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to you. I can be your interface with the material world. If you trust my discretion.”
    “That would certainly help,” she agreed. “But why would you do it? We can't pay you.”
    “Not in money.”
    She paused, considering. “Are you making a pass at me?”
    Now I leaped for the rest of the Solar system. “Yes.”
    “Why?”
    “Why do you think, you exquisite creature? You fascinate me.”
    “But you know I can vanish at any time without notice.”
    “I hope you will choose to stay around long enough for a date.”
    She was silent a moment. “I'll consider it.”
    “Do that.” I was elated, though chances were at least even that it would come to nothing. I glanced at her, but she was gone. I was alone in the car.
    I drove home and gobbled some vittles, deep in thought. Would the Awares really take me up on my offer? Would Adela get halfway friendly with me? I could only hope.
    I cleaned up and slept. I dreamed of Adela. It wasn't just that she was young and pretty. It was that she had literal magic, and if she came into my embrace it would be because she liked me. I wanted her to like me. I envied her that special Awareness and wanted to be as near to it as I could be. But mainly I just wanted to kiss her and have it mean something more than just shutting me up.
    In the morning I made ready to go out again. Would Adela come to me? Actually she could have joined me in the night if she had wanted to. So I fought to maintain my realism. What would be would be.
    Then as I set foot on the street, heading for my car, I felt something. I was being watched, again, but this time I knew who was doing it. A man in a car parked across the street, theoretically reading a newspaper. An amateur private eye; I knew the type. And a girl standing on the sidewalk. Adela. I knew that no one else noticed either of them. I was also aware of everything else in the vicinity. If I stood just so, in the shadow of a lamppost, no one else would notice me either. Except the two Awares.
    Then it passed. Normality resumed. I realized that I had just suffered a siege of Awareness myself. Now I knew what it felt like!
    Adela and the man were gone, though the car remained. But now I knew what was what. I walked across to the empty car. “Check me out all you want,” I said. “I won't interfere with you. Adela's got me tethered.” Then I returned to my apartment.
    And that's where I am at the moment, waiting on their decision. I've made my entry; I'll put this gimcrack away until next time, and we'll see. I've got the feeling something's going to happen soon.
    It did. They decided to let me be their liaison with the material world. Starting with their families. I approached each of their families, explaining that I had news of their missing children, and would prove it if they gave me a chance. Some were suspicious, but I carried authentic letters of introduction. So they agreed to the conditions; they had to. In due course we went to each family, and had the same joyful/ tearful reunions, followed by departure. Overall, it was a good thing, in more than one way.
    Oh, yeah, the letters: each Aware made sure to quietly recover his or her letter before leaving, so that there would be no physical evidence of the contact. So that the families could not inadvertently betray them.
    I did not set up any formal accounts, because those too could be traced. I just made sure to get anything any Aware asked for, anonymously, and handed it over. Or to do any little thing they needed done, like destroying embarrassing pictures or diaries so they would never be discovered. Teens these days can do the most foolish things!
    And Adela rewarded me with her increasing favor. In fact--

Chapter 3:
    Contact
    Elasa opened her eyes. She had almost succeeded in being the protagonist as she listened to the recordings. One mystery solved, leading to another: what had happened to Yon Yonson? But that one was readily solved: he had turned Aware and joined the other