LAEMUL: Oh. 

ASTRIA: What do you think?

LAEMUL: Well … I don’t really … can’t really say at the moment. 

ASTRIA: Isn’t it in people’s auras or something?  Can’t you see?

PANEL 2

LAEMUL: Sometimes.  It’s a little complicated, though, and I would have to be in the right frame of mind …

ASTRIA: Can you get in the right frame?  I … I mean, I know I could do magick, if you’d just teach me! I’m special – don’t you think?  

LAEMUL: Ah –  

ASTRIA:Because – you haven’t got an apprentice, have you?  Don’t mysticks have to have an …

PANEL 3

LAEMUL: Wait-wait-wait, Astria.  We’ve just had a very nice physical experience and now you want me to test you for magickal ability by jumping right into the spiritual plane — have a moment’s patience, all right darling?

ASTRIA: All right …

Laemul puts on a pair of hose.  He then goes to one of his tables and pulls out a crystal

LAEMUL: Hm. Maybe this will be a good test?  

ASTRIA:  What is it?

LAEMUL: Well, it’s a –

ASTRIA: It’s a magic crystal, isn’t it?  Do I get to have it?  Are you giving it to me?

LAEMUL:  No, no.   It’s just a very simple scrying crystal.  A mystick can use it to get general information like weather, or to detect patterns in the surrounding magickal ether.  So it is attuned to mystickal energies and vibrations.  So what I want you to do is stand there, calm yourself with a few deep breaths … that’s it, in through the nose, out through the mouth … good.  Now –  look into the crystal. 

ASTRIA: Okay …

LAEMUL: I want you to just picture a candle flame in your mind.  Picture it in the crystal. 

ASTRIA: And what then?

LAEMUL: Then we’ll see.