They stood in silence for a while longer. And then Arthur Stuart spoke.

“Where's Alvin?” he said.

Alvia wasn't there. Mike scowled at Verily Cooper. “Now look what you've done.”

“Me?” said Verily.

“He sent us off and stayed behind to get arrested,” said Mike. “I'm sworn to protect him and then you get him to do something like this.”

“I didn't ask him to do this alone,” said Verily.

Arthur Stuart started walking up the path, back into the woods.

“Where are you going?” asked Verily.

“Back to Cambridge,” he said. “It can't be that far. The sun's hardly moved in the sky.”

“It's too late to stop Alvin from doing this,” said Mike.

Arthur looked back at him like he was crazy. “I know that,” he said. “But he expects us to go back and help.”

“How do you know this?” asked Audubon. “He tell you what he plan to do?”

“He told all of us,” said Arthur. “He knows Verily wants to have a witch trial. So, Alvin's decided he'll be the witch. Verily gets to be the lawyer. And the rest of us have to be witnesses.”

“But the girl will denounce us, too,” said Audubon.

Verily nodded. “That's right,” he said. “Yes, that's right. So the three of you, I want you to wait in the woods until I come fetch you.”

“What's the plan?” asked Mike.

“I won't find that out till I talk to Alvin,” said Verily. “But remember this: The only charge that matters in a witch trial is, Did Satan rule you? So that's the only question you answer. Nothing about knacks or hidden powers. Just about Satan. You never saw him, you never talked to him or any demons, he never gave you anything. Can you all swear to that truly?”

They all laughed and agreed they could.

“So when it's time to testify, that's the only question you answer. For the rest, you just look stupid.”

“What about me?” said Audubon. “I was baptized Catholic.”

“You can talk about that, too,” said Verily. “You'll see. If I'm half the lawyer I trained to be, none of this will ever come to trial.” He joined Arthur on the path. “Come along. It's legal work now. And if everything comes out right, we'll have Alvin free and Miss Purity as a traveling companion.”

“I don't want to travel with her!” said Mike. “Look at the trouble she's already caused us!”

“Trouble?” said Verily. “I've been stupefied with boredom in New England. Everything's so peaceful here. Everything runs smoothly, most disputes are settled peacefully, neighbors pretty much get along, people are happy an extraordinary proportion of the time. I'm a lawyer, for heaven's sake! I was about to lose my mind!”

At first Reverend Study was dismissive. “I can understand your being fascinated with the idea of witches, but it's from the past, my dear Purity.”

“They bragged about it,” said Purity. “I didn't ask them.”

“That's just it, you see,” said the minister. “They're not from New England, and those from outside tend to mock our stricter adherence to scripture. They were having fun with you.”

“They were not,” said Purity. “And if you refuse to help me, I'll go straight to the tithingmen myself.”

“No no,” said Study. “You mustn't do that.”

“Why not? A woman's testimony is valid in court. Even an orphan, I think!”

“It's not a matter of– Purity, do you realize the trouble you are heading into with these wild charges?”

“They're not wild. And I know what you're trying so hard not to say– that my parents were hanged as witches.”

“What!” said Study. “Who told you such a thing! Who is spreading such slanders!”

“Are you saying it's not so?”

“I have no idea, but I can't imagine it's true. There hasn't been a witch trial in this part of New England for… for much longer than you've been alive.”

“But the trial wasn't here,” said Purity. “It was in Netticut.”

“Well, that's a bit of a reach, don't you think? Why Netticut?”

“Reverend Study, the longer we talk, the farther these men will flee. And one of them is a papist, a Frenchman, brought here under false pretenses. They've been pretending he was mute.”

Reverend Study sighed.

“I can see you have no respect for me, just like the others,” said Purity.

“Is that what this is about? Trying to earn respect?”

“No, it's not!”

“Because this is not the way to do it. I remember the Salem trials. Well, not that I remember them myself, I wasn't even here, but the shame of that city still endures. So many killed on the testimony of a group of hysterical girls. The girls were left unpunished, you know. They lived out their lives, however their consciences let them do it, because it was impossible for an earthly judge to know which charges were malicious and which were the product of self-delusion and mob mentality.”

“I am neither a group nor hysterical.”

“But such charges do provoke a certain skepticism.”

“That's nonsense, Reverend Study. People believe in witchcraft. Everyone does. They check for it at the borders! They preach– no, you preach against it in meetings!”

“It's all so confusing. What I preach about is the attempt to use hidden powers. Even if they exist, they should not be used to gain advantage over one's neighbor, or even to gain good fame among one's friends. But the formal charge of witchcraft, that requires allegations of contact with Satan, of maleficence. Depending on who the interrogators are, there may be questions about witches' sabbaths, there will be naming of names. These things get out of hand.”

“Of course they'll lie about Satan. They never said anything about Satan to me.”

“There. It's not witchcraft, you see?”

“But isn't that just what we expect?” said Purity. “Don't we expect a witch to lie?”

“That's what happened at Salem!” cried Study. “They started interpreting denials as lies, as attempts to cover up Satan's penetration of the community. But later it was discovered, it was realized, that there had never been any witchcraft at all, and that the confessions they got were all motivated by a selfish desire to save one's own life, while the only ones hanged were those who refused to lie.”

“Are you saying that you believe the Bible is wrong when it says we shall not suffer a witch to live?”

“No, no, of course if you actually find a witch, then you must… act, but–”

“I have found a witch, Reverend Study. Please summon the tithingmen to help me obey the Lord's injunction in the Bible.”

Sick at heart, Reverend Study rose to his feet. “You leave me no choice.”

“As they left me no choice.”

Study stopped at the door and spoke without facing her. “Do you not understand that many long-pent resentments can be released by this sort of thing?”

“These men are intruders here. What resentments can anyone have against them? The judges will be honest. My testimony will be honest.”

Study leaned his head into the doorjamb and almost whispered his answer. “There have been rumors. About you.”

Purity felt a thrill of fear and joy run through her body, making her tremble for a moment. Her guess was right. Her parents did die for witchcraft, just as she figured. “All the more reason, then, for me to prove myself loyal to the scripture and an enemy to Satan.”

“Fire burns all hands that touch it.”

“I serve God, sir. Do you?”

“Sometimes God is best served by obeying his more merciful statements. Judge not lest ye be judged. Think of that before you point a finger.” Then he was gone.

Purity waited alone in Reverend Study's office. His library, really, it was so stacked and shelved with books. How did he get so many? Had he really read them all? Purity had never had an opportunity to study the titles. Sets of pious literature, of course. Collections of noted sermons. Scriptural commentary. Law books? Interesting– had he thought of studying law at some time? No, it was ecclesiastical law. With several books on the prosecution of witches, the investigation of witches, the purification of witches. Reverend Study might pretend to have no concern with such matters, but he owned these books, which meant that at some time he must have planned to refer to them. He had not been “here” during the witch trials in Salem, which were the last held in eastern Massachusetts. That could mean he hadn't been born yet– how long ago were they? –at least a century, perhaps half again that long. But he had been involved in witch trials somewhere. Yes, he knew and cared very much about these things.