Moïse. “Not understood.”

Spook. “The future is a complete whole, a single blaze. It is all existing now, but it exists for you as an undivided entity. The past, however, exists for you as a series of small telechronistic rays. If I tried to show you a particular event in the past, it being a small event like the candle, it would be easy for OOO to interpose between you and the beam, especially if he knows the particular candle I want to show. Now, do you understand?”

Moïse. “Yes.”

Spook. “Do not touch the mediums or interrupt.”

Moïse. “No, I will not.”

Spook. “Be in the dark. Take down carefully everything they say. Then come back to me after they have recovered. Also note: it will not be me talking through the mediums; it will be the mediums themselves interpreting the ray. Au revoir, until after dark.”

Moïse. “May we have a lamp?”

Spook (angrily). “No!”

Moïse. “How can I write?”

Spook. “Make a small beam of light—a—small—beam—of—light.”