章节_15
ailed up the mail slot.
”see,” he explai petunia through a mouthful of nails,
”if they t deliver them theyll just give up.”
”im ll work, vernon.”
”oh, these peoples minds we etunia, theyre
not like you and me,” said urying to knoail
with the piece of fruitt petunia had just brought him.
on friday, welve letters arrived for harry. as
they t gh the mail slot they had been pushed under
the door, slh the sides, and a few evehrough
the small window iairs bathroom.
uayed at home again. after burning all the
letters, he got out a hammer and nails ahe cracks
arou and back doors so no one could go out. he hummed
”tipth the tulips” as he ed at small noises.
on saturday, thio get out of hay-four letters
to harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside
each of the two doze their very ilkman had
ha petunia through the living room hile uncle
vernon made furious telephoo the post offid the
dairy trying to fio plain to, auunia shredded
the letters in her food processor.
”who os to talk to you this badly?” dudley asked
harry i.
on sunday m, u down at the breakfast table
lookiher ill, but happy.
”no post on sundays,” he remihem cheerfully as he spread
marmalade on his neers, ”oday --”
something came whizzing dowey as he spoke and
caught him sharply on the back of the head. y or
forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. the
dursleys ducked, but harry leapt irying to e.
”out! out!”
un seized harry arou ao
the hall. etunia and dudley had run out with their arms
over their faed the door shut. they could
hear the letters still streaming into the room, boung off the
walls and floor.
”that does it,” said urying to speak calmly but
pullis out of his mustache at the same time. i want you
all ba five mio leave. were going away. just
pae uments!”
he looked so dah half his mustag that
nue. tehey had wreheir way
through the boarded-up doors ahe car, speeding toward
the highway. dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had
hit him round the head f them up while he tried to pack
his television, vputer in his sp.
they drove. and they drove. eveunia didnt dare ask
where they were going. every now and then un would take a
sharp turn ahe opposite dire for a while. ”shakeem
off... shake em off,” he would mutter whehis.
they didnt stop to eat or drink all day. by nightfall dudley was
howling. hed never had such a bad day in his life. he was hungry,
hed missed five televisirams hed wao see, and hed
never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his puter.
uopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on
the outskirts of a big city. dudley and harry shared a room with
t, musty sheets. dudley s harry stayed
awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring dows of
passing d w....
they ate stale flakes and ed tomatoes on toast
for breakfast the hey had just fihe owner
of the hotel came over to their table.
”scuse me, but is one of you mr. h. potter? only i got about an
uhese at the front desk.”
she held up a letter so they creen ink address:
mr. h. potter
room 17
railview hotel
cokeworth
harry made a grab for the letter but un knocked his
hand out of the way. the woman stared.
”ill take them,” said uanding up quid