Gerard Rossi was in the fifth grade at a primary school in Turin. He should have been at school today, but he had come down with chickenpox and was resting at home.
People of any age could catch chickenpox, though infants, preschoolers, and school-age children were more likely to get it. Adults suffered more severely if they caught it, and it was contagious, so his teacher had told him to stay home and rest.
The illness normally took some time to heal completely, but Gerard's grandparents knew the wizards of Paroldo, and they had treated him. There were no longer any pox marks visible on Gerard's body.
He had recovered too quickly and would arouse suspicion if he returned. Since the Easter holiday was approaching, Gerard's parents had him stay in the mountains with his grandparents for a while, planning for him to return to Turin after the holiday.
Many of the town's young people had already gone to Turin to seek opportunities, while the few who remained ran inns. Ever since childhood, they had heard that there were wizards near the village. There was nothing particularly strange about that—wizards and diviners could still appear on television programs for interviews and performances.
Television had a strange power: it could make unbelievable things seem believable.
Because they lacked a sense of security about the future, or because they felt lonely, more and more Italian people sought help from wizards, diviners, and mediums. The wizards of Paroldo were rather different from those people. They healed the sick, sometimes came down the mountain to tend the livestock of nearby villagers, and taught them ways to guard against demons.
Nogtails looked much like underdeveloped piglets, with long legs, short thick tails, and squinting eyes. They could be found in rural Europe, America, and Russia.