"Alicia's coming for a new appointment," the detective said easily.
Sean shrugged - through the knight's ring, he already knew that the female chess player would arrive in the New Testament tomorrow.
Ocean City has just settled down, and the outside world is still chaotic, but Alicia Pompeo still chooses to go out in danger.
Because she is going to meet her grandfather, Edvard Pompey, who has been missing for many years.
Considering Alicia is now a thorn in Daedalus' side, this is obviously a secret trip.
And she also has a heavy responsibility - she must fulfill her promise and find a way out for Wright.
Therefore, Sean knew that Alicia would leave here after settling in Pompeii.
It can be said that we are just passing through the New Testament.
"Due to the sensitive nature of my identity," the detective said, "I can't go see the old man in person...
“So I could only secretly send out spies to visit a few times.
“He’s in good physical and mental shape.
"But..." the detective frowned, "I don't know why, but I have some bad premonitions.
"You and Alicia must be careful when you go to the lower level of the used book cemetery tomorrow."
The intuition of the legendary detective has a completely different meaning from that of ordinary people.
When Arthur Merlin said this, Sean was already a little nervous: "What's the premonition? Can you tell me more specifically?"
Putting down the wine glass, Merlin leaned on the desk and tilted his head: "Because the one at the bottom of the sea has completely woken up...
“So there are a lot of variables in the world.
"If it was in the previous environment, I should be able to deduce the possible dangers.
"but now……
"Just a very vague hunch."
He turned around and stared at Sean: "Anyway, you must be careful."
On the way back, because he wanted to relieve his drunkenness and let Aaliya feel the bustling streets of New York at night, Sean decided to walk along the street.
It was already December and the weather had cooled down significantly.
The end of the month is the most atmospheric festival of the year - Homecoming and New Year's Day. Even though there is still more than half a month between them, some businesses have already begun to put up snowflake window paper to prepare for the festive atmosphere.
When the woman in the window put up the white window paper, she saw Aaliyah standing in front of the window in a daze.
She smiled at the thin girl, and Aaliyah returned the smile.
Looking back at the reflection in the window, Aaliyah's nose turned reddish from the cold, and the fog when she spoke was illuminated by the streetlight: "Brother, will it snow on Homecoming?"
Sean pondered.
He knew Green's hometown would. There is a warm fireplace, a holy tree and the snow outside the window.
Sean stopped and Olivia turned around.
"Yes." Sean realized that they were about to celebrate their first New Year's Eve in New Testament City.
I couldn't help but think of my father who was far away in Green.
After rescuing Aaliyah, Sean had already sent a telegram to his father, William Dickinson, on the ship.
Since Sean had no fixed address arranged to receive telegrams, William could only reply by writing.
Although the reply has not arrived yet, Sean can imagine its content——
"Bring Ellie back quickly!" Dad with a beard and long hair shouted as if he was right in front of him.
However, Sean knew that he would probably have to wait until after Homecoming before he could take Aaliyah back to Green to visit.
Not only do they have to face dad’s complaints about them not going back for the holidays...
Sean had a headache again: "I also need to persuade them to agree to let Aaliya stay in the New Covenant with me from now on."
I sighed in my heart: "It's difficult."
Under the streetlight, Aaliyah blinked her eyes, not noticing the complicated thoughts in her brother's heart.
As if she had thought of something, she turned slightly in a circle, and her plush skirt turned up slightly: "Then I will make a small wish now..."
The slender figure swayed slightly, attracting side glances from the men and women passing by.
Crossing her slender index fingers, Aaliyah murmured in a low voice: "This Holy Homecoming, it will snow where we are."
Sean smiled and said, "For this, do you just make a wish to God?"
Aaliyah opened her big eyes and stared at Sean seriously: "It is this kind of thing that is worth making a wish for.
"Sean, Moonlight, Olivia and I...
"New Testament City, Holy Homecoming, and a snow."
“What a great time that would be.”
Aaliyah thought to herself and walked forward with her hands behind her back.
Olivia couldn't help but start to imagine that scene.
One girl's poetic charm infects another.
The delicate girl who was originally alienated from human emotions actually had some expectations in her heart.
Sean suddenly understood——
It might actually snow this Homecoming.
Because God saw that this girl had suffered a lot, he would arrange some good things for her.
"It must be like this." Sean's face was calm and joyful, and he walked forward.
——
After walking a few blocks, Sean spotted numerous figures on a corner in front of him.
"What happened?" As a reporter, he smelled an "incident" before he even got close to it.
As he walked nonchalantly with Aaliyah behind him, Sean saw police lights flashing.
"The Correctional Institution is dispatched..." There are no fewer than twenty correctional officers in uniforms with diamond-shaped silver shield emblems on their chests. Among them are even "sheepdogs" wearing leather boots and standard coats - the Special Operations Department of the Correctional Institution.
Looking through the constantly flashing figures, Sean could see some men and women in fine clothes, handcuffed and squatting on the street.
"A gathering of evil believers?"
There were already colleagues gathered nearby, and the camera flashes flashed from time to time.
From a safe distance, the spiritual essence as thin as a gossamer quietly filled the air.
Sean heard fellow reporters discussing what had happened.
"...I heard it was a drinking party about sharing dreams..."
"Sharing dreams?"
"Yes..." the reporter lowered his voice, with a sense of excitement that something big was about to happen in his throat, "I heard that some people recently entered a green dream during their sleep at night...
"Those dreams seemed to symbolize good luck - someone followed the predictions in the dream and made a lot of money...
“There are people who get what they’ve always dreamed of.
"These dreamers feel that they are different, and they believe that those dreams have incredible power.
"Furthermore, people who dream are all chosen by a certain god..."
"So, they gathered together, drinking absinthe mixed with hallucinogenic drugs and sharing their dreams...
"They even tried to unite the green dream...
"It seems that by doing that, they respond to their new master... and allow them to achieve more extraordinary things in their lives."
The voice of another reporter who heard it was obviously higher: "Oh my God, this is...!"
The narrator pulls the startled companion: Keep your voice down!
The other party immediately lowered his voice: "This is, this is blasphemous!"
Sean, who was walking with his collar erect, was listening to the conversation across the street as if using a monitor.
He saw the man who was saying words like "blasphemy" in fear, and looked up at the night sky divided by the buildings, as if he was afraid that heaven would hear him.
"Yes..." the narrator lowered his peaked cap and said softly, "It is blasphemous...
“God knows where these people come from.
"There have been three sharing meetings like this in New Testament City - it's as if the faith of the Divine Palace was shaken by another thing overnight!"
"How can such a god exist? Isn't Keen the only righteous god? Aren't the other gods far away?"
"Who knows?" A correctional officer passed by, and the peaked cap paused, spitting out the toothpick he had been holding in his mouth, "Isn't this a good thing for us?
"The stagnant water finally has ripples - I feel like something big is about to happen!"
There was suppressed excitement in his voice.
…
At this time, Sean had already moved to another block with two ladies.
As he walked around the corner, Sean caught a glimpse of a man squatting on the ground in handcuffs.
He did not show proper regret at being arrested by the law enforcers of the Divine Court.
There was a weird smile on his sweaty face, as if he was experiencing an exciting dream.
Only Sean saw it - in the depths of the man's eyes, a green light flashed like an aurora.
"The Lord of R'lyeh..." Sean's eyes were cold, and he led the two of them in a hurry, like pedestrians returning home at night. The voice in his heart, no one could hear, "has landed on the coast."
