“I used to think he was obsessed with the moon,” Coralis said at last. He whispered it so softly that Henry wasn’t sure if he even meant to say it aloud. “Out of all the celestial bodies in the universe, he was fixated on the one closest to Earth.”

Coralis cleared his throat and turned to address Henry once again. “Many people fail to grasp the importance of the moon and how much it influences our behavior.

“Before science truly understood the causes of insanity, people blamed it on the phases of the moon. In the Middle Ages, the full moon was thought to be the cause of all sorts of things, from simple acts of violence to seizures caused by diseases. Over time, so-called experts have attacked the lunar theory in an attempt to disprove it, which they can … ” A cagey smile creased his face. “To a point.”

He leaned toward the window to look at the night sky. “But just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. And to simply dismiss something as powerful as moonbeams as if you were throwing out yesterday’s dishwater is ignorant and foolish. Anyone who relies on the Earth’s resources to make a living knows how to use the phases of the moon to his or her advantage. Fishermen use it to increase their catch. Farmers use it for harvesting crops. Over the years, they’ve given its phases names like harvest moon or hunter’s moon.”

Coralis leaned back, and as he did so, the glow from the waxing gibbous moon that had begun to rise reached the quartz ring on his finger. The moonbeam trapped inside it swirled in a cloud of dark vapor, as if angry at its containment.

Henry breathed in sharply, recalling the painful extraction. Has it really only been a few days? Everything was happening so fast.

Coralis extended his hand closer to the window. The moonbeam pushed and prodded against its prison cell. “In a way, Henry, you are fortunate. You have experienced what most people can only theorize. Through your careless experiment—” He waved a hand, quieting Henry as he started to object. “It’s okay, Henry. It was careless, but I understand your curiosity, and there was no way for you to know.”

Outside, the train rolled past field after field of cornstalks—a surreal landscape that contrasted greatly with the conversation inside.

“You have been given a taste of the power of moonbeams.” He glanced upward at the darkening orange of a fading sunset. “On a normal night under normal circumstances, people absorb moonbeams without having the slightest idea they even exist. They bask in the glow of that giant romantic ball of light, never giving it a second thought. But moonbeams affect many things in many ways.