Georgi,' I said slowly. 'This must be Sveti Georgi.'
"She peered at me in the dim light, her hair falling into her eyes. 'But the church is eighteenth century,' she objected. Then her face cleared. 'You think that - '
"'Lots of churches have much older foundations, right? And we know this one was rebuilt after the Turks burned the original. Couldn't it have been a monastery church, for a monastery everyone forgot long ago?' I was whispering in my excitement. 'It could have been rebuilt decades or centuries later, and renamed for the martyr they did remember.'
"'Helen turned in horror and stared at the brass reliquary behind us. 'Do you also think - '
"'I don't know,' I said slowly. 'It seems unlikely to me they could have confused one set of relics with another, but how recently do you think that box has been opened?'
"'It does not look big enough,' she said. She seemed unable to say more.
"'It doesn't,' I agreed, 'but we have got to try it. At least, I've got to. I want you to stay out of this, Helen.'
"She gave me a quizzical look, as if puzzled by the idea that I would even try to send her away. 'It is very serious to break into a church and desecrate the grave of a saint.'
"'I know,' I said. 'But what if this isn't the grave of a saint?'
"There were two names neither of us could have managed to utter in that dark, cold place with its flickering lights and smell of beeswax and earth. One of those names was Rossi.
"'Right now? Ranov will be looking for us,' Helen said.
"When we emerged from the church, the shadows of the trees around it were lengthening, and Ranov was looking for us, his face impatient. Brother Ivan stood by, although I noticed they hardly spoke to each other. 'Did you have a good nap?' Helen asked politely.
"'It is time for us to go back to Bachkovo.' Ranov's voice was curt again; I wondered if he was disappointed that we had apparently found nothing here.
'We will leave for Sofia in the morning. I have business to take care of there. I hope you are satisfied with your research.'
"'Almost,' I said. 'I would like to visit Baba Yanka one more time and thank her for her help.' "'Very well.' Ranov looked annoyed, but he led the way back down into the village, Brother Ivan walking silently behind us. The street was quiet in the golden evening light, and everywhere there was a smell of cooking. I saw an old man come out to the central water pump and fill a bucket. At the far end of Baba Yanka's little street, a herd of goats and sheep was being led in; we could hear their plaintive voices and see them crowding one another between the houses before a boy whisked them around the corner.
"Baba Yanka was delighted to see us. We congratulated her, through Ranov, on her wonderful singing and on the fire dance. Brother Ivan blessed her with a silent gesture. 'How is it that you don't get burned?' Helen asked her.
"'Oh, that is the power of God,' she said softly. 'I do not remember later how it happened. Sometimes my feet feel hot afterward, but I never burn them. It is the most beautiful day of the year for me, even though I do not remember much of it. For months I am as peaceful as a lake.'
"She took an unlabeled bottle from her cupboard and poured us glasses of a clear brown liquor. The bottle had long weeds floating in it, which Ranov explained were herbs, for flavor. Brother Ivan declined, but Ranov accepted a glass. After a few sips he began to question Brother Ivan about something in a voice as friendly as nettles. They were soon deep in a debate we could not follow, although I frequently caught the word politicheski.
"When we had sat listening for a while, I interrupted for a moment to get Ranov's help in asking Baba Yanka if I could use her bathroom. He laughed unpleasantly. He was certainly back in his old humor, I thought. 'I am afraid it is not so nice here,' he said. Baba Yanka laughed, too, and pointed to the back door. Helen said she would follow me and wait her turn. The outhouse in Baba Yanka's backyard was even more dilapidated than her cottage, but wide enough to hide our quiet flight among the trees and beehives and through