And then he made his request: I want you to keep my son blocked forever. I need to know if you can do it. Tali told him she could try, but she also explained how painful it was to annul someone so young. When she was performing the work to block him, she had felt that she was physically hurting the boy. It was like he was shrieking, said Tali, and she remembered the shiver, the feeling she was slicing through muscle when she manipulated the doll made of blood, hair, rope, and bone. Like she was drowning a strong newborn kitten that was desperate to live. Stephen had had to draw the symbols many times because they’d faded, as if they lacked strength, as if a hand were erasing them. Maintaining that state for a long time was possible, but it would be laborious, and, Tali believed, it would be damaging to Gaspar. Not to mention lethal for her and Stephen if they were ever found out.

Juan’s eyes were cold.

“They won’t find out if you work in the temple. The protection sign I left there hides anything that happens inside.”

“You asshole, you didn’t tell me that’s why you did it.”

“Can you keep my son blocked?”

“I don’t know what might happen when he grows up.”

“When he grows up, we’ll see. No one is going to teach him anything. I need them to go on thinking he’s no good to them. If they even suspect he is, they’ll start using him.”

Stephen came into the garden along the path that led to the guesthouse. He knelt down in front of Juan and looked at him closely. He had slept, and he seemed relieved.

“My mother thought it was a magnificent Ceremonial, and she wants to see you as soon as you feel well. Your son is with Marcelina.”

“Tali told me Gaspar didn’t pass any of the tests.”

Juan remembered the seven tests clearly. They were simple and effective. He had passed them without much effort long before he’d manifested. Gaspar would have done too, if it hadn’t been for Stephen and Tali’s intervention.

“The kid could be astonishing if you trained him. If you’d let me train him. Rosario wanted that, and you know it.”

“And she did train him, a lot. Gaspar reads Tarot and he’s only six years old. I don’t want to go back over these discussions. You and I are not going to argue about this. It’s my decision. They’re not going to give up, right?”

“Of course not. They’ll test the kid once a year, or whenever they consider it necessary. They haven’t told me how they’ll do it, but come on, you can’t refuse them that.”

“I’ve just asked Tali to keep Gaspar blocked, and you have to help her.”

Stephen sighed.

“Look, I know that right now caution could not matter less to you, but having this conversation here is crazy.”

“Will you help her?”