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"I heard Goblin's secret laughter. 'Evil, Quinn,' he said to me. 'Evil!¡¯

"Petronia's eyes searched for him but couldn't see him.

"I glanced at Goblin and saw him fully realized and saw him afraid. And then he said to me words that explained everything and nothing.

" 'Not alive. ¡¯

"What I had felt was even more baffling -- a spirit thing like Goblin, electric, powerful, ready to form a current through Goblin to me. I couldn't grasp the principles of it really. But it was supercharged and terrifying. And the rage came back to me. How dare this being play with me? How dare he play with us all?

"Meantime, her voice was moving on in a hushed manner: 'And so I took up the art of making them because I loved them, and knowing of your love, I had to bring these few to you to keep with your others. It's been a long time since I visited the island, and of course the story came down to me of how my great-great-grandmother had wanted to be buried there, though it never did come to pass. ¡¯

" 'No, it never did, did it?' I said. 'And last night you caught me outside in a choke hold and you told me what you wanted done with the Hermitage, didn't you? And before that, you broke into my very room and dragged me from my bed!¡¯

"I stood up, comfortably towering over her, as she looked up at me, smiling.

" 'I saw you dump those bodies,' I said. 'I know you did it. And you come here to be received by the person dearest to me in all the world!¡¯

" 'Quinn, darling,' cried Aunt Queen, 'have you lost your mind!¡¯

" 'Aunt Queen, this is the very person! I tell you this is the mysterious stranger. This is the one!¡¯

"Nash was on his feet too and attempting to take me by the shoulders and turn me aside, and very slowly Petronia rose to her full height of over six feet, and with every inch over six feet grew out of femininity and into manhood, looking at me quietly with a gloating satisfaction in her pretty smile.

"Aunt Queen was frantic.

"Nash was begging me to be quiet.

" 'Deny it, I dare you,' I said. 'Say you didn't come into my very room and drag me from my bed. ¡¯

" 'Mrs. McQueen,' he answered. 'I did not come into this house at any time before tonight. ¡¯

" ' "My honored Lord, you know right well you did," ' I flashed on him from Ophelia in Hamlet. 'You came into my room. You accosted me outside. You made threats. You know you did. You come here to torment me. That has to be the reason. You play with me. It's a game that amuses you. It began with those bodies, dumped in the moonlight, when you knew I stood on the island and saw you there. ¡¯

" 'Quinn, silence!' Aunt Queen declared. Never had I heard such a cry from her, such a total command. 'I won't have it,' she said. She was shaking.

" 'Let me take my leave quietly,' said Petronia. She took Aunt Queen's hand.

" 'I am so sorry,' Aunt Queen said. 'So dreadfully, dreadfully sorry. ¡¯

" 'You've been very gracious to me,' she said in the same feminized voice. 'I'll never forget it. ¡¯

"He turned his pretty face to me, and I saw the woman in him, and then he was gone, with straight shoulders and big long strides, gorgeous hair flying, and I heard the heavy vibration of the big front door.

"All those around me were shocked. Cindy, the nurse, was full of concern. Nash didn't know what he should do or for whom to do it. And I sat down, knowing I was drunk and that I was going to be sick, and Aunt Queen stared at me with blazing anger and disappointment in her eyes. Jasmine was shaking her head.

"Finally, sinking down into her armchair, Aunt Queen spoke:

" 'Do you honestly expect anyone to believe the things you are saying?¡¯

" 'It's all true,' I said. 'How in the world could you believe her instead of me? What did she tell you -- that she was man and woman, so much of each that she was neither one? You believe that? And that she believes in reincarnation? You believe that? That she made the cameos she gave you? You believe that? And that the mausoleum on the island was made for her great-great-grandmother. You believe that? I'm telling you, she came at me. Or he came to me. And he has the st

rength of a man, that I can vouch for. And he does read minds and that's dangerous. And all the rest I've said -- all along -- is true. ¡¯

"Aunt Queen couldn't look at me. Cindy brought her a hot toddy. It sort of sat there in the cup. Aunt Queen asked:

" 'Where were you tonight?¡¯

" 'I had dinner with the Mayfairs,' I said. 'I went over at two p. m. ' I stopped. But what was the point of holding back? I had to tell Aunt Queen everything, didn't I? She had to know the full measure of what I felt. And so I blurted it out: