"Hold it like this, Princess," Logan said, moving her thumb and forefinger away from the edge. "Hold it flat, and then flick—"
"Sorry to imterrupt," Professor Xavier's voice boomed down from above, "but you have an urgent telephone call, Brenda."
"If it's Trish, tell her it's page 197, first six problems."
"No, it's long-distance."
Is it Gran? Ever since that fainting spell, Brenda had been worried about her grandmother's health. The older woman was diabetic, she had learned.
No, it's a Sister Natalia. You can take it up here.
Thank you.
She took the elevator upstairs and took the call in Xavier's office. "Sister?"
"Oh, Brenda, thank the Lord I found you!" Sister Natalia was one of the younger ones, barely out of her teens. "It's terrible, terrible!"
"What is it?" Brenda found herself gripping the arm of the chair so tightly her knuckles were white.
"It's Sister Maria. They—they think she's had a stroke."
"Oh, God." Brenda felt her heart sink. Sister Maria had been like a mother to her. "How bad is it?"
"She's conscious, but . . . she's not—not expected to survive."
"How long?"
"They said a few days, no more than a week."
"Oh, God."
Brenda rushed out of the room in a panic, with Xavier following her. "I have to go home right away, Professor. Sister Maria's very ill and I need to go and see her right away—there's not much time . . ."
"Say no more." Xavier went to his office and began making arrangements for Brenda's trip home. The earliest flight he could manage to get a ticket for was for eight the following evening.
It was a Wednesday, and she was supposed to work at the bookstore, so that was the first call she made.
"Oh, God, that's too bad," Nick said.
"Do you want me to come in and tidy up or anything before I go?"
"No, no, that's all right. You've got enough to worry about right now. Just be sure to pack your warm clothes, all right?"
"I will."
She should have called Todd next . . . but she didn't want to think about it. Xavier told her he'd arrange things with the school so that her work would be waiting for her when she got back, so that was one worry less. Then she talked to Trisha, who tried to understand, really she did, but she didn't sound as if she thought Brenda would be back.
When her phone calls were done, she went to her room and began packing.
Funny that she had so many clothes now. What would she need? She packed her two gray dresses, a few pairs of jeans, her New York sweatshirt . . . she wouldn't need her training uniform, and she could probably get by with only one or two books . . .
There was that little blue robe again. She'd asked around for months, but still hadn't found out where it had come from. It was a mystery she might never have solved . . .
. . . if she hadn't noticed the tiny monogram on the pocket. It was a "B" with roses on either side.
Wait a minute. I know this! It's from . . . what was that school in town, that they closed down a few years ago? Butterfield Academy, that was it. Wait, what's this?
There was something in the pocket—a tiny folded square of paper. It was wrapped around a gold ring, or at least, it looked like gold.
Brenda unfolded the note, but all it said was "8:30 Usual place Big Surprise!" What was that supposed to mean?
That night Brenda dreamed of her mother.
How did she know it was her, when she'd never seen her before, not even in pictures? She couldn't explain; she just knew.
The woman was calling out to her, and she had to go . . .
Kitty heard Brenda's door open and close, and came out to find out what was going on. "Brenda? Where are you going?"
No answer.
Kitty followed her all the way down into the kitchen. "Brenda? Are you, like, okay?"
Brenda still didn't answer. Her eyes were open, but she wasn't seeing anything but her mother. She started to open the door . . .
Kitty wouldn't give up. She tried mentally contacting the girl, but there was no reply. She was afraid to grab her because they said you shouldn't wake up a sleepwalker—
In desperation, Kitty mentally called Professor Xavier. Professor, I need help! Brenda's under some kind of spell or something! I'm afraid she'll hurt herself if she doesn't wake up soon!
All right, Xavier "said". He reached out and touched Brenda's mind . . .
. . . which finally snapped her out of her trance, with her hand on the doorknob.
Later, in Xavier's study, he explained everything.
"The robe," he said, "it was your mother's."
Brenda stared at him in shock. "She was here?"
"Unfortunately, no. I only met her once. I wanted to work with her, but . . . she wasn't the cooperative type."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"I only just remembered tonight. She wasn't here, but at my house in Ruttletop. The robe must have gotten in with my things when I packed up and left."
"But it's so small! I thought it must be a child's!"
Xavier chuckled. "I don't suppose you've ever tried it on?"
The thought had never occured to her. "No. Why?"
"She wasn't much bigger than you, when I first met her. She looked like a child—I thought she couldn't have been more than ten or eleven."
"So why did Brenda start sleepwalking?" Kitty asked.
"I believe," Xavier said, "that was a kind of psychic impression. Sometimes a telepath will leave something of himself or herself behind. Call it a psychic echo. Usually it's tied to some possession . . ."
"But that robe's been there since last fall! Why now?"
"Because you've never touched it before now."
The clock in the hall struck three.
"I think you had better both go back to bed. Especially you, Brenda, you've got a long day ahead of you."
"Okay."
Brenda went back to her room and picked the robe up off the bed. She wrapped it around herself, then climbed back under the covers. Though she had no more dreams, she felt her mother's presence surrounding her.
Her bags were packed, she was ready to go. But on the way to the airport, there was one stop she had to make.
"I thought you talked to him already," Scott said, as he pulled up in front of the bookstore.
"I did. There's something he wants me to bring home for him," she said. This was the cover story Nick had given her on the phone, in case anyone else was listening. But she knew why she was really here.
She ran inside and up to the counter. "Excuse me," she said to the girl, "is Nick here?"
"Brenda, right? He's waiting for you in the back." She pointed helpfully toward the only door.
Brenda rushed through, almost knocking over a display. She righted it, and then proceeded through the back room door.
There was a little hallway, with three doors, two on the right and one on the left. To the left was the "office", complete with microwave and mini-fridge, where the employees took their breaks. The first door on the right was the bathroom.
The second one was the one she wanted.
Nick was opening boxes, sorting through the new arrivals. With him, leafing through The Color of Magic (which they'd never actually finished), was Todd. He looked up as she approached. "You made it!"
"I don't have much time." They exchanged phone numbers—she wasn't sure if she'd be staying at the convent or her grandmother's, so she gave him both—and e-mail addresses, promising to write and call as often as possible.
"How long will you be gone?"
"I don't know. Hopefully no more than a week."
"What about school?"
"That's all taken care of."
Todd put the Pratchett book on top of a stack of boxes, and went to her. "I wish you didn't have to go."
"I wish I didn't, too."
From outside a horn honked.
"I have to go," she said hurriedly. She gave Todd a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, then did the same to Nick, who suddenly held something out to her.
"What's this?"
"It's the package I want you to give to my mum."
"You mean that was for real?"
"I didn't want you to get in trouble."
Well, that was a relief. She hated having to lie to the people she lived with. "What is it?"
"It's a hardcover she asked me to order for her. I was planning to mail it to her, but since you're going that way anyway . . ."
"Sure. I don't mind."
"The address is right on it."
"I think I can find it."
Package in hand, she ran back outside and got in the car. "All set," she said, and they pulled away. She resisted the impulse to look back, knowing Todd would already be gone.