"I'm implying you might need the distance of the computer to convince anyone to let you near enough to see the cups," Dexter retorted, and he sounded like he was going to go on when he ... didn't. Ravel's soul withered just a little, as if in shame, and Dexter's banner was blown back, tangling in the pole. Withdrawing.

But Ravel went on, and the moment passed easily, and Solomon declined to draw attention to it in favour of turning this new enigma over in his head. Over the past century the Temple had stopped revolving its workings so much around those two dates nearly as much, though admittedly they still had some influence on their liturgical year. The Passage was meant to happen on one of them.

But this wasn't just about old pagan festivals. Lucifer was the source of a Christian belief. Solomon tapped his fingers idly against his arm. "Look for associated holidays," he said finally. "Beltane is a Gaelic festival. We're looking for Christian ones. Catholic, probably. If we don't find any for Beltane we can look for ones related to Samhain."

And if nothing showed up for that they would have to broaden their search.