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.Most of the people I approached couldn’t wait to talk my ear off.” Tim shook his head.“It took me six months of dogged persistence to get her to even consider going on record about what she does.”“And what does she do?” Spar demanded.“I once saw her bury an apple seed in a plain garden pot and place her hand over the soil.Within five minutes, I watched while a green shoot pushed out of the dirt and budded a new leaf.I dropped my digital voice recorder and nearly lost the entire morning’s interview.”“That’s it? She grew a plant?”“Hush.” Fil scolded Spar and turned back to Tim.“There’s more, right?”“Too much to list, most of it little stuff, but all of it like nothing else I’d ever seen.Everyone else would tell me these elaborate stories of rituals they’d done to make something or other happen, but all I heard was post hoc, ergo propter hoc.After it, therefore because of it,” Tim explained.“Back in the Middle Ages, people thought maggots grew out of meat, because if they left out a piece of meat, eventually maggots would appear on it.They saw the first thing, then the second thing, so they assumed the first caused the second.”“I’m amazed all people weren’t vegetarians,” Fil muttered.“They largely were, but that’s the subject of a lecture for the history department.What’s important is that none of what W—what she did,” Tim caught himself, “was like that.She never made any claims.She just did things and left the interpretation to me.”Fil pursed her lips.“Do you think she could help me?”“I think she’s the only person I’ve met who might have an honest idea of how to try.”“Will you give me her phone number?”Tim made a face.“I can’t.I promised I’d keep her identity strictly confidential.It was the only way to get her to talk to me.”Spar’s lip curled back in a snarl.“Then why do you taunt us by letting us believe she could help Felicity?”“I wasn’t taunting you, I swear,” the man hurried to assure them.“I can’t put you in contact with her, but I can do the reverse.I’ll call her myself and tell her your story.She believes that her abilities come with a responsibility to use them to help others.I’m certain that if I tell her what’s happened to you, she’ll reach out to you herself.”Fil pulled her hand out of Spar’s grasp and held her palm up again.“This is important, Tim.I really need to talk to her.”“I know.And I promise she will call.”She sighed.“Then I suppose that’s the best I can ask for.”“I’m sorry.Trust me, if I could help you myself, I would, but with all the stuff I know, I’m afraid it’s all—forgive the pun—academic knowledge.I’ve seen and recorded a lot of things happening, but I have absolutely no clue how to do them myself.”Tim pushed up from his desk and walked around to the back to rummage in one of the deep bottom drawers.A moment later he was back, holding out a miniature glass vial.“Here.I figure this can’t hurt.” He passed it to Fil with a shrug and stuffed his hands into his pockets.“Holy water.From the Vatican.It was a souvenir.I know it’s kind of a cliché, but you are Catholic, right? I really do think that there’s a lot of power in faith.”Fil let out a half laugh.“I was Catholic.My grandparents raised me that way.But after the past few days?” She shook her head.“I’m not sure what I believe anymore.”“Well, consider that in the mold of a rabbit’s foot.” His mouth curved at one corner.“Carrying it won’t make anything bad happen, and if something good comes of it … post hoc, ergo propter hoc, right?”Fil rose and tucked the vial into the pocket of her jacket.“Thanks, Tim.I’d appreciate it if you’d make that call as soon as possible.Like I said, it’s been a rough few days for me.”“As soon as I shut the door behind you.” He held up a hand with the three middle fingers extended.“Scout’s honor.”“Thanks.”Slipping her hand into Spar’s, Fil said her good-byes.Together they stepped out of the cool brick building and into the bright sunshine.Chapter ElevenSquinting against the glare, Fil blew out a breath.“That didn’t go quite the way I’d hoped.”Spar rubbed his thumb across the lines that marked her palm and frowned.“No, it did not.I had rather higher expectations of the human.”“He’s doing what he could.We both knew it was a long shot
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