The headmaster walked down the idle of desks returning the final essays.
“Well done, Mr. Cabell,” said Headmaster Clarke.
“Mr. Selden, not so much. Is English your first language?” 
When he reached Eddy he stopped, and sighed. 
“Mr. Allan-Poe.” 
The man cocked his head to look over his bifocals. 
“…Well done.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“In fact,” Clarke continued, “I believe your essay might be well-received by your classmates. Would you mind reading it to us?”
 “Um… Yes, Sir. I’d be honored.”
He had been worried that his essay was too beyond the pale; too dark; too sacrilegious. Suddenly, his dreams of being published seemed more possible than ever. 
Eddy charged the podium, a broad smile on his face. He began with a brief history about the historical King Macbeth and his violent rise to the Scottish throne and his role in the assassination of the previous king, Duncan. 
 “History tells us King Macbeth ruled for fourteen years until he was killed in retribution by Duncan’s nephew, Malcolm, whereby the crown returned to that family. It isn’t known whether the real Macbeth enlisted the supernatural to gain power, as Shakespeare would have us believe, but it is true that magic and alchemy played an important role in Europe at the time, and still does to this day. 
“In fact, magic and mysticism date back as far as history itself. Moses, King Solomon, the Three Wise men, also known as the Magi. The Greeks had witches Hecate and Medea and Circe, known for her herbs and potions. 
“Magic didn’t become clandestine until the Dark Ages, when European kings and priests became threatened by anyone who might have more power than they. And so the lore began, which brings us to The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare. 
“Legend has it Shakespeare stole authentic chants from a coven of witches who then placed a very real curse on the play.”
Eddy channeled his thespian roots and spoke slowly, building suspense. A little Conjure of his own. As he made a case for Shakespeare’s witches, and the similarities to American folk magic, he used caution never to mention Obeah, or that his source was an elderly slave, not to mention the fear of a Macbeth-style retribution if he betrayed Eudocia’s trust. In the end, Eddy had become a believer in the power of Conjure. 
 “According to multiple reports, the first actor to play Macbeth died in rehearsals. On opening night, the actor portraying Lady Macbeth dropped dead on the spot –no pun intended- and Shakespeare himself stepped into the role of the doomed queen-. That’s right,” Eddy looked at the class, “Shakespeare wore a dress.” 
When the chuckles died down, he continued, “Other performances were plagued when prop knives were replaced with real ones, or actors fell off the stage. Even the [1] musical score is said  to curse anyone who performs it. Even saying the word Macbeth in a theater is bad luck, hence it being nicknamed The Scottish Play.” 
When he was finally through reading his essay, Eddy looked up to a silent audience. They sat motionless on the edge of their seats with horrified looks on their faces, not unlike how he had been as a child hearing ghost stories. A smile crossed his face. After class, he received pat after pat on the back from his friends. 
“Great essay,” said Creed.
 “Thanks,” Eddy smiled at the ground.
 “Where did you get that stuff?” Asked Nat.
 “A good journalist never divulges his sources.” 
 The boys were still huddled together when Robert Stanard approached, ready for his final tutoring session planned for that day. 
It had been a full month of helping the boy with his studies. If Eddy had any excuse to see Jane again, he would have to think of it fast. 
Eddy knew his lustful feelings for Jane were wrong. He hardly knew her, and had only sat with her a handful of times. That she was ten years his senior, or married seemed to be a lesser worry. There was no way he could ever tell her how he felt- or was that exactly what he needed to do? It made him sick to think about, but the more he tried to get her out of his mind, the more he obsessed. If Jane was opium, he was a fiend desperate for a fix.