A Quill Ladder (39 page)

Ian nodded. Abbey wasn
’
t sure if she liked being influenced.

“
And what
’
s Caleb?
”

“
He
’
s probably an intuit. That
’
s why he can read the cards. But he probably doesn
’
t know what they mean.
”

“
Other than that you all like phi?
”

“
I suspect patterns are your strength. Pattern finders are rarer.
”

“
So Caleb can read the card, but doesn
’
t know what it means, and I might know what it means but can
’
t read it?
”

“
All of us can develop our abilities in all three. You just have to learn how to control your brain on a quantum level.
”

“
What does that mean?
”

“
Think of it like the observer effect in quantum physics. When you observe subatomic particles, you affect their behavior. All physical matter in the universe exists as an infinite number of possibilities. Some people can learn to be sufficiently mindful, and are able to channel their energy, such that they can direct the observer effect and collapse waves of probability. We become like the ultimate catalysts.
”

Catalysts. The word had been on the list she had left for herself.
Catalysts may not create paradox.

Digby poked his head out of Ian
’
s pocket, and Ian gave his head a pat.
“
Not in here, buddy. I
’
m pretty sure there
’
s a dozen people that would go apoplectic.
”
He turned back to Abbey.
“
Then if you take it a step further, there
’
s the idea of spooky action at a distance, and quantum entanglement. There
’
s evidence that we can make things become entangled
—
and then by influencing the action of one particle, or set of particles, we can influence the action of a linked set elsewhere.
”

“
So what type of witchcraft was that crazy pentagram thing you did with Simon?
”

Ian gave a sheepish little smile and waved a hand in the air.
“
Oh, that. That was a bit of smoke and mirrors. Simon already knew the answer. He wrote the number nine more often than he wrote down any other digit. It was a simple matter of tallying. The pentagram simply allowed him to think he was doing something more complex and prevented him from letting his own mind get in his way.
”

“
So it was basically just sleight of hand?
”

“
I
’
m afraid much of witchcraft, and life, is just sleight of hand.
”

“
Isn
’
t that a little bit pathetic?
”

“
I prefer to think of it as a question of focus. It is all about where you
’
re looking, when, and what you
’
re focusing on. The answers are often right in front of you, if you
’
re just able to look at things in the right way.
”

“
Why can only we witches do it?
”
Abbey slashed air quotes around the word
“
witches.
”

“
Well. There
’
s the interesting part. I
’
m not entirely convinced that only we witches can do it.
”
Ian slashed quotation marks in the air as well, but around the word
“
it
”
instead.
“
Maybe we can do it because we believe we can do it, and because we
’
ve been told for generations that we can do it. Maybe we
’
re special. But I
’
m not so sure. Maybe a long time ago, certain people were more open to the universe and their quantum brains than others, without calling it that of course. They saw they could do things, and they banded together and called themselves witches. Or other people saw they could do things and branded them as witches.
”
Ian paused, removed a cigarette from the carton in his pocket, and rolled it between his fingers. For some reason Abbey
’
s thoughts flitted to the burning swamp. Wildfires were often the result of stray cigarettes.

“
Then, because they believed in it, they taught it to their children, and because the children
—
or some of them anyway; there are fewer and fewer of us as time goes on
—
bought into the bloodlines and heredity idea, they were able to do things. There
’
s a reason we try to introduce new witches to the stones before they become adults. It
’
s partly the ability to suspend disbelief that makes them work. But maybe with the right teaching, and confidence, everyone could do it.
”
He shrugged.
“
But you can be well assured that the idea of teaching anyone not connected to the old bloodlines to do these things isn
’
t supported on the Witches Council. Do you know the reason Coventry is called Coventry?
”

“
Dr. Ford said it was related to the word coven, as in a witches
’
coven.
”

Ian made an angry noise in his throat.
“
That man will do far more damage to our cause than Selena, even if he is on our side. Coventry means ostracism. People with our abilities have been ostracized throughout history. Apparently most humans are very committed to only seeing and believing in solid reality. Now we
’
re just treated like whackadoons, but we used to be burned at the stake. And several hundred years ago, Coventry was where we were sent to live together in exile. That
’
s why there are so many witches in this area.
”

Abbey realized that Caleb had removed his earbuds and was listening to the conversation. She wondered how much he had heard.

“
Do you have any classical music on that thing you were listening to?
”
Ian said to Caleb.
“
Something relaxing, like Debussy or the
Moonlight Sonata
?
”

Caleb stared at Ian blankly.
“
I have
‘
The One that Got Away
’
by Katy Perry,
”
he said.

Ian scrunched up his face slightly.
“
Why don
’
t you try that song you were listening to when I first got here?
”

“
Calvin Harris?
”

“
Right. Whoever. Give her your headphones. Do you have the card with you?
”

Abbey withdrew the card from her pocket and held it out to Ian, while Caleb suppressed a chuckle and offered up his earbuds. She decided not to mention that the first card still occupied Sylvain
’
s locker in the future.

Ian pushed her hand back to her chest gently.
“
You hold it. Close your eyes and just listen to the song. Wait until the music hits a crescendo, or you feel most transported by it
—
when you feel yourself dancing
—
and then open your eyes.
”

Abbey wanted to say that she never pictured herself dancing, and that she had three left feet, but that would be a lie.

“
Why are you so determined to teach us this?
”

“
Right now we
’
re in a race.
”

“
A race for what?
”

“
A race to figure out how to get to this parallel universe. And I need all the help I can get.
”

“
I thought you didn
’
t want to go there.
”

Ian
’
s blue eyes met hers.
“
I don
’
t. But I can
’
t stop Selena unless I
’
m one step ahead of her.
”

“
Why not just let them go?
”

Ian placed the cigarette in his mouth.
“
I
’
ve really got to give these things up.
”
The cigarette bounced around between his lips as he spoke.
“
Because using a wormhole, if you don
’
t know what you
’
re doing, creates a huge release of energy. Enough energy to potentially split this universe apart.
”
He pulled a silver lighter from his pocket and flipped it between his fingers repeatedly, the pentagon engraved on one side vanishing and reappearing again and again.

“
But didn
’
t you go to parallel universes as a kid? Selena said you had a game that you played with an Alty.
”

Ian almost jumped, and then stared at Abbey before removing the cigarette and pulling his lips into a thin line.
“
Don
’
t believe a word she said. She was fishing.
”

“
But why the cards? Why not just tell us what they mean and see if we can help you?
”

“
Because the cards are all I have. And
I
don
’
t know exactly what they mean.
”

“
What do you mean?
”

“
The cards were given to me when I was nineteen, as part of my Master Trials. The cards are supposed to unlock the secrets of the stones. But while I was doing the trials, I screwed up and ended up in Nowhere. Most witches in my day didn
’
t pass the Master Trials; a lot of them didn
’
t even try, so there are only a few people who really know how the stones work. The rest of them just use the stones to suit their own purposes. The information on the cards is said to be written in some files somewhere, but nobody knows where they are, and there were apparently some associated maps, but those were destroyed in the Coventry Museum library fire. So the cards are all I have. Those, plus some old sayings and knowledge from my Basic Trials when I was sixteen. I kept the cards all these years, and now I need you to help me figure them out, because I still can
’
t. I thought that by presenting them in the same way I received them, in order, with no instruction, that I could replicate the trial process, and maybe you
’
d have more success with them than I did.
”

And risk going to Nowhere, Abbey thought grimly.
“
Aren
’
t there other witches who can help you? Others who have passed the trials. Ancients? Why us?
”

“
Passing the Master Trials is like entering the inner circle of a secret society. You aren
’
t told who
’
s in it until you pass. And haven
’
t you noticed? All the ancients have disappeared.
”

“
What do you mean?
”

“
By the time I figured out what Selena was up to, that I would have to do something, they had all started drifting off. Left town or went into hiding. I don
’
t know. I
’
m the only one left living in Mrs. Forrester
’
s house now.
”

“
What about Sylvain and Dr. Ford?
”

“
Sylvain runs his own show, and has his own scheme going. He doesn
’
t pick sides, but he
’
s very secretive and trusts nobody. Dr. Ford
’
s a side switcher, and near as I can tell might stab you in the back as soon as you have a back exposed.
”

“
My parents?
”

“
Busy.
”