Okay, does it take any action? Maybe it will point her towards france? Or does it work on a map or anything? What happens if she pokes it (with a pen)?

Waiting for a reaction, she finds none. It bobs in place in front of her.

What if she takes a step away from it?

It rockets forward, stopping just short of touching her. It continues bobbing up and down, but now it gives off sparks.

"Is that supposed to happen?"

"Who knows?" Trix reaches out to touch it.

Fernanda puts her hand down and instead pokes it with her little-finger of her non-dominant hand.

Sparks fly from the orb with greater fervor, somehow not making contact with anything in the attic.

Except Trix and Fernanda. The sparks travel up their arms as they make contact.

This isn't exactly quiet.  The ensuing thunderclap when the girls touch the orb can be heard by everyone in the house, if not further afield.

Theo is on his feet as soon as possible.

Fernanda looks down on herself and Trix to see if they are injured. Also, checking to see if the orb is still there.

Trix finger-combs her hair a bit. "Hey, meet our orb. We are trying to teach it new tricks. A trick. Not even fetch. Just find." She might have been a bit affected by the sudden adrenaline surge.

"Right, I can see that. It's wagging its tail and everything."

The orb has no tail to wag, but now that the sparks have faded, it seems to be swirling around Trix.

"Sit. Stay." Trix tells the orb.

The orb stays.

Felicia (who also rushed upstairs) notices this. "Did the orb just obeyed you? Maybe it will respond to verbal commands."

"Find us the weapon." Fernanda tells the orb.

"Go, fetch."

The orb moves, ever so slightly, at Trix's words. It begins to float along towards the door.

"So we're following the orb?"

"Apparently!" Beatrix says following the orb through the still open door.

"Okay. Just hold a second, maybe you should see how obedient this thing is first? Tell it to stop."

"Sparky, stay. You know, we don't know how long this thing lasts."

"We also don't know if it will float about where everyone can see."

Sparky stays.