Page 36 of His Human Believer

“Yep.” I tap the pin. “Mulder had this word on his wall. Nobody ever took him seriously and he was right about basically all of it.”

“Oh my gosh,” Avery chuckles. “You are dressed as an alien conspiracy theorist, on a planet that is alien to us, to go and hunt an alien conspiracy?”

“Yes,” I answer brightly.

She gasps and points at me. “And this means that Vidar is Scully.”

“Yes, he and I are doing a role reversal, aren’t we?”

Hannibal looks at the pin. Then at me and his bound. “I do not understand,” he says.

I pat his shoulder. “You’re not supposed to.”

I have not seen Vidar since the hallway last night. He didn’t have breakfast with us and he’s been at the wall since midday. I don’t go and knock on his door or message him because I figure he’s avoiding me simply because he’s super busy and also he needs to keep his head on straight. There’s also the added bonus that he literally needs to keep me, the civilian, away from his scientific conclusions so as to not taint his evidence.

It’s sad but true.

This is why, as the first stars are blinking in the night sky, I’m stepping outside without Dr. Vidar Coalstone. It’s too bad he can’t be there to see it because the change that’s been made to these streets for Halloween is amazing. Riley and everyone else, did an outstanding job. This is certainly a night I will never forget. The community at dusk is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and I am not being dramatic.

I go trick or treating with the Hellstone family. Hannibal, Avery, Dagr, Mitry and Sela. Hannibal strides at the front of our group with Skylo on leash. Avery pushes Sela in a stroller. Dagr walks with Mitry. And I’m in the midst of all of this, with a wide smile on my face.

There are gourds everywhere.

Every domicile. Every path. Down both sides of the drive that circles the lake, along the walls, on the steps, clustered around the community center, hundreds of them, carved with faces, all of them lit.

I stand in the middle of the drive and watch Skoll Strikestone walk down a row of eleven carved gourds and light each one with a short precise flame without breaking stride, the way another being might tick items off a list. I have to stop walking and watch in wonder.

“Yeah,” Avery says. “Wait till you see them do the ones on the water.”

Riley Touchstone is running the event like a military operation and enjoying herself more than any being I have ever met. When we reach the Touchstone house I see she’s got a headset and she shows me the route map. She’s recording live on her Intelgram account in short bursts and then dropping the tablet and shouting instructions at somebody. A hundred and fifty million Hyrrokin are watching a gated community on Tarvos, which happens to have a large concentration of humans, celebrate the alignment by handing out candy in the dark.

“Margaret.” She grabs my arm as I pass. “Margaret, look at the feed⁠—”

She shoves the tablet at me.

Comments are scrolling faster than I can read.

“Hyrrokin from four continents. Beings from three other planets. Somebody in the outer sectors is asking where they can buy a carved gourd. They love it,” Riley says. Her eyes are bright. “There are four communities on the eastern side already committed to doing their own version of Halloween next year. Somebody in Fire Creek is already asking me for the route template.”

“Riley, this is wonderful. You’ve done an amazing job organizing this.”

“And you and Vidar are doing an amazing job of helping to keep the kids safe during the alignment. Thank you so much.” She squeezes my arm and is gone.

Chloe has a trick or treat station at the Heimdall Residence.

She’s set up in the foyer with the doors thrown open and the staircase glowing gold behind her. Both human and Hyrrokin children and their families are coming up under the fanned wings with their buckets out to be handed treats by a human female standing in the jaws of a monster.

Bergelmir is nearby, providing security.

I wave at Bestla and Grandma Narvi who have placed a bench on their own front porch. A small child approaches in a costume made of what appears to be sacking.

“What are you?” Grandma Narvi demands.

“A rock.”

Narvi looks at Bestla. Bestla looks at Narvi.

“That is a very good rock,” Narvi agrees and gives him extra candy.