Listening in? Pardon him a moment while he looks around suspiciously. Anyone who would rather eavesdrop than join in is already not on his good list.

"I want to believe it," he cautions, "but I should like more than a third-hand account. If it's true, that would mean that the spirits which live around the town and interact with us genuinely are on our side, and if they can be made allies, we could learn so much more very quickly."