necessary? I'm a very busy man, Inquisitor."
"Someone's trying to kill you, Mr. Edison. Don't you want to catch him?"
"Well, of course! It's just that, er, actually, you seeâthe prototype doesn't exactly work yet."
Wolf blinked. "But we saw the recorded cylinders in Mr. Morgaunt's library. He played one for us."
"Oh! Well, that's different."
"How?"
"It's quite technical. I'm sure you wouldn't understand."
Wolf gazed at Edison for a long, uncomfortable moment. Then he gave a little shrug and changed the subject. "Tell me about the dybbuk. Did it attack you this time? Or just try to set fire to the etherograph?"
"Er ... both, sort of ... or, rather, it's hard to say." Edison looked a little embarrassed. "You see, I crawled under the etherograph to get away from it. In the heat of the moment, you understand. And then it tried to drag me out, and then Rosieâahemâwell, that is to say, my laboratory assistantâchased it away."
Wolf frowned. "What did you say this assistant's name was?"
Edison cleared his throat and ran a hand around the inside of his collar as if he'd suddenly developed a rash. "I ... well ... Mrs. Edison, you understand. It would be most disruptive of my domestic felicity if word of this, er,
person
got out to the newspapers."
Wolf raised his eyebrows. "And how did your ... assistant chase the dybbuk away?"
"With a screwdriver. And, er, bubblegum."
Wolf smiled. "That's the first time I've ever heard of anyone fighting off a dybbuk with bubblegum. It sounds like your lab assistant could give the police a lesson or two."
"Oh! Yes! She's a most remarkable girl. But, er, very respectable, you understand. It would be quite improper to involve her in a criminal investigation. I could never forgive myself if..."
Wolf gave Edison another of his bland looks, and some silent message seemed to pass between the two men. Sacha smothered a grin. He had a feeling Edison was going to be much more cooperative from now on.
After that, they searched the lab. Sacha had been looking forward to this part. After all, Maximillian Wolf was the best Inquisitor in the NYPD, and searching magical crime scenes was what Inquisitors did best. Sacha figured he'd learn a lot from watching Wolf in action.
He didn't.
As far as he could see, the only evidence Wolf collected from the lab was a dried-up wad of lime green chewing gum and a long, red, curly strand of hair. He seemed to stumble on them largely by accident, since he spent most of his time staring into space as if he were a thousand miles away. And Sacha wasn't even sure Wolf thought they
were
evidence, since all he did was stick them in his pocket. Maybe he was just helping Edison clean up after the fire.
In the end, it was Sacha himself who found the big clue. In the dusty shadows under the etherograph something small and silver glinted. Without thinking, Sacha dropped to his stomach, stretched his arm under the machine, and grabbed for it.
The thing came loose with the little ping of a delicate chain breaking. It was a silver locket. The front was engraved with filigreed leaves and flowers. The back read "To Ruthie from Danny" in Yiddish. And inside the locket were three silken locks of baby hair.
Sacha stared at them, still too bewildered to be afraid.
He barely heard Lily when she came up behind him and said, "Hey, look what Sacha found!"
"Sharp eyes," Wolf said. "Good job there."
Sacha mumbled a reply, but his head was spinning and he barely knew what he was saying. Then Wolf reached for the locketâand before he could even think about what he was doing, Sacha closed his hand around it.
For a moment no one moved. There was a strange, subterranean roar in Sacha's ears, like the rumble of an approaching subway car. He could hear Wolf and Lily speaking to him, but they seemed very far away.
Then something compelled him to look up into Wolf's face. They locked gazes. Wolf's eyes were so pale that they looked almost transparent. Sacha felt
"Someone's trying to kill you, Mr. Edison. Don't you want to catch him?"
"Well, of course! It's just that, er, actually, you seeâthe prototype doesn't exactly work yet."
Wolf blinked. "But we saw the recorded cylinders in Mr. Morgaunt's library. He played one for us."
"Oh! Well, that's different."
"How?"
"It's quite technical. I'm sure you wouldn't understand."
Wolf gazed at Edison for a long, uncomfortable moment. Then he gave a little shrug and changed the subject. "Tell me about the dybbuk. Did it attack you this time? Or just try to set fire to the etherograph?"
"Er ... both, sort of ... or, rather, it's hard to say." Edison looked a little embarrassed. "You see, I crawled under the etherograph to get away from it. In the heat of the moment, you understand. And then it tried to drag me out, and then Rosieâahemâwell, that is to say, my laboratory assistantâchased it away."
Wolf frowned. "What did you say this assistant's name was?"
Edison cleared his throat and ran a hand around the inside of his collar as if he'd suddenly developed a rash. "I ... well ... Mrs. Edison, you understand. It would be most disruptive of my domestic felicity if word of this, er,
person
got out to the newspapers."
Wolf raised his eyebrows. "And how did your ... assistant chase the dybbuk away?"
"With a screwdriver. And, er, bubblegum."
Wolf smiled. "That's the first time I've ever heard of anyone fighting off a dybbuk with bubblegum. It sounds like your lab assistant could give the police a lesson or two."
"Oh! Yes! She's a most remarkable girl. But, er, very respectable, you understand. It would be quite improper to involve her in a criminal investigation. I could never forgive myself if..."
Wolf gave Edison another of his bland looks, and some silent message seemed to pass between the two men. Sacha smothered a grin. He had a feeling Edison was going to be much more cooperative from now on.
After that, they searched the lab. Sacha had been looking forward to this part. After all, Maximillian Wolf was the best Inquisitor in the NYPD, and searching magical crime scenes was what Inquisitors did best. Sacha figured he'd learn a lot from watching Wolf in action.
He didn't.
As far as he could see, the only evidence Wolf collected from the lab was a dried-up wad of lime green chewing gum and a long, red, curly strand of hair. He seemed to stumble on them largely by accident, since he spent most of his time staring into space as if he were a thousand miles away. And Sacha wasn't even sure Wolf thought they
were
evidence, since all he did was stick them in his pocket. Maybe he was just helping Edison clean up after the fire.
In the end, it was Sacha himself who found the big clue. In the dusty shadows under the etherograph something small and silver glinted. Without thinking, Sacha dropped to his stomach, stretched his arm under the machine, and grabbed for it.
The thing came loose with the little ping of a delicate chain breaking. It was a silver locket. The front was engraved with filigreed leaves and flowers. The back read "To Ruthie from Danny" in Yiddish. And inside the locket were three silken locks of baby hair.
Sacha stared at them, still too bewildered to be afraid.
He barely heard Lily when she came up behind him and said, "Hey, look what Sacha found!"
"Sharp eyes," Wolf said. "Good job there."
Sacha mumbled a reply, but his head was spinning and he barely knew what he was saying. Then Wolf reached for the locketâand before he could even think about what he was doing, Sacha closed his hand around it.
For a moment no one moved. There was a strange, subterranean roar in Sacha's ears, like the rumble of an approaching subway car. He could hear Wolf and Lily speaking to him, but they seemed very far away.
Then something compelled him to look up into Wolf's face. They locked gazes. Wolf's eyes were so pale that they looked almost transparent. Sacha felt
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