He claimed knowledge of this ceremony, a spellthat predates known history, to be his most valuable possession. He wantedto pass it on, powerful and da...gerous as it is, to ensure this small butremarkable bit of human achievement is never lost." Magic isn't like in the stories. It doesn't take deals with the devil ora lifetime of study. Anyone can learn it, even though it holds the powerto rearrange reality itself. This particular ritual transmutes a singleperson in body and soul. The core of who. The amounts were so small I didn’t expect to ever be questioned on them.I either paid Lillian in cash, or through a PayPal deposit. She didn’t need to sign invoices, so she was in the clear. I might have to explain it someday, but I thought I could come up with some reasonable lie, if necessary. I was working on the assumption that ninety percent legal was close enough.Bitsy got the interview with the second cousin set for Saturday morning at 10AM. He worked out of town on the new pipeline. "A few minutes later, Holly exited the elevator on the Fourth Floor. Urology and Gynecology shared some of the rooms here, for examinations of different kinds. This time of night, the floor was pretty well deserted.She walked down the hall past the deserted nurse's station. She found Exam Room 403 and knocked gently."Come in," Holly heard John's voice say from inside the room. "Close the door behind you."The room was dark, with only a examination light on the chair in the center. It appeared to. The hour of truth had arrived. She grabbed the little black purse that contained a single twenty dollar bill, her keys, and nothing else; and opened her car door.There was no way to step out without spreading her legs and flashing that lipstick-coloured thong. Broadway was a busy street in the evening; no time would be any better than right now. Just as she put her left foot on the asphalt, she glanced up and saw wide eyes peering from a passing car window. There was one teenage boy who would.