"I am not so worried," said Aaron. "Mainly because of Mona. He wants to come back to 
Mona. Therefore he'll be more careful. For her sake."
  
  Michael smiled and nodded. "Makes sense."
  
  "I hope he finds the answer. It's his obsession now, the Order, the mystery of the 
Elders, the purpose. But then maybe Mona will save him. As Beatrice saved me. Strange, 
isn't it, the power of this family?  The power that they possess that has nothing 
whatsoever to do with... him."
  
  "And Stolov and Norgan? Will someone come looking for them?"
  
  "No. Put that out of your mind too. Yuri will take care of it. There is no evidence 
here of either man. No one will come looking, asking.  You'll see."
  
  "You seem very resigned but you're not happy," said Michael.
  
  "Well, I think it's a bit early to be happy," said Aaron softly. "But I'm a damned 
sight happier than I was before." He thought for a moment. "I am not ready to sweep away 
all the beliefs of a lifetime because two men did evil things."
  
  "Lasher told you," said Michael. "He told you it was the purpose of the Order."
  
  "Ah, he did. But that was long long ago. That was in another time when men believed in 
things that they do not believe in now."
  
  "Yes, I suppose it was."
  
  Aaron sighed and gave a graceful shrug.
  
  "Yuri will find out. Yuri will come back."
  
  "But you're not really afraid they'll hurt you, if they are the bad guys, I mean."
  
  "No," said Aaron. "I don't think they will bother. I do know them... somewhat... after 
all these years."
  
  Michael made no answer.
  
  "And I know I am no longer a part of them," Aaron continued, "in any conceivable way. I 
know that this is my home. I know I am married
  
  and I will stay with Bea and this is my family. And perhaps ... perhaps ... as for the 
rest of it ... the Talamasca, its secrets, its purposes... perhaps ... I don't care. 
Perhaps I stopped caring on Christmas when Rowan lost the first round of her battle. 
Perhaps I ceased to care altogether and for certain when I saw Rowan on the stretcher, 
and her face blank, her mind gone. I don't care. And when I don't care about something, 
in an odd way, I can be as determined about it as about anything else."
  
  "Why didn't you call the police about Stolov and Norgan?"
  
  Aaron seemed surprised. "You know the answer," he said. "I owed you that much, don't 
you think? Let me give you some of my serenity.  Besides, Mona and Yuri made the 
decision, really. I was a bit too dazed to take credit. We did the simpler thing. As a 
rule of thumb, always do the simpler thing."
  
  "The simpler thing."
  
  "Yes, what you did to Lasher. The simpler thing."
  
  Michael didn't answer.
  
  "There is so much to be done," said Aaron. "The family doesn't realize that it is safe, 
but it soon will. There will be many subtle changes as people come to realize that it's 
finished. That the blinds are really open and the sun can really come in."
  
  "Yes."
  
  "We will get doctors for Rowan. We will get the best. Ah, I meant to bring a tape with 
me, the Canon by Pachelbel. Bea said Rowan loved it, that one day they had played it when 
Rowan was at Bea's. Bea's. I'm speaking of my own home."
  
  "Did you believe all he said-about the Taltos, about the legends and the little people?"
  
  "Yes. And no."
  
  Aaron thought for a long moment, then he added:
  
  "I want no more mysteries or puzzles." He seemed amazed at his own calm. "I want only 
to be with my family. I want for Deirdre Mayfair to forgive me for not helping her; for 
Rowan Mayfair to forgive me for letting this happen to her. I want you to forgive me for 
letting you be hurt, for letting the burden of the killing fall upon you.  And then I 
want, as they say, to forget."
  
  "The family won," said Michael. "Julien won."
  
  "You won," said Aaron. "And Mona has just begun her victories," he said with a little 
smile. "Quite a daughter you have in Mona. I think I'll walk uptown to see Mona. She says 
she is so in love with Yuri that if he doesn't call by midnight, she may go mad! Mad as 
Ophelia went mad. I have to see Vivian and visit with Ancient Evelyn. Would you like to 
come? It's a beautiful walk up the Avenue, just the right length, about ten blocks."
  
  "Not now. A little later perhaps. You go on."
  
  There was a pause.
  
  "They want you up at Amelia Street," said Aaron. "Mona is hoping you will guide the 
restorations. The place hasn't been tampered with in many a year."