There is some thought to put into this

This concerned me.

I've read about a number of things. I've seen all sorts of weird things in my life. I have friends that have experienced the strangest of things. At no point have I ever encountered an actual ghost story or ghost. I'm not talking about ectoplasmic phenomenon; I'm talking about ghosts. There is a difference.

Ectoplasmic phenomenon are generally echoes of people or their emotions. They may reflect reality but they have no actual reality to them. It doesn't mean that they aren't dangerous or anything like that, it just means that they have no connection to the people they resemble. They are reflections, like those in a mirror, and nothing more. Ghosts are supposedly the spirits of the deceased returned to our plane of existence via some method or another. There's supposed to be a reality there. To date, I've seen no proof of that.

Now some have argued with me that, just because this hasn't been proved yet, doesn't mean that it's not true. They point to other realities that have come to light in recent years, things that in the past were considered impossible but are now truth. I can't argue with that. It's possible that someone clever will sort this out and we'll have to change our thinking on the subject. One never knows.

On the other hand, the fact that no one has proved that ghosts exist by now is an impressively strong reason to not believe in them. Considering how the science and technology has lept forward and considering the number of people on the planet that are smarter than ten Einsteins, you'd think that if it was there to figure out, they would have figured it out by now. To this point, all they've proved is that all these television shows with 'ghost hunters' or 'spirit callers' are all a scam, a rip-off. While some may honestly feel they are calling up ghosts, the majority are crooks and are only out for money.

As a result of hearing 'ghost hunters', I was less inclined to be of assistance. The large man shot his friend a 'will you keep quiet?!?' look before returning to me with a warm smile that nearly obscured his vision. “My friend likes to keep things simple for those not in the trade. We've read stories of a manifestation in this area and simply wish to investigate for ourselves.”

I sighed. Quickly I saw a possible out. “We're really busy now and shifting the tables to allow you access would just be a mess at the moment. Things should slow down. Come back in an hour or so and we'll see what we can do then. That should still give you a half-hour or so before the end of the event.”

The large man nodded. “Nothing could be fairer than that.”

“Excellent.” With a bit of luck, they'll relax over the next hour and forget all about their investigation. “While you're here now, what can I get you?”

“The brown ale if you would be so kind.”