资源描述：
《A Discovery of Witches_ A Novel.pdf》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、ForLexieandJake,andtheirbrightfuturesItbeginswithabsenceanddesire.Itbeginswithbloodandfear.Itbeginswithadiscoveryofwitches.Chapter1Theleather-boundvolumewasnothingremarkable.Toanordinaryhistorian,itwouldhavelookednodifferentfromhundredsofothermanuscriptsinOxford’sBodleianLibrary,
2、ancientandworn.ButIknewtherewassomethingoddaboutitfromthemomentIcollectedit.DukeHumfrey’sReadingRoomwasdesertedonthislate-Septemberafternoon,andrequestsforlibrarymaterialswerefilledquicklynowthatthesummercrushofvisitingscholarswasoverandthemadnessofthefalltermhadnotyetbegun.Evens
3、o,IwassurprisedwhenSeanstoppedmeatthecalldesk.“Dr.Bishop,yourmanuscriptsareup,”hewhispered,voicetingedwithatouchofmischief.Thefrontofhisargylesweaterwasstreakedwiththerustytracesofoldleatherbindings,andhebrushedatitself-consciously.Alockofsandyhairtumbledoverhisforeheadwhenhedid.
4、“Thanks,”Isaid,flashinghimagratefulsmile.Iwasflagrantlydisregardingtheruleslimitingthenumberofbooksascholarcouldcallinasingleday.Sean,who’dsharedmanyadrinkwithmeinthepink-stuccoedpubacrossthestreetinourgraduate-studentdays,hadbeenfillingmyrequestswithoutcomplaintformorethanaweek.
5、“AndstopcallingmeDr.Bishop.Ialwaysthinkyou’retalkingtosomeoneelse.”Hegrinnedbackandslidthemanuscripts—allcontainingfineexamplesofalchemicalillustrationsfromtheBodleian’scollections—overhisbatteredoakdesk,eachonetuckedintoaprotectivegraycardboardbox.“Oh,there’sonemore.”Seandisappe
6、aredintothecageforamomentandreturnedwithathick,quarto-sizemanuscriptboundsimplyinmottledcalfskin.Helaiditontopofthepileandstoopedtoinspectit.Thethingoldrimsofhisglassessparkedinthedimlightprovidedbytheoldbronzereadinglampthatwasattachedtoashelf.“Thisone’snotbeencalledupforawhile.
7、I’llmakeanotethatitneedstobeboxedafteryoureturnit.”“Doyouwantmetoremindyou?”“No.Alreadymadeanotehere.”Seantappedhisheadwithhisfingertips.“Yourmindmustbebetterorganizedthanmine.”Mysmilewidened.Seanlookedatmeshylyandtuggedonthecallslip,butitremainedwhereitwas,lodgedbetweenthecovera
8、ndthefirstpages.“Thisonedoesn’twanttolet
