It wasn't until later that they had a table set up. Giles closed up the shop a bit early, and drew down the blinds. Anya didn't even say a word to Xander, and only uttered a curt "Good night," to Giles before departing. Giles glanced over the items laid out on the table, checking that they had everything needed. Contrary to popular belief, much of the implements supposedly required, like crystal balls, incense, and candles, weren't really necessary. Most would simply have them there to reassure customers. Smoke and mirrors, the fundamental cornerstone of magic in the common world.
However, there were a few things that aided in contacting spirits. Not as easy to come by as crystal balls, and a lot stranger in appearance. Xander was currently staring at one such item.
"Um, Giles, what is this Eye of Horrors?"
"Eye of Horus," Giles corrected, "It is to aid in viewing the other side." He sighed, and added, "This would be much easier with a real magick practioner."
"Well, Tara's gone, and Willow's in the Just Say No wagon." Xander said, "Anyway, I don't think she wants to see me right now."
Giles frowned, but was uncertain how to respond. He then reached for Xander's hands, and the pair linked their hands across the small table.
"Venite, spiritus morire. Nous implorem." Giles intoned. "We call upon the spirit of Robert Winters, born 1905. Speak with us for we have need." A sudden wind rose up, rattling the shelves, and jarring the contents there. Xander shivered as the room's temperature dropped several degrees in an instant. He glanced up as an elderly man appeared by the table.
"Well, what the hell do you want?" The ghost of Robert Winters asked. Xander and Giles simply stared back at Robert for a moment. Xander was the first to come back to himself.
He stated, "Uh, we want to ask you about Gregory and Catherine Herschel."
The spirit's expression softened slightly, "I see. I remember them. Such a long time ago. I thought I would see her when I died, but there was nothing," He shook his head, and then asked, "Why?"
Xander took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. He then replied evenly, "Because I was Catherine." His eyes gazed back at the ghost. Robert walked toward him, his hand reached out, and his fingers went through Xander's face. Xander couldn't help flinching at the cold contact, though he could sense gentleness from the spirit. The ghost then backed away, never looking away from Xander.
"I heard a little about such things when I was alive, but I never imagined. You know, you actually look more like Gregory."
"I know," Xander quietly said.
Giles then asked, "Can you help us? Do you know who killed Catherine?"
Robert looked back at Xander again, "You don't remember…? no, of course, probably some rule about that." He seemed to sigh, though more from humanly habit than actual need for breath.
"No, I don't know who killed her. But I did find some things about Gregory. He was married before. But he had moved out of their home before he met Catherine. That wasn't the only skeleton in his closet either. He had done some reading into the occult, and spiritualism. A bit of a dabbler, mostly looking for alternate cures. Almost got in trouble with the hospital one time, but since the patient pulled through, nobody complained." His expression hardened, "He was also stubborn, and had a temper. His first wife mentioned that they fought often, but she loved him anyway. He didn't though, and obviously she didn't like Catherine at all." Xander and Giles listened attentively, barely breathing.
Robert continued, "Funny thing was, when I mentioned this to Catherine, she didn't believe me. She even mentioned she knew his collection of books, and it was all science and medical books. The detective I hired even stated the same thing when he did some investigating in the apartment. No herbs, no strange books, not even an Ouija board. I guess he never took any of it with him when he moved out, and married Catherine. But his first wife, Hannah, I think her name was, she mentioned something curious to me when I talked to her."
Hannah peered back at him, "Of course I still love him, as much as I wish to curse him. Do you have any idea what it is like for me? I hear whispers all the time from people, how I wasn't good enough for Gregory, or I must be some sort of harlot for him to leave me. They have no idea. Marriage is supposed to be forever, he's the one committing adultery, not me. Sometimes I wish I could have revenge for the shame and hurt he caused me, how he scorned me. Make him and her suffer how I have suffered. Humiliate him, and take everything he cares for away." She paused for a moment, and smiled, "Wouldn't it be nice if there was a genie or something to do that for me?"
Xander's head was spinning. Pieces of the puzzle were dropping into place, and he didn't like the picture forming. Oh no. No, she didn't mean who he think she did. She couldn't have. He exchanged a scared look with Giles.
Giles cleared his throat, "Thank you very much, Mr. Winters. You have helped us greatly. Depart, and be at peace."
The ghost smiled, and looked at Xander, "Sure, anything for an old friend. Be seeing you, Catherine." He came over to Xander, and leaned forward. Xander tried to squirm backwards in the chair, but he still felt ghostly, and cold lips brush against his warm lips. Before he could say anything, the spirit vanished.
Xander yanked his right hand away from Giles' hand, and fervently rubbed his mouth.
"Ugh, let's never do that again. Bad enough I have female ghoulies checking me out, now ghosts? Guy ghosts even? Ugh."
"Errr, yes, I'm guessing you came to the same assumption as I did who this Hannah contacted. There might have been a mention in one of the books Gregory had left. Hmmm…must have been an interesting collection." Giles thoughtfully added, the bibliophile in him always taking an interest in rare and unusual books.
Xander yelled to get his attention, "Giles! This Hannah chick must have contacted Anya. She did… Omigod, she did something… Catherine dies, and Gregory gets framed for it… Just like her wish." Xander got up, "I got to find her. Have to make sure. Uh, thanks Giles for everything." He then rushed out, and was through the front door before Giles could call out to him.
Xander jumped into his car, and peeled out into the street, *I hope I'm not too late.*
Meanwhile, Willow had been reading through her magic books again, looking for spells to protect, and to harm enemies. She froze, hearing somebody knocking at her front door.
She got up, and answered the door, "Yes?"
"Hello, Willow," Anya said.
However, there were a few things that aided in contacting spirits. Not as easy to come by as crystal balls, and a lot stranger in appearance. Xander was currently staring at one such item.
"Um, Giles, what is this Eye of Horrors?"
"Eye of Horus," Giles corrected, "It is to aid in viewing the other side." He sighed, and added, "This would be much easier with a real magick practioner."
"Well, Tara's gone, and Willow's in the Just Say No wagon." Xander said, "Anyway, I don't think she wants to see me right now."
Giles frowned, but was uncertain how to respond. He then reached for Xander's hands, and the pair linked their hands across the small table.
"Venite, spiritus morire. Nous implorem." Giles intoned. "We call upon the spirit of Robert Winters, born 1905. Speak with us for we have need." A sudden wind rose up, rattling the shelves, and jarring the contents there. Xander shivered as the room's temperature dropped several degrees in an instant. He glanced up as an elderly man appeared by the table.
"Well, what the hell do you want?" The ghost of Robert Winters asked. Xander and Giles simply stared back at Robert for a moment. Xander was the first to come back to himself.
He stated, "Uh, we want to ask you about Gregory and Catherine Herschel."
The spirit's expression softened slightly, "I see. I remember them. Such a long time ago. I thought I would see her when I died, but there was nothing," He shook his head, and then asked, "Why?"
Xander took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. He then replied evenly, "Because I was Catherine." His eyes gazed back at the ghost. Robert walked toward him, his hand reached out, and his fingers went through Xander's face. Xander couldn't help flinching at the cold contact, though he could sense gentleness from the spirit. The ghost then backed away, never looking away from Xander.
"I heard a little about such things when I was alive, but I never imagined. You know, you actually look more like Gregory."
"I know," Xander quietly said.
Giles then asked, "Can you help us? Do you know who killed Catherine?"
Robert looked back at Xander again, "You don't remember…? no, of course, probably some rule about that." He seemed to sigh, though more from humanly habit than actual need for breath.
"No, I don't know who killed her. But I did find some things about Gregory. He was married before. But he had moved out of their home before he met Catherine. That wasn't the only skeleton in his closet either. He had done some reading into the occult, and spiritualism. A bit of a dabbler, mostly looking for alternate cures. Almost got in trouble with the hospital one time, but since the patient pulled through, nobody complained." His expression hardened, "He was also stubborn, and had a temper. His first wife mentioned that they fought often, but she loved him anyway. He didn't though, and obviously she didn't like Catherine at all." Xander and Giles listened attentively, barely breathing.
Robert continued, "Funny thing was, when I mentioned this to Catherine, she didn't believe me. She even mentioned she knew his collection of books, and it was all science and medical books. The detective I hired even stated the same thing when he did some investigating in the apartment. No herbs, no strange books, not even an Ouija board. I guess he never took any of it with him when he moved out, and married Catherine. But his first wife, Hannah, I think her name was, she mentioned something curious to me when I talked to her."
Hannah peered back at him, "Of course I still love him, as much as I wish to curse him. Do you have any idea what it is like for me? I hear whispers all the time from people, how I wasn't good enough for Gregory, or I must be some sort of harlot for him to leave me. They have no idea. Marriage is supposed to be forever, he's the one committing adultery, not me. Sometimes I wish I could have revenge for the shame and hurt he caused me, how he scorned me. Make him and her suffer how I have suffered. Humiliate him, and take everything he cares for away." She paused for a moment, and smiled, "Wouldn't it be nice if there was a genie or something to do that for me?"
Xander's head was spinning. Pieces of the puzzle were dropping into place, and he didn't like the picture forming. Oh no. No, she didn't mean who he think she did. She couldn't have. He exchanged a scared look with Giles.
Giles cleared his throat, "Thank you very much, Mr. Winters. You have helped us greatly. Depart, and be at peace."
The ghost smiled, and looked at Xander, "Sure, anything for an old friend. Be seeing you, Catherine." He came over to Xander, and leaned forward. Xander tried to squirm backwards in the chair, but he still felt ghostly, and cold lips brush against his warm lips. Before he could say anything, the spirit vanished.
Xander yanked his right hand away from Giles' hand, and fervently rubbed his mouth.
"Ugh, let's never do that again. Bad enough I have female ghoulies checking me out, now ghosts? Guy ghosts even? Ugh."
"Errr, yes, I'm guessing you came to the same assumption as I did who this Hannah contacted. There might have been a mention in one of the books Gregory had left. Hmmm…must have been an interesting collection." Giles thoughtfully added, the bibliophile in him always taking an interest in rare and unusual books.
Xander yelled to get his attention, "Giles! This Hannah chick must have contacted Anya. She did… Omigod, she did something… Catherine dies, and Gregory gets framed for it… Just like her wish." Xander got up, "I got to find her. Have to make sure. Uh, thanks Giles for everything." He then rushed out, and was through the front door before Giles could call out to him.
Xander jumped into his car, and peeled out into the street, *I hope I'm not too late.*
Meanwhile, Willow had been reading through her magic books again, looking for spells to protect, and to harm enemies. She froze, hearing somebody knocking at her front door.
She got up, and answered the door, "Yes?"
"Hello, Willow," Anya said.