrow?’ I said. ‘Even if it’s only to say goodbye?’

He paused for such a long time that I was sure he was going to refuse.

Then he sighed. ‘I’ll meet you in the cemetery at three o’clock. By Dalida’s tomb.’

‘OK,’ I said, and smiled to myself.

Roux saw the smile. ‘I’m not staying,’ he said.

Well, that’s what you think, Roux, I thought.

And I opened my hand, where three red hairs had caught between my fingers.

Because this time, Roux, who pleases himself, is going to do what I want for a change. This time it’s my turn. I decide. He’ll be at our party on Christmas Eve, whatever it takes. Whatever it costs. He may not want to, I thought, but he’ll come – even if I have to call up the Hurakan to drag him here.

6

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Friday, 14th December

INVOCATION TO THE wind.

First, light your candles. Red ones are good, for luck and stuff; though white ones are OK too, of course. But if you really want to do the thing properly, make them black candles, because black’s the colour of the year’s end, the slow dark time between Día de los Muertos and December full moon, when the dead year begins to turn again.

Now draw a yellow chalk circle on the floor. Move the bed and the blue rag rug so we can use the wooden floor. Put them back when it’s over, so Maman doesn’t see the marks we’ve left. Maman wouldn’t understand; but then . . .

Maman doesn’t need to know.