At midnight they stand in the chalk with their hands out and nothing happens for eleven seconds.

Then a warmth goes up through the floor and the candles lean outward and Corvina says, from the doorway, that it worked.

CorvinaIt works when all three are willing. It will not work if one of you is pretending. You will know within the minute.

Nobody asks the obvious question, which is what any of them has to be pretending about at midnight on a Tuesday.