“Oh, I see.” Hannah nodded solemnly. Speaking loudly and slowly to Zach as if he were either deaf or simple-minded she said, “I would very much like to see your new vehicle, please.”
The boy stared in disbelief first at the girl and then at his ancestor. “What’s up with that? Did she just diss me?”
Faye took him by the elbow and propelled him toward the door. “We’ll discuss this later.” Over her shoulder, she called, “Come along, Hannah.”
All three filed out to stare at an old hatchback subcompact covered with blotches of mismatched spray paint, presumably to hide its numerous rust spots.
Zach beamed proudly. “She’s only got three hundred thousand miles on her. Isn’t she a beauty?”
“Beauty is ever in the eye of the beholder,” Faye replied tactfully. “I’ve never seen a polka-dotted car before. What do you parents think?”
“They told me if I could afford to pay for the car and the insurance, it was alright with them. I don’t think they ever expected me to cough up that much dough.”
“Shot themselves in the foot, did they?” Faye chuckled.
“You bet,” Zach grinned. “They couldn’t back out after they said yes.”
“I do hope it’s safe.” Faye’s voice held a note of concern.
“Hey, it’s not like I’m taking it cross-country. I’m only allowed to drive it close to home.”
“Well, I suppose in that case,” the old woman relented slightly.
“Do you wanna go for a spin?” Zach asked eagerly.
Faye backed quickly away from the car. “No, not today. Perhaps another time.”
More shyly, he directed the same question to Hannah. “How about you?”
The girl froze in terror.
His ancestor intervened. “I’m afraid not. Hannah needs to get back to her lessons while you and I have a chat in the garden.”
Without a word, the girl scuttled back into the house, sat down at the computer and began concentrating furiously on the monitor.
Faye steered her descendent through the hallway and out into the yard. She didn’t stop walking until they’d reached the ancient oak tree at the very back of her property. A wrought iron bench encircled the tree’s massive trunk. Faye sat down and patted the spot next to her.
Zach took the seat and, without preamble, got right to the point. “So, what’s her deal?”
“Her deal?”
“I mean, she’s a major league hottie but are you tutoring her because she’s in Special Ed? She acts like she belongs on the short bus.”
Faye smiled. “On the contrary. She’s a very bright, determined young woman.”
“Well, you could of fooled me,” the boy said ruefully.
The old woman hesitated, choosing her next words carefully. “Do you remember the confidential conversation we had the last time you were here?”
Zach perked up. “Are you kidding? I’ll never forget it. You promised when I was a little older you would tell me some of the secret stuff you’re involved in.”
“That day has come sooner than I expected. It appears as if I’ll need your assistance to cope with something.”
The boy turned to face her directly. “Whatever it is, Gamma, I’m in.”
“Yes, well, best to start at the beginning. Do you recall that letter you found when you searched my room?”
Zach briefly looked at the ground, embarrassed. “Yeah, it was about somebody named Sybil.”
“Sybil was one of my associates, and she was killed while protecting a valuable artifact from a cult which wanted to steal it.”
The boy stared at his ancestor intently. “Wow, Gamma, this is some deep stuff you’re into.”
“Very deep. Hannah ran away from the cult which was responsible for Sybil’s death. She sought refuge with Sybil’s younger sister Cassie who is now trying to recover some other artifacts for my organization.”
Zach’s eyes grew wide. “She ran away from a cult? Was she being held hostage or something?”
“No. I’m sorry to say she grew up among them and has no understanding whatsoever of the outside world.”
“So, it’s like you’re deprogramming her?”
“Something like that but I find I’m not very adept when it comes to explaining how young people act nowadays. It occurs to me that she might benefit from contact with someone her own age. Sending her to school in her current psychological state is out of the question. The poor child would be overwhelmed. Perhaps just a few hours a week in your company might help her assimilate.”
“Absolutely. I’m your guy.”
Faye hesitated again. “There are a few more things you should know. First of all, Hannah doesn’t realize I’m involved in a secret organization. She simply knows me as a friend of Cassie’s who has offered her shelter out of the goodness of my heart.”
“Does she know about this artifact stuff?”
“Yes, a little. About as much as you know. There’s no need for you to discuss the matter with her at all.”
“OK, I’ll zip it about all that.”
Zach rose to go, keen to get started.
Faye laid a restraining hand on his arm. “There’s more.”
He sat back down and cocked an eyebrow.
“When she was part of the cult, she was married to their leader. They practice polygamy, and she recently became his youngest wife.”
“How old is he?”
“I believe he’s in his seventies.”
“Holy crap!”
“Yes, quite. And now she’s pregnant.”
Zach stared at her in shock for a few seconds. “That is so messed up!”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“What’s she gonna do when the baby comes?” he asked cautiously. “Is she gonna keep it?”
Faye sighed heavily. “We haven’t discussed the matter yet. My personal opinion is that one so young should never be saddled with the responsibility of raising an infant. However, it might be even more traumatic for her to see the child placed with another family. It’s a bridge we’ve yet to cross.”
“Whatever I can
