Dema and Cern continued to leaf through the journals, occasionally showing something to Avram and asking him to translate. At first he seemed quite reticent, not volunteering any information not asked for or even moving noticeably, but Dema offered unspoken encouragement, and he gradually warmed up, drawing more and more on Dema's support. He began telling them stories of the more congenial times before the ungodly Communist takeover.

When Dema and Cern were ready to leave and go in search of one of the promising sites he had helped them identify, Avram was again reticent at first, but when Dema reminded him of his earlier agreement he relented. He seemed powerfully drawn to Dema and unable to refuse her wishes. He guided them to places all over the countryside, each one more quaint, more filled with history than the last. Dema sensed in him a longing for the past, for a life long left behind.

Later, when they had settled into their room at an old inn Avram had recommended, Dema commented to Cern how quietly deferential Avram was. "When I'm wrapped up in something else it's as if he's not even there, but as soon as I think of something to ask him, he's at my elbow. It's really quite amazing." Cern cocked a puzzled brow at this, but said nothing.

In the morning they again found Avram at the museum, as promised, and soon set off on another long day of exploring the countryside. With Cern driving and Avram sitting quietly in the back, they visited a variety of places from oak coppices that had supplied generations with firewood for the hearth, timber for construction and acorns for the hogs, to old churchyards that occupied the sites of even more ancient centers of culture.  Avram had something to tell them about each one. But when they visited churchyards he invariably hung back, waiting for them at the car.

When they had decided to call it a day, Dema invited Avram to come up to their room at the inn where they were staying, to chat and perhaps share a bit of the famous Romanian plum brandy. With a curious mixture of eagerness and reluctance he agreed, but once inside the room seemed increasingly uneasy, and soon begged his leave.

Dema was becoming puzzled by this odd behavior, but then as he was leaving she saw something. Or noticed that she did not see something. 

"Cern, did you see that?" she said in a hushed voice. "Avram had no reflection in the mirror!" She pointed to a tall ornate mirror next to the door. "Cern, Avram is a ghost!"

"Well, yes. Do you mean you didn't know?" 

"But he went everywhere with us all day long, walked where we walked, he even ate lunch with us! How could he do that?" 

"He dreamed the eating for you, and things like opening the car door to get in and out. In reality he never moved anything physical."

"How could I not have noticed that?"

She sank into a chair, realizing how deeply immersed in her dream state she had become, thinking back over the odd things she had noticed about Avram that were now so easily explained.

"A ghost," she murmured, a wry smile playing over her lips, "I should have known." Then, looking up at Cern, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you knew. I wasn't sure, but then I didn't think it mattered. You've been in your own world in a number of ways, immersing yourself in the past of this whole region. It's a lot like what I did in England with the Green Man and the farmers, so I wanted to let you enjoy it."

Dema finally nodded. Cern was right. Avram was part of her quest. She might as well have summoned him up out of his own past. But still, he had such a convincing presence for a ghost, as if he wanted her to believe he was there physically. She would have to pay more attention to him. But then, she didn't want to drive him away, he was too helpful for her to allow that. She would just have to be careful.