Misplaced (126 page)

“It’
s
no
t
to
o
ofte
n
yo
u
ge
t
t
o
se
e
a
miracle,
”
th
e
woman
remarked, her voice friendly and begging for company.

Rather
than
appear
dimwitted,
she
nodded.
The
man
took
two paces back
w
ard, removing himself from the con
v
ersation.

“I
read
that
it’s
really
two
miracles—they
don’t
know
who
built
it,
and
then
there’s
the
engineering.
No
one
knows how it
w
as done.”

“N
o
one
?
I
t
seem
s
ordinar
y
enough,
”
Khar
a
commented,
trying
not
to
sound
like
a
heretic
or
as
if
she
w
ere
disputing
the
woman’s claim.

“Oh,
but
it’s
not
at
all.”
She
took
a
pamphlet
from
her
bag
an
d
unfolde
d
i
t
carefully
.
“Th
e
legen
d
say
s
th
e
sister
s
o
f
Loretto
trie
d
i
n
v
ai
n
t
o
fin
d
a
solutio
n
tha
t
allo
w
e
d
the
m
th
e
much—
needed
access
to
the
choir
loft.”
Pointing
up
w
ard
to
a
second
story
,
sh
e
added
,
“Ther
e
w
a
s
n
o
spac
e
fo
r
a
prope
r
stair
w
ay
.
E
v
entually
,
the
y
di
d
wha
t
an
y
grou
p
o
f
goo
d
sister
s
would
do;
they
made
a
no
v
ena
to
St.
Joseph.
On
the
final
day
of
their
pra
y
ers,
a
carpenter
appeared
on
a
donkey,
looking
for
work.
He
labored
tirelessly,
hardly
eating
or
sleeping,
and
completed
the
staircase
without
pay.
That
w
as
practically
a
miracle
itself,
e
v
e
n
i
n
1877
.
After
w
ard
,
h
e
simpl
y
disappeared
.
Bu
t
that’
s
only
the
first
part!
See
the
two
complete
360
degree
turns?
There
are
n
o
visibl
e
mean
s
o
f
support
.
No
t
a
meta
l
scre
w
o
r
pin—only
wooden pegs hold it together. Why, it practically floats!”

For the first
time, Khara could
see that the man on the cross
ha
d
onc
e
bee
n
ali
v
e
.
Sh
e
coul
d
pictur
e
bead
s
o
f
s
w
ea
t
and
sawdus
t
clingin
g
t
o
hi
m
a
s
h
e
v
arnishe
d
eac
h
ste
p
unti
l
the
staircas
e
shon
e
lik
e
tige
r
’
s
e
y
e
.
I
n
he
r
mind’
s
e
y
e
,
h
e
stroke
d
his
bear
d
whil
e
studyin
g
th
e
smal
l
spac
e
befor
e
decidin
g
ho
w
to
ans
w
er the sisters’ pra
y
ers.

“I
t
make
s
yo
u
wonder
,
doesn’
t
it
?
Jus
t
lik
e
th
e
pyramids.
T
o
thi
s
day
,
I
don’
t
thin
k
anyon
e
know
s
ho
w
the
y
go
t
those
corners so square. Brilliant, I tell you—”

“A massi
v
e undertaking, to be sure.”

“I
ha
v
e
a
n
extr
a
one,
”
sh
e
sai
d
o
f
th
e
pamphlet
.
“
I
onl
y
need
one for my scrapbook. Here, take it.”

Th
e
woma
n
presse
d
th
e
pictur
e
o
f
th
e
staircas
e
int
o
he
r
hand
and
left.
Khara
checked
her
w
atch.
Thirty-se
v
en
minutes
ha
d
gon
e
by
,
an
d
stil
l
V
ictori
a
remaine
d
outside
.
Sh
e
too
k
a
seat
on the last row of pews.

Jus
t
a
s
Nando
r
ha
d
decreed
,
a
miracl
e
indee
d
w
aite
d
at
the
end
of
the
Camino
Real. She did
not
mind
that
the
miracle
w
as
not
for
her, perhaps
he
had
only
meant
to
encourage
her,
thoug
h
tha
t
feelin
g
escape
d
he
r
now
.
Ha
d
sh
e
expecte
d
too
much?
T
urning
in
her
seat
to
admire
the
rear
window,
Khara
decide
d
tha
t
th
e
afternoo
n
ligh
t
shinin
g
throug
h
th
e
brigh
t
blu
e
and
red
of
the
stained-glass
window
w
as
the
lo
v
eliest
thing
she
had e
v
er seen.

Outside
,
V
ictori
a
ros
e
quickl
y
fro
m
he
r
spo
t
underneath
th
e
tre
e
whe
n
sh
e
sa
w
Khara
.
A
raucou
s
crow
d
w
a
s
quickly
assemblin
g
o
n
th
e
square
,
chanting
,
“Zozobra
,
Zozobra
,
he
burns tonight!”