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This last she said in a very soft, uncertain voice I capitulated to her feelings "I’ic and reason tell s’ are simply not real I’htened slightly, a flower refreshed by a gentle rain

I smiled at her "Truly, Epiny I’d believe you if I could"

She grinned in response and jumped to her feet "Then I’ll make an offer to you Let’s just turn down the lauish all but two candles, and sit around it, holding hands, in a circle Perhaps you are right and nothing at all will happen But if things do start to happen, you can tell me ‘stop’ and I’ll stop it Nohat could be the harm in that?"

She had acted as she spoke By the time she finished, she had darkened the roo on what had been our gauttered shallowly in the fragrant wax Epiny sat down in the dis under her skirt She extended one hand to Spink For the first tiers were He took her hand without hesitation With her free hand, she patted a cushion next to her and extended her hand in invitation toboth that it was inevitable and that, deep down,me on

I settled on the cushion beside her There was a mildly unco hand hovered in the air between us I reached for it

Suddenly I again felt that distortion of , the scent fron that I could scarcely breathe And the girl reaching for ers that could sink roots intodeep inside erous to touch hands with a spirit seeker, and unclean besides

"Take reat distance Inealed jelly The very air resisted the er hand toward mine, I saw her encounter the same barrier

"It’s like ectoplasm, but invisible!" she exclaimed Her voice was triumphant with curiosity, not fear She continued to push her pale white fingers towardroots that could burrow into ," Spink said I heard his e it I knew, as clearly as if he had spoken it aloud, that he had thought this "seance" all a sham, but an excellent excuse to hold Epiny’s hand in his He had not bargained on whatever it was that was happening It frightened him but a part of me noticed that he had not released Epiny’s hand

"Stop!" I suddenly commanded them My voice came out cracked like an old wo! By root, I bind you!"

My hand tried to do so it did not kno to do I was shocked, shocked at ers danced frantically in the air between Epiny and me I watched my hand, powerless to stop it Epiny stared atas saucers Then Epiny suddenly leaned forward and blew out both candles

We were plunged into darkness At least, my mortal eyes were My "other" eyes, the ones that saw Epiny as foreign and strange, suddenly looked out at the dense forest in front of me For an instant I smelled rich humus, even felt the tendrils that bound me to the tree at my back Then someone yelped, a cry blended from surprise, fury, and, yes, a touch of fear

The "other" lefton a cushion in the dark A tiny spark still gripped the end of one candle’s wick It illuave me a place to fix my eyes I heard the scratch of a sulfur match and smelled its faht the match made She relit the two candles and looked froain She looked shaken, but her words were arch "Well As you see It’s all people sitting in a circle in the dark, holding hands and playing at bogey-frights on one another Still, it can be a, all the same" A small s Spink’s hand now If you wish"

I becarips we had on each other We dropped hands I sheepishly ht?" Spink asked Epiny gently

She was pale By the candlelight, her eyes looked hollow "I’m tired," she said "Tired as I’ve never been before Guide Porilet, the queen’s ht it was just because she was old Now I understand better what she feels" Dis herself, she turned to , when you were departing for the Academy? I told you that you sees to you There is so very old"