Dagger Magic

"High above, see the bright circle of light, which is your present life, and which holds revelation, if you will only rise to meet it. As you ascend, embracing your past, you will see your reflection mirrored above. When you get close enough to touch it, the past and the present will meet in you and become one, and reveal to you a truth that will give you strength to go on… but it is you who must choose to venture closer to the Light…."

"Yes… I choose!"

Claire's head fell back, her arms outfiung and trailing to her sides. With her face turned upward toward the ceiling, she looked like a swimmer coming to the surface to breathe, her expression ever more joyous.

"Yes!" she murmured again, breathing out with a long sigh. "I see it. I see it all now…."

A small quiver rippled down the length of her relaxed body, and when it passed, she lowered her head slightly, her eyes opening dreamily to stare unfocused past Adam.

"How could I have forgotten?'' she whispered. "Oh, I do understand. There is no evil committed in this world that cannot be redeemed by a greater love. For a will to love will always find a worthy object…."

The voice was Claire's, but the words belonged to Annet Maxwell. Hearing this echo from Claire's historic past, Adam knew that the gap between these two aspects of her being had been bridged, and that healing now would come. It was only a matter of time. A smile stole unconsciously across his own lips as he briefly touched her hand again.

"You've been through a very great trial, Claire," he said gently. "In a moment I'll ask you to sleep - true sleep, deep and undisturbed, so that you may wake up later this afternoon, refreshed and clear-headed. You will remember nothing alarming in what was said and done today, but the essence of what has been accomplished will filter through to you in your dreams, replacing visions of destruction with visions of peace. Those visions will guide you, if you let them, helping you to find fulfillment in the future.

"Sleep now, deep and restful. A little later, I'll have the nurses put you to bed, but you will not rouse."

As he touched her hand again, Claire's blue eyes closed. She breathed out with a sigh, and her respiration shifted. Her expression in sleep was like that of a weary child. With his own sigh, Adam turned at last toward the witness still present in McLeod's body.

"Malcolm Grant, are you satisfied with what has been accomplished here today?" he asked.

"I am."

"Then go, as you came, in peace," Adam said quietly. "And may all the blessings of the Light attend you."

So saying, he raised his ring hand to touch McLeod lightly on the forehead with the sapphire. The inspector exhaled softly as the spirit of Grant withdrew, and sagged forward against the hand Adam shifted to steady him.

"Your guest has gone, Noel," he said quietly. "Draw a deep breath, take a moment to reorient yourself, and come back when you're ready. When you open your eyes, you will find yourself once more firmly grounded in the present, feeling relaxed and renewed."

Obedient to his superior's instructions, McLeod inhaled deeply. A slight tremor registered in his extremities, and Adam sat back to wait. When McLeod roused a moment later, his gaze was fully awake and aware.

"Welcome back," Adam said. "How are you?"

"Not bad at all," McLeod said. "My visitor made a most courteous withdrawal. I guess he was more experienced than I first thought." He looked from Adam to Claire's sleeping form and back again. "What happened while I was out?"

Briefly Adam acquainted him with what had taken place. McLeod heard him out in thoughtful silence.

"Well," he exclaimed, when Adam had finished. "This has been a very busy day - and it's only half over. By the way, did I think to tell you earlier that the Scanlan postmortem's at two?"

Adam rolled his eyes heavenward. "No, you did not."

"Sorry. Is it a problem?"

"No. It's - nearly eleven now, though," Adam said, consulting his pocket watch, "and I promised to look in on that other patient before lunch. If we hustle, though, we ought to just make it."

"Ready whenever you are," McLeod replied, getting to his feet. "At least it appears we've accomplished one worthwhile objective today."

As he glanced at Claire, Adam smiled and nodded.

"Quite true - and in a rather spectacular fashion. Unless I'm very much mistaken, when Claire next wakes, she'll be on her way to becoming a complete woman again."

"Aye, thank God for that!" McLeod murmured fervently. "And Carnage Corridor will be a safe stretch of road to travel again. Now all we have to do is hie ourselves off to Dumbarton. Your car or mine?"

Chapter Sixteen

THAT same morning, in Glasgow, Peregrine Lovat was completing his second orbit around a block near the city center, looking for a place to park.

"I still don't understand why you were so keen to have that roll of film developed," Julia remarked as he began a third circuit. "What's so urgent about those Kintyre snaps, that they won't wait till we get back to Strathmourne?"