"After that, I had to contact Professor Romney. As I had been reminded several times, I was no expert, and they were. Romney came, and with him came this woman, Cecily Forster. She was a medium. And in spite of how people think of mediums, she was a sensible, competent woman. She knew her stuff, and agreed with me that there were two presences, fighting against each other."
-0-
"I will have to get the whole story."
"There is a phoenix involved."
"Yes, but we need to know the details before we can make plans to stop the damage. I need to be inside the house, and unlike you, I cannot fly in. I cannot just go in, Mrs. Grady will probably kick me out."
"Not if her brothers brings you in."
"Will he be willing?"
"He wants the problem to be solved."
"Good." She pulled up the sleeve of her sweater. "Please take from me. This will create a mental link and you may be able to see what I see."
-0-
So I did, and I watched her go with Louis into the house. Dinah had invited Leonore to dinner out "to discuss things" so Mrs. Foster did not have to give a tedious explanation of how she knew Louis, and what were her intentions towards him. Then I began to see a scene unfold. It was a man and a woman in late Victorian clothing.
-0-
"Lilah needs you."
"Your own children need you. The children that you family disavowed
"I will do right by then, but this thing with Lilah is urgent…. As for my children, the best I can do for them is to make sure my… affliction is not inherited by them. I will see what I can do. But Lilah's life is in danger."
"From whom?
"From her mother."
"What do you say?"
"Do you know what her mother is?"
-0-
Then there was a crash. The man and woman disappeared, and I had a sense that Mrs. Foster was… gone. The fire alarm went off in the house, and not much longer came the firemen. The fire was contained, but Mrs. Foster was dead.
And Louis had a lot of explaining to do to Leonore…