Gurdy and George entered the Art School. They looked at Master Flemming seated in a chair near the fireplace. He stood up and walked over to Gurdy. He told her, “I left a letter from your mother in your room.”

          “Thanks for letting me know about the letter.”

          Master Flemming looked at George. “Someone quite unexpected showed up at my door today looking for you.  It was none other than Louis Napoleon. Do you mind telling me what he wanted to see you about?  He did seem quite angry.”

          Gurdy smiled.  “Ah, they’ve probably been fighting over the same woman.”

          Master Flemming laughed.  “I see you’ve learned what a scoundrel George is. It took my daughter quite a bit longer than it took you. But still, I don’t know what I would do without him and his grandfather here at the school.”

          Gurdy nodded and said, “I know what you mean. Well, I’m going up to my room.  I’m anxious to read the letter from mom.”

          As Gurdy left and walked up the steps Master Flemming looked at George. “Seriously, why is Napoleon III looking for you?”

          “Would you believe me if I told you that I am his bastard son?”

          “Are you serious?”

          “I’d rather you pretend it is a joke.”

          “So does he want to claim you or what?”

          “It is complicated and you’d think me insane if I tried to explain to you what has happened to me in recent days.”

          “I will not pry though it is tempting. Speaking of insane…”

          “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

          “That is okay, but listen, I heard from my daughter’s doctor today. She has calmed down and has become more rational. She may be able to tell us who attacked her.”

          “That is good news! Maybe soon she will be released and can move back here. Also, if she will just continue to improve we might discover what happened to her. It was so odd, so awful, the way we found her screaming that the Warlock was after her. Because of the bruises on her arms and her face someone must have attacked her.  At the time her screaming about a Warlock seemed insane. Now I wonder.”

          “You can’t be serious to think that she was attacked by a Warlock.”

          “I don’t know. I just hope she will be able to give us a name of whoever attacked her. Look, I mentioned your daughter to Gurdy today.  I mentioned that we had been romantic at one point. I was going to tell her about what happened but then I didn’t. All I told her was what happened when Sally and I broke up. I even tried to make a joke of our breaking up.”

          “It is a difficult subject. Both of you would make fun of that day where you were almost killed in the landslide. But you know, when I think back, she had started to change during that period. I never mentioned it to you but before she broke up with you, she had started sneaking out at night to see someone.”

          “I was aware of it. I followed her one night. I followed her to a party being given by Sando De Carlos. I lost her at the party and I have no idea who she met there.”

          “Is that why you have been socializing with those snobs? Have you been trying to figure out who she was seeing on the sly?”

          “In the beginning that was the reason, but I came to know several of the people and I like them.” Then George stared at Master Flemming. “Before I forget to ask, who was it that Gurdy’s father was trying to arrange to work as your assistant?”

          “Steve Hannery.  The last I heard from Mr. Monroe’s contact here in Paris, he said Steve’s arrival was going to be delayed.”

          “Delayed! Steve Hannery is dead.”

          “Dead! I just talked to Mr. Hinitikief this morning and he told me that the plan was still for Steve to come to work for me.”

          “He must not know that Steve is dead.”

          “Does Gurdy know? She has been spending time with Mr. Hinitikief, hasn’t she?”

          “She knows.  She got the news from her parents, but she must not have mentioned it to him.”

          Suddenly there was a knock at the door.  Master Flemming went and answered the door to find Mr. Hinitikief standing there. Mr. Hinitikief said, “I know it is late but I was hoping to speak with George.”

          George walked up to the door. “That is okay.  Please come on in.”

          “You must think that I am going to be a bother to you since we were together at the Inn just a short while ago and here I am already knocking at your door.”

          “Not at all. Actually, Master Flemming and I were just talking about you.”

          “Oh my, that does not sound good.”

          George said, “You were trying to arrange for a Steve Hannery to work here.”

          “Yes.  He is a good man and I am sure he will be a good assistant to Master Flemming.”

          Master Flemming said, “This is kind of awkward. George just told me that according to Gurdy Steve is dead.”

          Mr. Hinitikief turned pale as a sheet. “You must be mistaken. She didn’t mention to me.”

          Gurdy stood at the top of the stairs. She had heard the talking. “I’m sorry Mr. Hinitikief.  I thought you knew and it is a painful subject for me.”

          Tears streamed down Mr. Hinitikief’s face. “And for me. I know this sounds odd Gurdy. You know he is my brother’s son. I always had this odd fantasy though that he was my son. Propriety would not allow my brother to claim him and so I wanted to claim him. Course his adopted father would never allow that. But I thought if he came here to work… I guess it does not matter much now what I thought.”

          Gurdy rushed down the steps and embraced Mr. Hinitikief.  “I am so sorry.”

          Mr. Hinitifief asked, “How did he die?”

          “Jumping out of the way of a horse, he fell from a cliff.”

          “He fell from a cliff.  It was not a natural death.  He was murdered.”

          Gurdy shook her head no. “At first I didn’t know the full story and I feared it was suicide, but it wasn’t suicide and I am sure it wasn’t murder.”

          “Did the horse have a rider?”

          “Yes.”

          “Then it was murder.  Who was the person on the horse?”

          “In the letter I just read from my mother she said it was a young gypsy man who was trying to buy some property here in France that my father gained ownership of when the family defaulted on their debt. I believe the property must be the farm where Jay works and that belonged to Kitty’s family.”

          Mr. Hinitikief began to shake. “I need to sit down.”

          George and Master Flannery helped Mr. Hinitikief to a chair. Master Flannery then quickly got him a glass of water to drink.

          Mr. Hinitikief looked around appearing almost as lost as he felt. “If I had just bought that property back for Kitty and her family like Jay wanted, Steve would still be alive.”

          Gurdy said, “You know, I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to go back to your estate tonight. Master Flannery, do you have a room where he may sleep.”

          “I can get a room at the Inn.”

          Master Flannery said, “No, you stay here.  You can sleep in my room. There is an extra bed in the basement rooms where I can sleep.”

          “There is no need for you to give up your room.  I can sleep in the basement.”

          Master Flannery said, “If you need anything, let me know.”

          George said, “I’ve no plans to go back out. I’ll be in the room right across from yours.”

          “You are all so kind. I know I should be stronger and should be taking this news without falling apart. I will be stronger tomorrow.”

          Magadelion and Steve had been listening.  Magadelion said, “So it was a gypsy who murdered you.”

          Steve said, “It was an accident. There is no proof that it was murder.”

          Magadelion shook her head. “You are wrong.  You were murdered.”

          “But why?”

          “I suspect it was to hurt Mr. Hinitikief, but the motive may be much more complicated than that”

          “It is hard to believe he felt that strongly about me.”

          The Art School stood almost quiet except for a few rustle of tree limbs and the gallop of a horse or two on the outside street.  Everybody now snuggled and sleeping in his or her bed couldn’t hear the scream three blocks from the school. They didn’t hear the Warlock rushing after Master Flannery’s daughter Sally running for her life toward the school. None of them at the school had a clue that soon their lives would be in great mortal danger.

          As soon as sleep rested them, and the ancient super computer did its normal virus scan, George and Gurdy found themselves outside the walls of Sitnalta. Like everyone else at the school, they didn’t have a clue they were in danger of being permanently unlinked from the lifeblood of their flesh and bones. Instead their focus was on the Walls of Sitnalta and on each other.

          Gurdy said, “Well our dream has brought us together at the same place on this huge wall I dream about night after night.”

          George said, “I too also come to visit some place on the outside of this wall of Sitnalta night after night.”

          Suddenly, Napoleon III appeared with them. He reached out to them.  “Each of you take one of my hands and I will show you how to enter Sitnalta.”

          Gurdy shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean by Sitnalta but I don’t want to go in.”

          George agreed. “I don’t want to go inside this place either.”

          Louis Napoleon said, “Don’t be foolish.  There is nothing to fear inside.”

          Then George heard a scream. “That was Sally’s scream. I’ve got to get out of here.  I’ve got to wake up.”

          “No son.  I want you to come into Sitnalta. I don’t want you to wake up.  The master of Sitnalta does not want you to wake up.”

          “You and the so called master can both go straight to hell! I’m waking up.”

          Gurdy watched George vanish.  Gurdy screamed, “I need to wake up also. I can feel someone touching me. Help me to wake up.  Please.” Then Gurdy screamed in agony. “What was that sharp pain in my arm and that tightness on my ribs?”

          Then Gurdy heard someone yell out. “Sally, you come out of where you are hiding in here or I will hurt this girl.” Then Gurdy felt herself being shoved down on the bed. Just as Gurdy opened her eyes she saw the shadowy images of two people vanish into thin air and the odd haze of smoke.

          George rushed into Gurdy’s room.  “Where are they?”

          “All I saw was two dark images vanish. Just as I was waking up, it was like a poof of smoke and they were gone.”

          Master Flannery walked into the room.  “Is Sally in here? She was in my room and then she ran out.”

          Mr. Hinitikief and George’s grandfather walked into the room.  Mr. Hinitikief asked, “What is going on?”

          George said, “The Warlock has Sally.”

          George’s grandfather looked at George. “Son, have you lost your mind?”

          “No and neither had Sally.  We should have listened to her.”

          Gurdy said, “I know it is unbelievable but I saw whoever vanish before my eyes.”

          Master Flannery said, “I don’t know what I should think at this point.  But I want to get dressed and get to the hospital.  Just maybe Sally will be there.”

          George said, “I will go with you.”

          “No! Look, I don’t believe in Warlocks but there are magicians capable of all sorts of tricks. The intruder may still be in this house. You stay here just in case. But I want to get to the hospital to find out about Sally.”

          Mr. Hinitikief stumbled toward Gurdy’s bed and sat down. “They lynched my Millicent as a witch. She was a good person. She was a loving person. She would never hurt anybody. But I tell you this Master Flannery for your own sake. She was a witch.  Warlocks do exist.”

          Magadelion screamed from the other side.  “Come on George, ask a question.  Ask if Jay’s mother was also a witch.”

          Steve looked at Magadelion.  “What? Do you think Jay is the Warlock?”

          “I don’t know.  I just want the question asked.”

          But George didn’t ask the question.

Mr. Hinitikief stood up. “I should go to the Inn.”

          Gurdy said, “I know you must not feel safe here, but you are not likely to get a room this late.”

          “I’m sure my nephew will allow me to stay in his room.”

          Master Flannery said, “The Inn is on the way to the hospital. You can ride in my carriage to be with your nephew.”

          All at once everyone was startled by a strange voice.  They turned and saw Louis Napoleon standing in the doorway to Gurdy’s room.  “I saw the door down stairs wide open and so I came in to see if there is something wrong.”

          George stared at Louis Napoleon. He screamed at his father. “Do you have something to do with what is going on here tonight? Is the warlock working for you?”  

          Louis laughed. “Working for me?”

          George asked, “What do you know of witches and warlocks?”

          Louis smiled. “What do I know of witches and warlocks?

I know that your birth mother was a gypsy witch and that would make you a male witch.  Wouldn’t it? I know that in parts of Europe they still lynch witches.” Louis looked over at Mr. Hinitikief. “Just ask Mr. Hinitikief about that.”

          Mr. Hinitikief screamed, “You cold blooded bastard.”

          “Oh, be careful there, I wouldn’t want you in jail with your half brother. And by the way, wasn’t his father also a witch. That would mean he is probably a witch also.” Louis Napoleon laughed. “Poor Mr. Hinitikief, what was it like growing up with a warlock for a half brother.  Poor you. Neither your parents were witches.  Is that why you married Millicent? Did you marry Millicent because you needed her to protect you from your brother? ”

          George said, “Mr., you may have all sorts of political power but if you don’t get out of here now, you are going to regret it.”

          “Regret it? I’m so scared. What are you going to try to do? You think you might try to use your magic powers to turn me into a frog or something.”

          George replied, “I don’t have magic powers, but I’ve got two fist and I will use them if you keep pushing me the wrong way.”

          “Son, I don’t want to be your enemy. I don’t want to be the enemy of your friends.”

          Gurdy puzzled.  “Son?”

          George said, “Son like boy is just a term used by old men to try to be derogatory toward men younger than themselves.”

          Louis Napoleon laughed. “Now George, you know that you are my bastard son.”

          George said, “You intend to go public with this.”

          “Only to the people in this room and especially to Mr. Hinitikief who I want to stay the hell away from you.”

          “Why are you afraid of my getting to know Mr. Hinitikief?”

          Mr. Hinitikief laughed.  “Oh, my, my, my. It is not me that he is afraid of you getting to know. He is afraid of you learning things from my brother.”

          Magadelion screamed.  “No you idiot.  He is not afraid of that. I’m sure that he wants George to find someone he can learn witchcraft from, even if that someone is his enemy. Louis Napoleon is a master manipulator and he is working his magic right now like I’ve never seen.”

          Steve asked, “Why would Louis Napoleon want George to learn witchcraft? George will never be his ally.”

          “George is a Thinkster. What George learns, the masters of Sitnalta can learn if they so choose.”

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