“Lee, honey, what do you think we’re doing with Horace? You are learning to win people to our side, little by little. Why not start with your worst enemy, the person who hurt you the most? If you can win someone like that, then you can win anyone at all. You can win the whole world.”

I heard Murphy stomping around in the hallway, same as she’d been doing for hours now, the door locked to her. I couldn’t figure out why Grandma was so intent on keeping Murphy away from me.

“Why don’t you like Murphy?” I asked Grandma.

“It’s not that I don’t like her, exactly,” said Grandma. “It’s just that I don’t find your sister to be a particularly affirming presence at the moment. I do believe she hurts our cause more than she helps.”

“But she’s my sister,” I said.

“That may well be,” she said. “She is your sister by blood, sure. But is she your sister in the Spirit? Is she one of us?”

I wasn’t sure what the answer to that question was, and at the moment I didn’t quite care.

“Just let me see her for a minute,” I said. “Otherwise she’s liable to kick the door down.”

Grandma relented and unlocked the door. Murphy came bursting in, all kinetic energy and worry.

“Jesus Christ, are you okay?” she said. “They told me you were almost killed, and then she locked me out of your fucking room all day.”

“I was only trying to let your brother rest,” said Grandma.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been pacing the halls like a goddamn maniac,” she said. “You could have just let me say hello or something.”

“You have fifteen minutes,” said Grandma.

She got up and left us, giving Murphy a little scowl on the way out, and shut the door. Murphy and I were alone together in my bedroom.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I said. “To be honest, I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Is it true?” she said. “About the Hobo. That he was real?”

“Yeah, Murphy. He was Carl Urquhart, apparently. And he saved my life.”

“You know that’s the single creepiest thing I ever heard, right? That dude peeking into your bedroom at night, following you around ever since we were kids, like the goddamn boogeyman.”

“Really he was more like my guardian angel, when you think about it.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” she said. “He saved your life when I couldn’t. I should have been there. I should have protected you, like Grandma said.”

“No,” I said. “Murphy, that’s not your responsibility.”

“Maybe it should be,” she said, and she gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I’m glad you’re okay, Lee. I’m glad that crazy lady didn’t kill you.”

“Me too, Murphy.”