Friends, Idle Talk, and a Gift

"Close your eyes," Hope said.

"What for?" Paul asked.

"You'll see in a moment."

He placed his hands on Elizabeth's and Paul's shoulders.

"You can open them now," Hope said nervously.

This was Old Williams's rose garden. The roses were bright and beautiful after dawn, but unfortunately, Old Williams's house had already half-collapsed.

Elizabeth stared in shock at the collapsed part of the house. "How did this..."

"Why are we here?" Paul asked, looking at Hope.

"Just a little trick... Well, as a member of a cultist family, I do have some special 'witchcraft' up my sleeve."

Paul nodded, seeming not to care much and showing no great surprise. Perhaps the earlier events had already given him a strong enough capacity to accept things.

He looked around. "Let me guess—does this have something to do with you?"

"Why would you think that?" Hope asked curiously.

"The expression on your face right now looks like the toilet in your room broke."

Hope exhaled and pinched his forehead. "Don't bring up that toilet again."

Hope crouched down. He had deliberately controlled the position where Uncertainty teleported them, making the three appear right next to the cellar. Now he opened it.

The creature's corpse was revealed inside.

The Great Night Hawk had died on its back, its beak wide open. Lingering pain left some resentment in its avian eyes. The blood flowing from its belly had stained parts of its feathers and the entire cellar. Constrained by the cellar's shape, its wings couldn't fully spread, yet they were still enormous and terrifying.

Elizabeth and Paul both took a step back.

"This is what did it," Hope said.

"It looks like... a night hawk," Paul said.

"It is a night hawk."

"But I never knew night hawks could grow this big."

"I didn't know either until last night... Ah, well, last night was actually the first time I ever saw night hawks. Back then, they were still cute little things. The second time I saw one was this one."

"You got into a conflict with it. Why?"

"I was about to tell you this, Paul. From now on, you need to watch out for night hawks. After all, even just looking at the scales on your wrist, you're not exactly a normal person anymore. Night hawks have some hostility toward people like us."

"Hostility... Will they attack me on their own?"

"No, usually not. They're afraid of that. And you shouldn't attack them either—it'll be a huge hassle. But if you ever run into trouble, they won't hesitate to give you a push from behind."

Elizabeth spoke up. "Is it because of the Star Hemp?"

"Yeah. It wanted to trap me here."

"But you killed it instead. How did you manage that?"

"With a shotgun—the one Old Williams had. I missed the first shot, but luckily, Old Williams had two guns. And equally lucky, you loaded both of them."

"That's really cool, brother," Paul said. "You were never this cool before."

"I know I'm cool. I knew it yesterday when I pulled the trigger," Hope said.

He scratched his head, licked his lips, and looked awkwardly at Elizabeth. "Old Williams's house..."

"It's not your fault," Elizabeth said.

"Regardless, it's related to me. I'll try to compensate for the loss... Just not right now. I don't have a single cent on me."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, Hope. If I hadn't boiled the Star Hemp, this night hawk never would have been drawn here. Are you expecting some compensation from me? I do still have some money."

Trying to find the original culprit in a tangle of intertwined events was as difficult as untangling a messy rope.

Tracing back, Old Williams, who left behind a recipe without a warning, also bore responsibility. But he was already dead, and the two most closely involved didn't want to blame each other. So the best solution appeared.

Hope shrugged. "Then let's just pretend this never happened?"

"It never happened."

Paul waved his hand. "I should get going, you two. I didn't tell my parents when I went to find Hope. If I don't go back, they'll worry... Don't secretly call me a mama's boy behind my back. They're good to me."

Was he overthinking it... Maybe someone had said that before—maybe some of his friends, or more likely, the young people who didn't get along with him.

"No one's going to say that," Hope replied with a smile. "That's something to be proud of."

"Good to hear." Paul patted Hope on the shoulder. "Hey... I know I didn't help much, but if you ever need help, I hope you'll come to me. I feel a lot stronger now. I could take on two Colins."

That red-haired young man was named Colin.

"Colin might not think so, but you've already helped me plenty."

Paul walked farther and farther away.

"You didn't tell him what Old Whateley wanted to do?" Elizabeth asked.

"No need. He's going to college—North Oak University. Do you know that school?"

"Of course I do. North Oak State and Bay State are neighbors—the ground beneath our feet is Bay State. The two state universities hold a regatta every year. Last year, Miskatonic University came in second, and the champion was North Oak University."

"Sounds like a good school."

"Yeah. I'm leaving too. I came here to sort through my cousin's books. I was supposed to leave last night, but by the time I finished organizing everything, it was already too late."

Elizabeth had driven herself here. The car was parked in Old Williams's backyard—an old-fashioned box-type sedan, though perhaps it was the latest model now. Painted red, its vivid color stripped away the faded feel of old photographs.

"This is Nancy's car. Nancy is my best friend," Elizabeth said. She suddenly pulled a gleaming silver object from her bosom and pressed it into Hope's hand.

"Lent to you. Give it back when we meet again."

Hope stared at the object in surprise. It was a small silver pocket watch, barely wider than a knuckle, with a matching silver lid, almost unadorned. He held it to his ear; the hands ticked away.

"There wasn't even anything to tell time with in your room," Elizabeth said.

"It's wonderful. Beautiful," Hope said. "I have no reason to refuse your kindness."

The little red car drove off slowly, leaving Hope standing alone in the Rose Garden.

He drew a deep breath of rose-scented air into his lungs.

He knew he had to return to Whateley House, but the feeling of helpless isolation he'd faced yesterday against the Great Night Hawk had vanished without a trace. No matter what, in this unfamiliar world, he had two people he could trust.

Hope closed his eyes, sketching the image of the small room in his mind. But he found he couldn't use Uncertainty.

No one was watching him. There was no second Great Night Hawk. Someone was watching the small room.