The woman spoke into the phone, “You see, Mrs. Elliot, your husband is safe and will remain so as long as you do exactly as I have instructed.”

The woman covered the mouthpiece again. “She says she doesn’t know about any invocation.”

Effrom heard a gravely male voice answer her, but he couldn’t see anyone else in the cabin. “She’s lying,” the voice said.

“I don’t think so—she’s crying.”

“Ask her about Travis,” the voice said.

Into the phone the woman said: “Mrs. Elliot, do you know someone named Travis?” She listened for a second and held the receiver to her breast. “She says no.”

“It might have been a long time ago,” the voice said. Effrom kept looking for who was talking but could see no one.

“Think,” the woman said into the phone, “it might have been a long time ago.”

The woman listened and nodded with a smile. Effrom looked in the direction of her nod. Who the hell was she nodding to?

“Did he give you anything?” The woman listened. “Candlesticks?”

“Bingo!” the voice said.

“Yes,” said the woman. “Bring the candlesticks here and your husband will be released unharmed. Tell no one, Mrs. Elliot. Fifteen minutes.”

“Or he dies,” the voice said.

“Thank you, Mrs. Elliot,” the woman said. She hung up.

To Effrom she said, “Your wife is on the way to pick you up.”

“Who else is in this room?” Effrom asked. “Who have you been talking to?”

“You met him earlier today,” the woman said.

“The alien? I thought he killed me.”

“Not yet,” the voice said.

“Is she coming?” Catch asked.

Rachel was looking out the cabin window at a cloud of dust rising from the dirt road. “I can’t tell,” she said. “Mr. Elliot, what kind of car does your wife drive?”

“A white Ford,” Effrom said.

“It’s her.” Rachel felt a shiver of excitement run through her. Her sense of wonder had been stretched and tested many times in the last twenty-four hours, leaving her open and raw to every emotion. She was afraid of the power she was about to gain, but at the same time, the myriad possibilities that power created diluted her fear with a breathless giddiness. She felt guilty about abusing the old couple in order to gain the invocation, but perhaps with her newfound power she could repay them. In any case, it would be over soon and they would be going home.

The actual nature of the Earth spirit bothered her as well. Why did it seem…well…so impious? And why did it seem so male?