She went to get started on the paper. It was on the Salem witch trials in terms of modern psychology, and it had to be good. Mr. Keller, the history teacher, hadn’t been enthusiastic about the choice. “I trust you not to give us a horror film version,” he’d said. He didn’t have to worry. Most of the victims accused of witchcraft in 1692 had never even given it a thought. It was people attacking what they didn’t understand. Maybe attacking what they were afraid was inside themselves.

Involved with the writing, she really did forget about Nancy and the dream. It wasn’t until turning out the light to go to sleep that it came back. She looked nervously toward the window, dreading to see Nancy staring in. It would have been nice to have her old night-light. For a while, after Jerram and she got their own rooms, she’d had a bad case of the night creeps — thinking monsters were under the bed, the usual stuff. It would be easy to get them back again.

No way, she decided. No way would she go up North Hill to tell Old Mackey about dreams, Celtic as he might be. Forget it. She was going to mind her own business.

Five

The history class began giving the papers aloud on Monday, thirteen days after Nancy’s disappearance. Mr. Keller asked Rose to be first.

“Rosecleer will enlighten us on the subject of witches,” he announced in his most pompous voice.

Gregory made a hooing noise in the back of the room.

“You have something to say, Mr. Paschek?”

“Who? Me? No. Well. It’s like scary, you know?”

The rest of the class joined in.

“Seriousness, please!” Mr. Keller raised his voice.

“The year 1697 was a year of guilt,” Rose began. “The village of Salem, Massachusetts, realized they’d made a mistake. People who had taken part in the collective hysteria admitted they’d been wrong. Of course, they blamed the Devil …” More noises began in the back row, echoes of “the Devil made me do it.” Mr. Keller rapped his ruler on the desk. Rose took a breath and went on.

“But the people of Salem needed an excuse. It wasn’t easy to face up to the fact that twenty innocent people had been executed and more than 100 imprisoned, some of them expectant mothers who were forced to have their babies in jail.” Sniggers erupted.

“But these were small numbers compared with the thousands of victims of witch hunts in Europe. Salem can be looked upon as a microcosm — ’’

Mr. Keller interrupted her. “Are you quoting all this, Rosecleer?”

“Quoting?”

“Reading what you’ve copied from a book.”

“No, of course not, Mr. Keller.”

He made a dismissive gesture. “Continue.”