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" 'You always know what to say, Tarquin,' said Goblin. 'But how can I go with you to Europe? Tarquin, I am afraid. ¡¯

"I felt a sudden stab of sympathetic fear.

" 'You're very happy, Tarquin,' he said. 'Don't forget me. Don't forget that I love you. Don't forget that I'm here. ¡¯

" 'No, I haven't forgotten,' I pledged. 'I'll hold your hand; remember, I told you. All the way to Europe, I'll hold your hand. That's how we'll do it. You'll sit next to me on the plane. ¡¯

"I doubled back into the house to make sure Aunt Queen understood this need for the extra first-class ticket for Goblin, to which she replied that she wouldn't dream of putting such an important member of our party in the coach section, and what sort of an aunt did I think she was?

"Once again I was headed for the trailer, but Goblin, riding beside me, was still insecure.

" 'Europe is far away, Tarquin,' he said.

" 'That doesn't matter, old buddy,' I said.

" 'Stirling said there were two kinds of hauntings,' said Goblin. 'Hauntings of a person and hauntings of a place. ¡¯

" 'God, you hear everything, don't you?' I asked him.

" 'Not everything, Tarquin,' he answered. 'I can't be in two places, and sometimes I wish that I could. I'd go to the Retreat House of the Talamasca, Tarquin, and learn from them about spirits, Tarquin, so that I'd be the finest spirit ever made. I know I need you to see me, Tarquin. I know that I love you. I know those things are true even when I hate you, Tarquin. ¡¯

" 'That's never, Goblin,' I said sharply. 'You have your moods, that's all. But be quiet for now. I have to do this all-important job. ¡¯

"I had reached the trailer and found that all was topsy-turvy, as Grady Breen's 'ladies' were moving 'everything' out to the new house in the Autumn Leaves development, on the outskirts of Ruby River City. How splendid that things were happening so fast! I had decreed it but not believed it. And who should come up to me but my nine-year-old self, with his black curly hair and in his navy blue Catholic school blazer?

" 'Do you want to go to Europe tomorrow night?' I asked. 'I'm not kidding you!¡¯

"He was speechless. And then in a white-faced stammer he shook his head and said, 'I can't leave Brittany. ¡¯

" 'I'll make it up to her, I swear. And I'll tell her that myself. Okay? I can't take her from Terry Sue right now. You know that. ¡¯

"I caught Brittany's arm as she drew close. She had heard what we had to say. 'I will make it up to you, sugar plum, I promise,' I said. 'Let me take him now on this trip, and I swear by God I'll see you get to go too sometime real soon. Cross my heart. I'll see that good things happen. ¡¯

" 'Oh, that's okay,' she said. 'Tommy, you go on, you're the one that's always talking about books and things. ¡¯

" 'Brittany, you're going to have fun in the new house,' I went on. 'You're going to have new playmates and a new school, and there's going to be a maid to do the work and a nanny to help with the children. ¡¯

"She couldn't absorb it. I could see that plainly. But she was fascinated.

"Terry Sue was headed our way with the baby on her hip. She was dressed up in a pink polyester suit and pumps, and her hair was washed and combed, and she was sporting a brand-new set of drugstore fingernails.

" 'Why are you doing all this for us?' she asked. 'Pops never did it. ¡¯

" 'Never mind. Just let me take Tommy to Europe. Let me take him now. All I need is his clothes and his birth certificate. I have to make it to the federal passport office in New Orleans before it closes. ¡¯

" 'I don't have no birth certificate,' she said. 'Tommy, go get your clothes. Did you say "Europe," you mean, like in Europe?¡¯

" 'Hurry up, Tommy,' I said. He ran for the trailer. 'I can get the birth certificate at the courthouse. Thank you, Terry Sue. Here's five thousand dollars. ¡¯

"She stared at the envelope. 'What's that for?' she asked.

" 'I was going to give you this if you argued. Seems you ought to get it since you didn't. ¡¯

" 'You're crazy, Quinn Blackwood, just as Pops always said you was. He said you'd never come to nothing, but I tell you, you're sure somebody in my book!¡¯

" 'Well, thank you, Terry Sue,' I said. 'That's really consoling. Someday you'll have to tell me everything else Pops said. By the way, that's not his baby, is it?¡¯

" 'You're not getting any complaints from me, are you?' she answered. 'I don't know whose baby it is, hush your mouth. ¡¯