“First negamages and now EMR. You’ve been reading Peter Isaac,” the professor accused.

“Once, a long time ago. My father said that if magic was scientific, Isaac was on the right track to explaining it. His Reality of Magic was on the public datanet and I scanned it. It made some sense, but Isaac wasn’t rigorous enough if he wanted people to accept his work as science. I figured that if he was the best, then there was no good explanation.”

“What about the work of White Eagle and Kano at Cal-tech? Or Ambrosius Brennan at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Magic? Ever read them?”

“No.”

The professor gave Sam a long look. “Perhaps it is best not to be hasty about what you do not know,” he said. “Magic is very real, Sam. It is much more than subconscious manipulation of energy, and at the same time, it is less. Its manipulation is both an art and a science. Magic is part of the real world. You know as well as anyone that the Awakening has brought forth a plethora of beings that traditional science cannot account for. Elves and Trolls, for example.”

“Mutational genetic expression.”

“Genetic, yes. Mutational, hardly.” Laverty sat back. “What about Dragons? You say one aided your escape and then betrayed you. You also saw one here today. You cannot deny their existence nor explain them away as genetic mutations. Even if you could, what about their flight? They are too large to obey the scientific laws for muscle-powered flight.

“In ages past, our planet was steeped in magic. That is how we got all those tales of fairies and dragons, monsters, and goblins. They are memories of ancient truths handed down through the years. The worldwide existence of such beliefs suggests strongly that the mana, magical energy, was once of a sufficiently high level for magical powers to work and magical beings to flourish. That time of magic has come again.”

“Didn’t Ehran’s book say something about cycles of time and creative power?”

“He never actually used the word cycle, but the implication was clear. Even if you accept the theory of cycles, what proof is there? He also implies that these cycles would be extremely long, the last ending around the time recorded history began. That’s why we have no reliable written record of high levels of magic. Before that? Well, I’m afraid that mana doesn’t fossilize.”

“Dragons would.”

“And perhaps they have, but a bone is pretty much a bone. Who can say whether an extinct creature was paranormal? To date, no paleontologist has described a six-limbed creature like a Dragon. Perhaps they are rare enough never to have fossilized.”

“Preservational bias?”

“Exactly. Or perhaps the Dragons dealt with their dead in a way that prevented fossilization. But these abstruse issues don’t clarify the situation. Whether the mana flow is cyclical or has simply passed through a low period, the effect is the same. Here and now, magic is real. Mana has been a part of the Earth in the past, possibly for longer than man has walked the planet. it has returned in abundance to enrich our lives. Mana is as much a part of the Earth and us as we are of it. It is everywhere and in everyone.”

“And I suppose this power should only be used for good, too?”

Laverty turned his palms to the ceiling and shrugged. “It is power. It knows neither good nor evil; those are humanity’s concepts. The Earth and its mana simply are.”

“And it is capable of miracles? Will you tell me that magic can replace God’s grace?”

“I would not presume to do so. But with skilled manipulation, some effects that might be termed miraculous are possible. Such skill only comes with years of study and training.” The professor slid a chip case forward across the table. “These contain some texts and practice exercises. They are elementary, but you should be able to grasp their extent.”

“I don’t have years right now to stop and learn magic. Even if I could, it’s the people who murdered Hanae that interest me, and that trail gets colder every day.” Sam ignored the professor’s sigh. It would be nice to gaze into a crystal ball and find the murderers. Even better to wave his band and deliver them to justice. Presuming, of course, that Laverty was right about all this. Besides, he still had to find Janice. If magic could do miracles, let Laverty help him with that. “Professor, are you skilled in the use of mana?”

The professor stared directly into Sam’s eyes for some moments before answering. “Some consider me so.”

“Would you use your magic to help my sister?”

“I do all I can to help the unfortunate.”

“Then you could cure her?”

The professor sat back, as though Sam’s question were unexpected. His cool green eyes seemed to be assessing Sam, weighing conviction and promise. No doubt Laverty was also calculating a price.

“Many things are possible to a master of magic, but even the most powerful magician cannot change what is ordained to be.” His tone made it clear that he wasn’t promising. “After you have completed the task you have set for yourself, speak with me again and we shall see.”

Sam took the professor’s response to mean that he would do what be could for Janice. No promise of success, but Sam couldn’t reasonably expect one. He had no plan for what to do once he found his sister, but now at least he had a hope. Or rather, she had a hope, a chance of returning to a normal life. Sam also had hope of being able to meet the professor’s price, for he sensed that Laverty was a compassionate being.

It’s all moot, the voice of doubt told him. You don’t even know where she is.

He refused to surrender to despair. I will, Sam promised himself. First Hanae’s killers, then I find Janice.

As he had told the professor, the trail was getting colder. He stepped up to the bench and took the chip case with a bow.

“Thank you,” Sam said, pocketing the case. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got things to do.”