"I'll put an end to all this," Annan said.
"I knew it. You're my hero..." The ghost Girl threw herself into Annan's arms, weightless.
"What a heartbreaking sight..." The Old Ancestor seemed moved. She gave a gentle wave of the Staff she used as a cane.
Annan's hands, resting on the ghost Girl's waist, felt warmth. A line from a knightly romance surfaced unbidden: The knight felt warmth through his armor as the princess held him...
"Little Annan, why are you blushing?" the Old Ancestor teased as Annan let go of the ghost Girl.
"It's too hot..." Annan changed the subject. "Did you bring her back to life?"
The ghost Girl was staring blankly at her translucent hands.
"I only let her remember what it felt like to be alive," the Old Ancestor said with a sigh. "I'll leave it to you to deal with the wrongs the Montreal family committed..."
"What about her?" Annan asked, watching the ghost Girl twirl among the flowers.
"Do you want me to send her to Hell?"
"Does she have to go there?"
"That's where the dead belong, but she can remain in our world for a very, very long time."
"I'll ask her first... There's one more thing." Annan hesitated. "Olin seems angry that I investigated this..."
"Leave her to me." The Old Ancestor winked at Annan.
Annan and the ghost Girl returned to the Moonlight Opera House. Along the way, she kept touching everything, including Silly Cat, who grew impatient, and Annan. She was as innocent as a little girl—she had only been fifteen or sixteen when she died...
Repairs to the Moonlight Opera House were nearly complete. Eli Gravel had fulfilled Annan's request perfectly, preserving the natural feel of its dilapidation.
The workers were reluctant to finish, especially when they