inside.”
“I can imagine. You went into Charlotte’s father-in-law while he lived.”
“Yes. He knew I was there. He was weak, but happy to walk, and to lift things with his hands again.”
“Interesting. What we call possession.”
“Correct. I saw distinct things through his eyes. I saw brilliant colors and smelled flowers and saw birds. I heard birds. I touched Charlotte with a hand. I knew Charlotte.”
“You can’t hear things now? You can’t see the light of this fire?”
“I know all about it. But I do not see or hear or feel it the way you do, Rowan. Though when I draw near to you, I can see what you see, I know you and your thoughts.”
She felt a sharp throb of fear. “I’m getting the hang of it.”
“You think you are. But it’s bigger and longer.”
“I know. I really do.”
“We know. We are. But from you we have learned to think in a line, and we have learned time. We have also learned ambition. For ambition one must know concepts of past and present and future. One must plan. And I speak only of those of us who want. Those of us who do not want, do not learn, for why should they? But to say ‘us’ is to approximate. There is no ‘us’ for me because I am alone and turned away from the others of me and see only you and your kind.”
“I understand. When you were in the dead bodies … the heads in the attic … ”
“Yes.”
“Did you change the tissues of those heads?”
“I did. I changed the eyes to brown. I changed the hair in streaks. This took great heat from me and concentration. Concentration is the key to all I do. I draw together.”
“And in your natural state?”
“Large, infinite.”
“How did you change the pigment?”
“Went into the particles of flesh, altered the particles. But your understanding of this is greater than mine. You would use the word mutation. I know no better words, you know scientific words. Concepts.”
“What stopped you from taking over the entire organism?”
“It was dead. It gradually finished and was heavy and I was blind and dumb. I could not bring the spark of life back to it.”
“I see. In Charlotte’s father-in-law, did you change his body?”
“That I could not do. I did not know to try to do it. And I cannot do it now if I were there then. You see?”
“Yes, I do. You’re constant, yet we’re in time. I see. But you are saying that you cannot change living tissue?”
“Not of that man. Not of Aaron when I am in him.”
“When are you in Aaron?”
“When he sleeps. That is the only time I can get in.”
“Why do you do it?”
“To be human. To be alive. But Aaron is too strong for me; Aaron organizes and commands the tissues of Aaron. Same with Michael. Same with almost all. Even the flowers.”
“Ah, yes, the flowers. You mutated the roses.”
“I did. For you, Rowan. To show you my love and my power.”
“And to show me your ambition?”
“Yes … ”
“I don’t want you ever to go into Aaron. I don’t want you ever to hurt him or Michael.”
“I will obey you, but I would like to kill Aaron.”
“Why?”
“Because Aaron is finished, and Aaron has much knowledge and Aaron lies to you.”
“How so, finished?”
“He has done what I saw that he would do and wanted for him to do. So I say finished. Now he may do what I can see and do not want him to do, which goes against my ambition. I would kill him, if it would not make you bitter and full of hate for me.”
“You can feel my anger, can’t you?”
“It hurts me deeply, Rowan.”
“I would he in a rage of pain and anger if you hurt Aaron. But let’s talk further about Aaron. I want you to spell this out for me. What did you want Aaron to do that he’s done?”
“Give you his knowledge. His words written in a straight line of time.”
“You’re speaking of the Mayfair chronology.”
“Yes. The history. You said spell it out so I didn’t use the word ‘chronology.’ ”
She laughed softly. “You don’t have to spell it out that much,” she said. “Go on.”
“I wanted you to read this history from him. Petyr
“Yes, I see.”
“Beware.”
“Of thinking I understand?”
“Precisely. Keep asking. Words like ‘responses’ and ‘inestimably’ are vague. I would keep nothing from you, Rowan.”
She heard him sighing again, but it was long, and soft, and became slowly a different sound. It was like the wind sighs. She continued to rest against the fireplace, basking in the heat of the fire, her eyes wide as she stared into the shadows. It seemed she had been here forever speaking to him, this disembodied yet softly resonant voice. The sound of the sigh had almost touched her all over like the wind.
She gave a little soft laugh of delight. She could see him in the room if she tried, see a rippling in the air, something swelling and filling the room.
“Yes … ” he said. “I love your laughter. I cannot laugh.”
“I can help you learn to do it.”
“I know.”
“Am I the doorway?”
“You are.”
“Am I the thirteenth witch?”
“You are.”
“Then Michael was correct in his interpretation.”
“Michael is seldom ever wrong. Michael sees clearly.”
“Do you want to kill Michael?”
“No. I love Michael. I would walk and talk with Michael.”
“Why, why Michael of all people?”
“I do not know.”
“Oh, you must know.”
“To love is to love. Why do you love Michael? Is the answer the truth? To love is to love. Michael is bright and beautiful. Michael laughs. Michael has much of the invisible spirit in him, infusing his limbs and his eyes and voice. Do you see?”
“I think I do. It’s what we call vitality.”
“Exactly,” he said.
But had the word ever been said with such meaning?
He went on.
“I saw Michael from the beginning. Michael was a surprise. Michael sees me. Michael came to the fence. Also Michael has ambition and is strong. Michael loved me. Now Michael fears me. You came between me and Michael, and Michael fears that I will come between him and you.”
