Chapter Fifteen: The Joy of Researchhood
"I would be ever so thankful if you kept your mind out of mine," Billie hissed at Amos's attention.
He shrugged. "Not me fault it's screamin' so much I can barely think for meself."
Phoebe took the opportunity that was offered to her. She clapped her hands together, then on her kneecaps, where she let them rest. "Exactly why we're here. We'll be teaching those two – (she points at Taylor and Amos) – to use their powers."
"We?" Billie hooked an eyebrow.
"Well, being all-too familiar with the things of the mind, I can help Amos and his telepathy. Also, Taylor's clairvoyance shouldn't be hard for me to deal with. However, there's only so far I can help. Taylor's sonic wave or whatever, I have no idea how to trigger. Hence the books." She tapped once and hard on the pile of books that lay on the table between them.
Billie stared at them then back at Phoebe, a look of dread on her face. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" She jumped on the couch, her legs now tucked underneath her bottom, her back straight in her protest. She shook her head vividly. "You know perfectly well that I'm not one for books!"
Phoebe brought her same hand to her heart, falsely apologetic. "I'm so sorry -" (she regained a sterner look) "– but I don't care. You will also be looking for a Hosea line of witches. If Amos's grandmother had powers, she must be listed somewhere. That and the fact the name seems to ring a bell.
"See!" Billie was losing all hopes! "You're familiar with the name, I am not; you'll have more chance at finding it – somewhere," she added, looking at the books everywhere around them.
Phoebe gave her a look and handed her a strange cross, which Billie recognized as the one Amos wore, the one said to have saved him from Christy. She looked from the old man to the talisman, wondering how something so small could wield such power.
"You will also look that up." She had had so much trouble to get it off Amos's neck that she could not let Billie ruin everything. He had finally begrudgingly left it to her when he had understood the importance of such knowledge as the provenance of the charm, but he still looked at Billie's hand (the one holding the cross) with narrowed eyes.
"I am not an encyclopedia writer," Billie hissed. She meanly added, "And what are Paige and Piper doing exactly?"
"Same as you, except trying to find Leo with our Book. Now, please, stop arguing and being annoying or we'll never teach these two anything." At the mention of 'these two', Phoebe nonchalantly waved her hand towards Amos and Taylor.
Billie's lips thinned as she grabbed the closest book ragefully.