“Oh, no, you won’t. We’re not telling you where this is to take place and you’re not to come near us. If we see you or any of the People of the Purpose, the experiment won’t take place. Besides we don’t need your help.”

“Please let me help.”

“No.”

“You don’t know what Amel wrote for me. The message, I mean. The one you gave me.”

“He told me,” I said. “Later that night as a matter of fact. And in so doing, he let me know it was just a matter of time till you made your assault. I know about your phone conversations. He said you were a parent prepared to rescue a child, no matter what the child wanted.”

“Do you think I would ever go against Amel’s wishes?”

“Yes,” I said. “Because I probably would, if I were you.”

“I want to help you. I’ll come alone.”

“There isn’t time.”

“Yes, there is.”

“Oh, giving away your location, are you? This means you’re still in Europe, doesn’t it?”

“Will you please let me come.”

“No, Kapetria. I’m resigned to what happens whenever you make your move, but right now I want to be certain that whatever you do, you do it only to me.”

I ended the call. I turned off the phone. Amel was with me but he wasn’t saying a word.

It was now half past three in the morning. I headed down the mountain slowly, singing to myself. I was remembering the giant old yew trees growing around Gremt’s old monastery home and I thought I would like to have yew trees planted here too. I hadn’t given enough thought to the old forest.

I was thinking of anything except what lay ahead. Finally as I drew near the Château, I heard a commotion in the ballroom, so I took to the air and came down on the terrace and went in through the open doors.

The ballroom was empty except for three people.

And one of them was Kapetria. She was all bundled up in a gray wool coat and red scarf, and her hair was pulled back into a rather stylish black cloche hat. She had an accidentally glamorous look to her, and her dark face was all the more striking for the severity of the hair pulled back into the hat. She was sitting on the couch nearest the empty orchestra chairs and she was in a fierce argument with Thorne and Cyril. She had a large valise at her feet.

She stood when she saw me. “I came alone,” she said. “Alone. Nobody is with me. No one is anywhere near. I didn’t even tell them where I was going. I started driving as soon as I heard.”