That strange little ball had said a lot of strange little things that Claudia couldn't say she properly understood, not when she had been so quickly consumed with panic. Now, though, she turned slowly away from the sky, only to jump up on her feet in a swirl of ash to go the other way, hand out to push Lestat back a step so she could reach for the ball again. With both hands on it and a pout, then just one, slowly peeling her fingers away like she might have happened into the correct configuration to unlock it the first time, only to be left poking it with the other hand balled up against her chest anxiously.

"It's not working," she announced, sounding dangerously like she was about to blame Lestat for this development, and some new wonder was going to have to replace it fast.