"Of course. Just actions."

"I'm glad you're clear on that. These rituals always had a focus, but it hadn't been you before?"

"No, not before," Lev says. "It hadn't happened before. It was... a big ritual. So they needed a focus."

"Believed they needed a focus," Dr. Keaton corrected.

"Believed they needed a focus."

"I see. So it wasn't the same as the other rituals, in their minds. Was its purpose different?"

"I don't know. I wasn't part of the inner circle, they didn't tell me."

"Thank you for meeting with us, Mr. Aarons. I think it will do our employer some good, learning something about what happened to the old friend of her father's who died at that ritual. I suppose you could think of that as a form of restitution."

"I hope so," Lev says. "I hope it helps."

"Well, I think Mr. Aarons has gotten over-excited," Doctor Keaton says, "so if that's all let's see if your friends are done."

Meanwhile--

Douglas Henslowe is an older man, well-groomed even in the white-scrubs uniform of the sanitarium patient.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Henslowe. My name is Zoe, I'm here on behalf of Mr. Winston's daughter."

"I knew he would come someday." Mr. Henslowe speaks with a Southern drawl.

"We saw how many letters you sent him. He kept them all. It seems they meant a great deal to him."

"It's very unfortunate that he never got in touch; it seems he had many of his own... troubles, after what you went through together." She pauses. "There's no easy way to say this."

Douglas nods like he knows what Lacie is going to say.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but he recently passed away."

"Well," Douglas says, "when you get to be my age, with the life I live, you have more friends who are dead than are alive."

"His daughter seems to be concerned for you, especially in light of the events in August of 1924, which she knows very little about. She has been wondering if there are any amends that need to be made on her father's behalf."

"Was his death--" Douglas sighs. "Was his death natural or... unnatural?"

"He died of a heart attack."

Douglas sighs. "Good. That's... good. We take what comforts we can in this world."

"His daughter does seem to believe that he was involved in... unnatural things of some nature, but we have very little information to go on at present. Do you think you could tell us more about Mr. Winston? How did you two know each other?"

"Ah, he was involved in the occult On... the side of good, as much as there is good in such things." He sighs. "Are you here to hear the ramblings of an old man about better days?"

"His daughter was very curious to learn more about the two of you. And, I'll admit, I am now as well."