Re: dock: atticus and mal
Mal quirked a brow. "Not like normal ghosts, naturally." Atticus seemed to have a lot of information about the spirit world. "What do they manipulate?"
He huffed a little laugh. "Can and does." 'Money' was enough explanation for a lot of things. "I haven't read them," he said. He wasn't apologetic about it, only interested in what he'd missed. "Are the protagonists happier, at the end of those stories? Does it help?" He shook his head. "The right path for me. Right now. I've been known to stray. We'll see."
Mal took the small, separated piece and the puzzle and passed them back to Atticus. "I suspect if you apply it to a spot or a seam on that thing, something else will happen. It appears that was just step one." Nothing had been revealed by pulling the piece away. Only the whole was diminished, and a possible key left in the hand. "I can keep trying if you like. But it is your puzzle. Doesn't seem fair."