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"So you've solved the mystery of my missing sister?" Tillyfor said breathily, sitting down heavily in the chair I had guided her towards. "I have," I replied, "Almost there. Just a couple of loose ends to tie up." "So you must let me settle your bill," she said, reaching into the fold of her décolletage. I could have acted the gentleman, declined the offer of payment. Sure, and my bank manager could have been equally gentlemanly and waived my - extremely modest - overdraft. No so very likely. I've got bills to pay, debts to manage, like anybody else. I don't do all this stuff out of the goodness of my heart, you know. I must have lost count of the number of times I've been paid in slightly-warm high-denomination banknotes. It loses its charm after a while. Nevertheless, I accepted a small handful of notes from Tillyfor without even counting them, just stuffing them into an inside pocket of my old overcoat. From the same pocket, I pulled out an old-fashioned silver pocket watch on a chain. I'd like to claim it was a family heirloom, passed down to me from my great-grandfather, but then I'd be lying to you. Actually, I had picked it up in a backstreet pawn-shop only yesterday. Nothing magical, entirely mundane: perhaps exactly the item your own great-grandfather would have worn a hundred years ago. "While we're waiting," I said to Tillyfor, "Perhaps you'd look closely at this." I dangled the watch from its chain and let it gently swing to and fro. "Look at the watch. Look closely, very closely. Concentrate on the watch," I suggested softly, hypnotically. Despite her earlier excitement, Tillyfor's eyes followed the swinging pendant as if her eyeballs themselves were hooked to some clockwork mechanism. I hardly even had to suggest that she was feeling drowsy. Her head sagged, her eyelids drooped, and she was suddenly, deeply asleep. I grinned wryly and put the watch on the side table, folding the chain neatly. It was exactly how my old Professor said it would be. "I want to speak to Tillykerie," I said firmly, "Let me hear from you now." The change in her posture was remarkable. No wonder other people thought they were two different sisters. Somehow she became more modest, more unassuming, and more intelligent, too. "Tillykerie," I said, "Nice to meet you at last."
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Part 101