DECRYPTING THE MESSAGE

Emma found the white chalk underneath the sofa that she and Amelia had been sitting on earlier, and she wondered if it was a coincidence-If her mother had calculated that she would sit on this chair.

Emma sighed for her lame assumptions, and brought the white chalk to Prescott who was still on the floor, by the paper, muttering words that Emma couldn't understand.

"Here."

Prescott looked up then, and not stopping his incantations, collected the chalk from Emma and drew a circle on the bare wooden floor, with a question mark in the middle. Then, he dropped the paper inside the circle. His chanting became louder after that.

Emma took a step back, and knocked shoulders with Amelia who was watching Prescott with fascination.

"I really should have followed you to England…" Amelia muttered, with a pout.

Emma laughed, though subdued, so as not to disturb Prescott. "You can still come. After all, your roommate is back there."