Believe Read Online Free PDF Page B

dropped to her toes. She stifled the impulse to cower and forced herself to stand straight with the set of her shoulders firm and her head held high. And prayed her knees wouldn’t collapse beneath her. He aimed a long finger in her direction and she wouldn’t have been at all surprised to see flames shoot out the tip. “You do not believe.”
    “So…who does?” She cringed at her own flippant words. Not exactly the way to pacify an irate sorcerer. Real or not.
    “But they do not go around preaching their lack of acceptance, their doubts, their disbelief with an unwarranted passion, that goes far beyond the bounds of academia I might add, to classrooms full of young, innocent minds.”
    “Wait, hold it right there, pal.” Indignation swept away her fear. “Young, innocent minds? I teach at a university. The youngest I get are freshmen and ‘innocent’ is not exactly how I’d describe any of them.”
    “Still, you are encouraging their skepticism!”
    She glared at the indignant wizard. “Isn’t that exactly what you wanted? You just said you wrapped Arthur and company in your magic to keep them from being seen in the harsh light of reality. To keep them from being judged as real people are judged by history and the passage of time. I don’t see your problem. I’m doing exactly what you want.”
    Merlin flicked an imaginary piece of lint from his shoulder. “I changed my mind.”
    “You changed your mind? What do you mean, ‘you changed your mind’?”
    Merlin shrugged. “I am not infallible, you know, I do make mistakes. I’m only human.”
    “Could have fooled me.”
    “Well, perhaps human is not entirely accurate; regardless, every now and then, with the passage of the centuries, I get extremely annoyed at having myaccomplishments, and the accomplishments of Arthur and the others, seen as little more than a delightful story for children at bedtime.”
    “That’s it? That’s what this is all about?” Relief surged through her. “No sweat, pal. I’m more than willing to change my line about your little world. In fact, I’ll even tell students, personally, I believe in Merlin and Arthur and all that other stuff. Piece of cake.
    “Now that we’ve got that settled,” she nodded with satisfaction, “why don’t I just close my eyes and you can zap me home? Back to the library or the hospital or wherever. Your choice. However you want to work this is fine with me.” She squeezed her eyes closed. “Okay, I’m ready.”
    Nothing happened.
    “Anytime now. You go right ahead.”
    Still nothing.
    She sighed and opened her eyes. “Do I have to click my heels together and say ‘There’s no place like home’ or what?”
    Merlin chuckled. “Now that was a fairy tale.”
    “Oh, I see. Don’t believe in Oz but do believe in Camelot. Is that how this works?” She fisted her hands on her hips. “You’re not sending me home, are you?”
    “I’m afraid not. At least not yet.”
    “Why not? You’ve already convinced me of at least the possibility of the existence of”—she waved impatiently at the chapel—“all this. Whether it’s real or not, I admit, I’m willing to rethink my position. So…why can’t I go?”
    “It has a great deal to do with him.” Merlin nodded toward the knight.
    “Him? He doesn’t even look alive.” Tessa stepped to the still figure and peered at him closely. “See, he’s not breathing.”
    “Oh, he is indeed breathing. You simply cannot see it.”
    She hesitated for a moment than placed her hand flat on his back, just below his broad shoulders. “No, he’s definitely not breathing. I don’t feel any movement at all.”
    “You cannot feel it because we are not yet on the same level of existence with him.” A thoughtful frown creased his forehead. “Perhaps I have not explained this as thoroughly as I should have.”
    “You think so, Mr. Wizard?”
    He ignored her and continued. “We are, you and I, between moments, as it were. We exist in the