“Vincent! Dinners ready.” Barbara called as she stepped into the kitchen followed by Osgood. The big man stopped and his eyes grew wide as he saw the apparition that stood in the room with Victoria. “Vincent it’s your turn to set the table. Victoria go get the baguette and cut it up.” She turned to their visitor not catching the tableau going on in the kitchen.

“May I assist?” Osgood asked as he eyed the other guest.

“Certainly not. Erasmus, you are our guest.” She said smiling as her son came through the door. “Vincent, this is Erasmus Osgood…” She said gesturing at the man. “He is your sister’s Lawyer.”

The young man turned to Osgood. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” He said offering his hand. Then as he turned to get the plates and utensils, he stopped. “Mom, who’s our other guest?”

“Other guest?” Barbara asked, looking around. “Erasmus?” She asked, looking at the man.

“Uh, it does appear there is another person here.” He said flatly. “I’m in a bit of shock. Usually, we do not see the spirits of the fallen.”

“Just tell her I’m a ghost. The living find that easier to take.” The dark-haired ghost said as he stretched out his hand to Vincent. “Howdy, I’m Jim Bowie, I’m here to teach your sister.”

The teenager stood there and tried to take the man’s proffered hand, but his hand passed through it. “Mom?” He asked, his eyes bugging out.

“Vincent, it’s... it’s very complicated.” His mother said with a sigh as she glanced at her daughter, then to the other man.

“Wait, lawyer?” The young man asked as if the ghost of a legendary figure were not shocking enough. “Victoria what did you do?”

“I’m innocent.” She said demurely as their mother went into the kitchen to fetch dinner. Vincent continued to lay out the dishes and talk as they went along.

“You shot lightening out of your hands? Your teacher is a legendary ghost, your lawyer…” He said looking askance at Osgood. “And your lawyer looks more like an Andre the Giant impersonator and to top it all off mom isn’t freaking out,” Vincent said glaring at his sister. “And what is he teaching you, anyway?”

“Seriously Vin, I did nothing. Well, at least nothing the FBI wanted me for.” The teenager said sounding defensive. “And Mr. Bowie is teaching me how to fight with a knife.”

“Your sister has done nothing to your mother,” Osgood said. “It’s just a simple spell to help her cope for the time being.”

“You cast a spell on my mom?” Victoria asked angrily. “Couldn’t that have hurt her or wiped her memory?”

“It was just a small spell.” The big man said with a grin. “It beats her breaking down in hysterics.”

“Hurt her?” Vincent asked.

“At most she would have forgotten about this conversation.” He replied thoughtfully.” That still might not be a bad idea.”

“It’s a function of the magic,” Jim said chiming into the discussion. “At least that's what I’ve heard.”

Vincent eyed the ghost warily. “What are you teaching my sister?”

“Vincent,” Victoria said sharply, trying to cut off the man before he could answer.

“Knife fighting.” He said giving the teenage book a wolfish smile. “After a few hunert years you get good at it. He said with a decided to smirk. “Vincent glared at the man but the transferred te look on his sister.

“How did this happen?” The teen asked his sister anxiously.

“Honestly?” she said then shrugged her shoulders as she spoke. “We don’t know.”

“But, but this kind of thing doesn’t just happen.” He said waving a finger around the room and briefly stopping on the various guests seated at the table. “I mean magic!”

Osgood looked at Victoria and held up a thumb and forefinger, motioning at her brother. When she looked a spark ran between his fingers. She saw his eyes glance at her brother with a quirk of his lips. “No, you will not spell my brother.” Just as she said that her mother came back through the kitchen doorway with a large bowl of buttery noodles and the second bowl of spaghetti sauce.

“No, you definitely don’t want Vincent to spell for you.” She said chuckling that was always his worse class in elementary school.” Jim and Erasmus both laughed at the teen's discomfiture.

“Mom!” the fifteen-year-old said in exasperation. We ate the rest of the meal in friendly banter, The Leighton’s avoided questions that may expose their mother to more information about the secret world. Victoria and Osgood could both see however that Vincent was brimming over with questions. Before he left Osgood stopped to talk to Victoria. “I’ll have Saundra come by tomorrow for you. I’m assigning you to her as a trainee.” He then turned to The ghost. “Mr. Bowie, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

The frontiersman smiled, then put a knuckle to his forehead in imitation of doffing his hat. “Likewise a pleasure.” He said. “If we are done I have my own reasons for talking to the young Lady.” Osgood chuckled as he left shaking his head.

“Training?” Victoria asked.

“Yep, we’re going to get started.” He eyed the young woman. First, I wanna talk with you as we walk apiece.”

“Can I come?” Vincent’s voice asked plaintively. The old ghost pursed his lips and shook his head. “Not this time kiddo, But maybe in a while there are things she needs to know foremost that you aren’t quite ready for.” The teen looked at her brother and mother the word, please. She saw him deflate, but she knew he would do it. She told him as much as she could afterward.

Victoria insisted on bringing a jacket because of the temperature along with her wallet and ID. “A wise precaution that.” Jim said. “First, I know you are wondering how I can be here.”

“The thought crossed my mind.” The teenager said.

“We have a bond I can go anywhere you are for the time you are training with me.” The man said with a smirk. This is the first time I’ve been off those grounds in over a century.” He said then eyed the girl. “A few things about knives. They are aside from a rock one of man's first tools. And they are a tool foremost. They can kill, but that's not usually the intended purpose.”

Victoria nodded. “We need to go to the Alamo.” The man said. “We’ll talk as we go and get most of this knowledge out of the way.”

“The bus stop is that way,” Victoria said pointing down the street.

The world sure has changed.” Victoria could hear the smile in the voice of the apparition. “Before the battle, this all used to be farms on the outskirts a town. Meager little things. Had to work hard to put in even the smallest of crops.” They waited on the cross-town bus. “Understand your fighting with a knife will be mean bloody work.”

Victoria nodded at his words. “I figured but I can’t carry a gun around I’m too young and people will ask many questions if I have a sword off my hip.”

“Yeah, things changed. When I was a kid everyone had a gun or knife or something to protect themselves. I’ve seen your second amendment folks. Back in my day, that never would have been even a question. “ He said shaking his head. “Now back to fighting with a knife. You need to be sure you are prepared.”

“It sounds like you hate knife fighting,” Victoria said meekly.

“I do. If it's come to you and the other fella fighting that close you done screwed up.” He looked down. “I’m not known for fighting. I’m known for surviving. Even my last fight nearly did me in. “ He looked at himself. “Well, the last one in Louisiana.” He temporized. “I just don’t want you going I thinking a knife is a magic wand to make your troubles go away.”

“That thought had never crossed my mind.” Soon they found themselves on the bus as it roared toward Downtown.

“Now, no offense but your fighting style needs to be geared to your strengths.”

“What are my strengths?” The teen asked.

“You will fight men and monsters that are stronger than you with a longer reach.” He said showing. “Their bones will be heavier and harder.”

“Right..” She mused.

“You will need to build up endurance and your agility. The best knife blade is the one you avoid.” The girl smiled at the wry statement but agreed with him. “Your fighting stance will depend on your blade. I don’t think a heavy blade though.”

“Yeah, it's supposed to be my back up.” SHe said. “Not my main weapon.” The Old frontiersman nodded.

“Even so. I will not let you off easy.” They discussed Victoria’s training for the rest of the twenty-minute ride. Soon they found themselves at a stop on the square where the Alamo stood.

“What are we doing here?” The girl asked as she looked around the deserted area.

“This way.” Jim Urged the young woman. “The code is twenty-three, thirty-six.” He said pointing at an electronic door to the rear of the complex. As the door swung open. “There were secrets about the battle,” Jim said. “We weren’t just fighting General Santa Anna. We were fighting monsters too.”

“Why?” Victoria asked As Jim reached out with a hand and gave a tub to the last door. The door swung open. Looking inside, Victoria saw a brilliant actinic glare.

“Do you feel that?” The ghost said pointing. “Its a lay line that goes through town, If we hadn’t fought for it Santa Anna and his monsters would have overwhelmed the rest of the armies of Texas.” He said putting his hand on her shoulder.

“You can touch me?” Victoria asked incredulously.

“Only within twenty feet of this room.” He sighed. “So much lost. Now let me show you the footwork.”