a way to deceive me, if you can.
"I can't say, sir," said Calvin. "I don't think he knows half as much as he lets on, but I wouldn't dare call my own brother a liar."
There was a sudden loud eruption of buzzing. Calvin Miller had a brother who philosophized about knacks and said they weren't from the Devil.
More important to Verily was the fact that Calvin's words obviously didn't fit in with the world he actually believed in. Lies, lies. Calvin obviously believed that his brother was very wise indeed; that he probably knew more than Calvin was willing to admit.
At this moment, without realizing it himself, Verily Cooper made the decision to go to America. Whoever Calvin's brother was, he knew something that Verily wanted desperately to learn. For there was a ring of truth in this man's ideas. Maybe if Verily could only meet him and talk to him, he could make Verily's own knack clear to him. Could tell him why he had such a talent and why it persisted even though his father tried to beat it out bf him.
"What's your brother's name?" asked Verily.
"Does that matter?" asked Calvin, a faint sneer in his voice. "Planning a visit to the backwoods soon?"
"Is that where you're from? The backwoods?" asked Verily.
Calvin immediately backtracked. "Actually, no, I was exaggerating. My father was a miller."
"How did the poor man die?" asked Verily.
"He's not dead," said Calvin.
"But you spoke of him in the past tense. As if he were no longer a miller."
"He still runs a mill," said Calvin.
"You still haven't told me your brother's name."
"Same as my father's. Alvin."
"Alvin Miller?" asked Verily.
"Used to be. But in America we still change our names with our professions. He's a journeyman smith now. Alvin Smith."
"And you remain Calvin Miller because..."
"Because I haven't chosen my life's work yet."
"You hope to discover it in France?"
Calvin leapt to his feet as if his most terrible secret had just been exposed. "I have to get home."
Verily also rose to his feet. "My friend, I fear my curiosity has made you feel uncomfortable. I will stop my questioning at once, and apologize to this whole company for having broached such difficult subjects tonight. I hope you will all excuse my insatiable curiosity."
Verily was at once reassured by many voices that it had been most interesting and no one was angry with or offended by anyone. The conversation broke into many smaller chats.
In a few moments, Verily managed to maneuver himself close to the young American. "Your brother, Alvin Smith," he said. "Tell me where I can find him."
"In America," said Calvin; and because the conversation was private, he did not conceal his contempt.
"Only slightly better than telling me to search for him on Earth," said Verily. "Obviously you resent him. I have no desire to trouble you by asking you to tell me any more of his ideas. It will cost you nothing to tell me where he lives so I can search him out myself."
"You'd make a voyage across the ocean to meet with a boy who talks like a country bumpkin in order to learn what he thinks about knacks?"
"Whether I make such a voyage or merely write him a letter is no concern of yours," said Verily. "In the future I'm bound to be asked to defend people accused of witchery. Your brother may have the arguments that will allow me to save a client's life. Such ideas can't be found here in England because it would be the ruin of a man's career to explore too assiduously into the works of Satan."
"So why aren't you afraid of ruining your own career?" said Calvin.
"Because whatever he knows, it's true enough to make a liar like you run halfway around the world to get away from the truth."
Calvin's expression grew ugly with hate. "How dare you speak to me like that! I could..."
So Verily had guessed right, about the way Calvin fit into his own family back home. "The name of the town, and you and I will never have to speak again."
Calvin paused for a moment, weighing the decision. "I take you at your word, Mr. Rising Young Barrister Esquire. The town is Vigor Church, in Wobbish Territory. Near the mouth of Tippy-Canoe Creek. Go find my brother if you can. Learn from him - if you can. Then you can spend the rest of your life wondering if maybe you wouldn't have been better off trying to learn from me."
Verily laughed softly.