"Yeah!" said Dairine in an offended tone. Nita turned in her chair to look at her. Her sister looked flushed, and she wasn't moving at her normal break-neck speed. "C'mere, baby," Nita's mother said. "Let me feel your fore-head.""Mom!""Dairine," her father said. "Yeah, right." Dairine went over to her mother and had her forehead felt, rolling her eyes at the ceiling. "You're hot, sweetie," Nita's mother said in alarm. "Harry, I told you she was in the water too long yesterday. Feel her."Nita's dad looked slightly bored, but he checked Dairine's forehead and then frowned. "Well. . . .""No 'wells.' Dari, I think you'd better sit this one out." "Oh, Mom!""Cork it, little one. You can come fishing with us in a day or two." Nita's mother turned to her. "Neets, will you stick around and keep an eye on your sister?""Mom, I don't need a babysitter!" 'Enough, Dairine," her mom said. "Up to bed with you. Nita, we'll take you and Kit with us the next time; but your dad really wants to get out today."''t's okay, Mom," Nita said, dropping what was left of the smile (though it now really wanted to stay on). "I'll keep an eye on the runt." "Don't call me a runt!"Dairine," her father said again. Nita's little sister made a face and left, a 8ain at half the usual speed.194 SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WIZARDAs soon as she could, Nita slipped into Dairine's room. Her sister was lying on top of the bed, reading her way through a pile of X-Men comics; she looked flushed. "Not bad, huh?" she said in a low voice as Nita came in. "How did you do that?" Nita whispered. "I used the Force," Dairine said, flashing a wicked look at Nita. "Dan! Spill it!""I turned Dad's electric blanket up high and spent a few minutes under it. Then I drank about a quart of hot water to make sure I stayed too warm." Dairine turned a page in her comic book, looking blase about the whole thing. "Mom did the rest."
