“That is what he suggested,” Jean-Baptiste confirmed, turning to me. “Bran must take his family’s records. And a revenant must accompany Vincent in case he needs to inhabit a corporeal body while the process is attempted.”
“Surely you should go,” urged Gaspard. “The head of France’s bardia should represent, since it is in a way as much a diplomatic mission as it is a—”
“I will not,” Jean-Baptiste interrupted angrily, before visibly calming himself and continuing. “You made your case for my contacting Theodore, and rightfully so. But that is the extent to which I will be involved. You do not know what you are asking, Gaspard.”
Jean-Baptiste tilted his head slightly, listening, and then said, “In any case, Vincent has made up his mind. He wants Jules to accompany him.”
“Then Bran and Jules should prepare to leave,” Gaspard said.
“I’m going too,” I stated, my eyes flickering to Papy as the words left my mouth. I lifted my chin, preparing for his refusal.
“I am not letting you fly to New York with two men I barely know,” Papy said, scooting his chair back abruptly. He looked like he wanted to grab me and leave the house running.
“Then it’s decided,” JB dictated. “Monsieur Mercier will accompany his granddaughter. Bran, you will want to prepare your things. Gaspard, please let Jules know of his appointment and call our pilot. You will all leave tonight.” And he turned and marched out of the room.
Papy and I stared at each other in shock while Gaspard walked over to the phone and began dialing. Bran scooted off and began assembling his books, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Finally Papy unstuck from his frozen position and, taking me gently by the hand, said, “I don’t care who he is or how much power he holds. Monsieur Grimod will not make decisions for me regarding my own granddaughter.”
“Papy, I have to go with them. You’ve got to understand that,” I said, not pleading but simply stating it as a fact.
“Kate, this could be dangerous,” he said.
“How dangerous could it be? It’s a trip to New York on a private plane, a visit to an antiquities collector, some ceremony that involves Vincent—not me—and then we’re back again. In fact, it’s probably safer for me to be out of France—and away from Violette and the numa—than in it.”
Papy stared around him, at Bran, eyes like an owl’s, as he glanced up from his books at us. At nineteenth-century Gaspard, holding the telephone inches away from his ear, as if it were a dangerous object from the future that just may infect him with progressiveness if it touched his head. “How can we trust these people?” he asked, resisting.
“They’re better than the alternative, who have actually threatened us,” I reminded him softly, and in my mind corrected that to threatened me.
“But . . . school—” he began, in a last attempt to dissuade me.
“Is out for the week,” I responded. “Remember—winter ski break starts tomorrow. Papy, listen. If this works, Vincent will regain his body. I have to be there for that. If it doesn’t, then at least we will be face-to-face with this antiquities guy, who might be knowledgeable enough to know of another solution. Just think, you’ll be able to meet this client you’ve been dealing with for decades.”
I could tell that Papy had already thought of that. He was tempted by the possibility of meeting the mystery collector and getting a glimpse at his collection. But this desire was overshadowed by his worry for me.
Jules bustled into the room, looking like someone was pushing him. “Vincent informs me that I’m leaving ASAP for New York?” he said, looking around at us, confused.
“Yes. Go pack,” Gaspard said, hanging up the phone. And Jules was off—no questions asked—back out the door and up the stairs to his room.
Gaspard came over and looked Papy in the eye. “Your decision, sir?”
Papy took a deep breath, glanced at me, and then said, “My granddaughter and I will go.”
“You will need this, then,” Gaspard said, and handed Papy a small wooden box. Inside was a gold chain looped through a pendant: A flat gold disk engraved with the circle, triangle, and flames. “It is yours to keep, to signal to others that you are trusted by us.”
“I recognize the symbol,” Papy confirmed.
“If you wish to return home and pack a bag, a car will be waiting outside your building in two hours,” Gaspard stated, all business. “I will ask Arthur and Ambrose to walk you and your granddaughters home.” My grandfather nodded his assent and Gaspard left to find Georgia and our revenant guardians.
“Do you have one of these, too?” Papy asked, as he looped the chain over his head and tucked the pendant into his shirt.
I hesitated, but heard Vincent’s voice say: You can show him.