Enter a Glossy Web Page 19

  The children watched as Mr. Night lifted the edge of the fabric, revealing pitted stone. He kicked at a place near the floor, causing a hidden doorway to open.

  They stepped through, and there before them was a long white corridor filled with hundreds of doors, each a reflection of the one on the opposite side. A friendly welcome mat lay before each portal. The only difference between the doors was that every other one had a little triangle above the frame, whereas the alternating doors each had a small circle.

  “This is the Hall of Forfeit?” George asked.

  “It doesn’t look that dangerous,” Mikal said.

  “Sooo … where’s the key?” Caleb asked.

  “You know, to be honest, I’m not sure,” Mr. Night said.

  The children looked at him.

  “You said you put it in a place you’d remember,” George said.

  “Yes. And so I did. I remember that I put it here, so at least there’s that. I just forgot exactly where, here, that I put it. On the bright side, Constantine first asked me to find the key a couple of days ago, so I was able to search through half of these Moors before my world was broken. Then I wasn’t able to look anymore, because, well, my world was broken. You know how it is.” Mr. Night blushed slightly and averted his eyes.

  Caleb nodded and stuck his hands in his back pockets. “Sure, we know all about that.”

  “Tell me again about the bright side?” George asked.

  “We know the key isn’t through one of the Moors on this half of the hallway.” Mr. Night began walking down the corridor. The children followed until he came to a stop next to a Moor whose welcome mat lay askew. “This is where we need to start.”

  Caleb gave a low whistle as he saw the large number of forbidden worlds left to search. “Cav, how’s the countdown?”

  “The time is now twelve thirty-two PM DWT. You currently have ten hours and thirty-nine minutes until mass extinction.”

  “Did I ever tell you that you’re a real ray of sunshine?” Caleb asked.

  “Why, yes, I do believe you said something of that nature. I was deeply touched. Now, let’s get on with it!” Cavendish said, and then, as an afterthought, added, “Carefully.”

  George brushed her hands together and walked to the Moor across the hall from the one Mr. Night had indicated. Above the frame was a triangle.

  Mr. Night held up a finger in warning. “I … wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

  But George was in too much of a hurry to listen. She turned the brass knob and opened the Moor into a lush meadow covering rolling hills.

  “Does this look familiar, Mr. Night—” Before she had even finished the question, her attention was distracted by the faint sound of horses galloping in the distance. She leaned into the world, trying to see where the noise was coming from. An army crested the nearest hill, rushing madly in her direction.

  As the army approached, she saw to her horror that it wasn’t made up of ordinary men. Rather, they appeared to be a mishmash of malformed creatures. Some had the form of men but were covered from head to foot in skin that appeared to be turned inside out; others were covered in scales. All were wearing bloodstained armor and carrying wickedly sharp swords, javelins, and crossbows. A soldier, his tangled hair flying behind him, shouted, “ATTAAACKK!!!”

  “Er … George—” Caleb said, but he was cut off by the launching of a thousand arrows aimed directly at them.

  George barely had time to stumble backward and throw her arms over her face before a dart flew straight through where her head had been and buried itself in the opposite side of the hall. She landed sprawled on the floor, and Mr. Night stepped over her body, ducked gracefully, and slammed the Moor shut.

  “They were attacking us!” she said hoarsely as Caleb helped her to her feet, shaking his head in disapproval.

  “As I was saying,” Mr. Night said, “I wouldn’t go barging into any of these worlds, but I would proceed with extreme caution when entering the doors with the triangles above them, as they identify the treacherous worlds. Circle worlds are moderately safe.”

  Mikal tugged on the shaft embedded in the wall, but it didn’t budge.

  George looked down bashfully as the color returned to her face. “I’ll be more careful.”

  “Splendid. Now, let’s separate into two groups, each taking one side of the hallway. The triangles and circles alternate, so we’ll all be getting our share of the danger. The little one can come with me.”

  Mikal swallowed hard, still shaken by the arrow that had almost penetrated George’s skull. “I’m eleven. I’m just small for my age.”

  “Of course you are,” Mr. Night said.

  Caleb cautiously opened a door with a circle above it.

  George hovered in the background. “See anything?”

  Caleb’s brow furrowed. “No, but I’m not really sure what I’m looking for.”

  “I seem to remember water, and lots of it,” Mr. Night said from where he and Mikal were closing the door to a world of fire, molten lava, and showering sparks.

  “Sigh. Always with the water,” Cavendish said.

  The next door had the warning triangle above it. Caleb took a deep breath, braced himself, and yanked it open. When they weren’t consumed immediately, George tugged Caleb’s arm down to peer over the top of it.

  “Oh, look!” she said. “It’s just a cute, fluffy baby bunny!”

  “A bunny?” Mikal asked excitedly. He scurried across the corridor and ducked under Caleb’s arm to see the adorable creature. It wiggled its pink nose, taking a tentative hop in Mikal’s direction.

  Mr. Night rolled his eyes and continued working his side of the corridor. “They’ve got to learn sometime.”

  “Mikal…,” Caleb said, pointing to the triangle above their heads.

  “Come on, Mikal. It could be dangerous,” George said, stepping away and pulling him with her.

  “But it looks so soft,” Mikal said.

  Then the cute, fluffy baby bunny attacked. Its lips curled back, revealing a mouth filled with rows of gleaming, needlelike teeth as it launched itself directly at Mikal’s face.

  George jerked Mikal clear, and Caleb grabbed the door and slammed it shut just before the rabbit entered the hallway. There was a loud thud, a sliding sound, and then sharp nails scratching over the wood. Angry blows followed as the rabbit threw itself madly against the barrier.

  Caleb leaned against the Moor, shaking with every shuddering strike. “Seriously, guys?”

  “Holy fire and hippos!” Mikal said, holding one hand over his thundering heart, Cavendish clutched in his other arm.

  “Are you okay, Mikal?” George asked, checking him over for injuries.

  Mikal nodded, still wild-eyed. “I think that bunny wanted to eat me.”

  “What about you, Cavendish? You okay?” George asked.

  “Just dandy, thank you for asking. I’ve gotten used to the fact that on our particular mission, one must always be prepared to be eaten.”

  “Gee. That’s awfully comforting, Cav,” Caleb said.

  Mikal cringed. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  “Yeah, like I haven’t heard that before!” Caleb said. He ran his fingers through his mussed hair, his glare turning into a lopsided grin.

  “Daniel could definitely not be trusted in here!” George said. “You can’t keep him out of anything.”

  Mikal hurried to catch up with Mr. Night, offering a muttered apology.

  Mr. Night looked him over briefly, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Encountered a Blood-Sucking Bunny, did you?”

  They moved through the next several Moors without any luck. Then they heard a gasp.

  Mr. Night was staring into a Moor with a circle above it. “This is it. It’s in here.”

  George and Caleb rushed to see.

  “There’s no water in there,” Caleb said, gazing into a world of sand and blistering sun.

  “You said you remembered water,” George said.
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  “Yes, but you see the heat coming from the ground?” Mr. Night asked.

  “You mean that glimmer over the dunes that looks like waves?” Mikal asked.

  “Yes! Exactly. Waves. That’s why I remembered water.”

  “That makes sense,” George said. “Now, where is the key? There’s a lot of sand in there. You didn’t bury it, did you?”

  Mr. Night opened the Moor as wide as it would go, exposing the inner side of the hinges. Hidden there, in a shallow recess, was a silver key.

  “And that makes three,” Caleb said. “This one’s all yours, Mikal. George and I already have ours.”

  “On to Astria!” George said. “How do we get there?”

  “Astria is here, in the Hall of Forfeit,” Mr. Night said.

  “Here?” Mikal asked nervously. “Why is it here?”

  “Because a special permit is required to access it,” Mr. Night said. “Astria likes to collect lost precious things, and it doesn’t easily let them go. Before it was moved here, people would get stuck in that world, never to be seen again, because they couldn’t convince Astria that they weren’t lost themselves.”

  “And guess what, kiddos?” Cavendish asked. “We’re heading there next!”

  “We should be fine. We’re not lost, right?” Mikal asked.

  “It isn’t me you have to convince—it’s Astria,” Mr. Night said.

  “Do you at least know which Moor it’s behind?” George asked. “Or do we have to start searching again?”

  “Yes, I know which Moor it’s behind,” Mr. Night said, making a face at George and then looking away, embarrassed at his own childish display. He led them to the very end of the corridor and stopped before the last Moor on the left. Above it was a triangle.

  Mr. Night opened the door and stepped directly in, with no sign of hesitation or caution.

  The children exchanged a worried look but followed him across the threshold and into a small waiting room. The smell of antiseptic stung their noses, and the harsh fluorescent lights overhead buzzed and blinked. The floor was covered in cracking linoleum, and metal folding chairs lined the dirty walls.

  In one of those chairs was the only cheerful spot in the dingy chamber. There sat a stunning woman dressed in a butter-yellow gown, with sunset-colored hair that tumbled down over her shoulders.

  At the sight of the unexpected stranger, the children bunched together and checked behind them to make sure their escape route was still accessible.

  Mr. Night rushed to the woman and took her hands in his.

  She looked up, her mouth lifting into a lovely smile at the sight of him. “Boris,” she said.

  “I was so afraid I wouldn’t see you again,” Mr. Night said in a whisper just for her ears. “Are you well? How is Lucretia holding up? Has there been any news of Lue?”

  “I’m fine. Lucretia too. She’s a little shriveled around the edges, but still holding on. Lue has returned to us.”

  “Thank heavens. I wanted to come to you as soon as Obsidia broke, since I knew I wouldn’t be able to find the key and help the children, but I had given my word to Constantine that I’d wait for them. I still don’t know how they ended up with the piece that allowed me to rebuild Obsidia and bring them here.”

  “Constantine knew you would keep your promise.” She reached up and cupped his cheeks with her palms. “As soon as we received news that Obsidia had broken, Constantine began planning. He suspected Lue, and so he sent the Snaffleharp Company to the Children’s Republic. He hoped they’d be able to reason with Lue, both to give up the information on how she broke Obsidia so they could fix it and to be reunited with her sisters. And they succeeded. Lue gave up the piece of Obsidia and returned home. As soon as we learned that Obsidia had been remade, I hurried here to meet you all.”

  “Lue broke Obsidia? I never realized she resented me so much,” Mr. Night said, looking downtrodden.

  “She doesn’t. She’s actually rather fond of you. It was me she was acting out against. But now we’ve made up. She accepted my apology.” The woman’s expression clouded. “I was so afraid she wouldn’t. But these wonderful kids…” She turned to look at them. Her brown eyes were tired as she watched them for a moment, and then she approached.

  Caleb stepped protectively in front of his friends. “Who are you?”

  “Who am I?” the woman asked, a look of surprise flashing across her face. “I was so certain my sisters would have said plenty about that. They were frightfully annoyed with me.”

  Mikal took a deep breath. “She must be Lucy. Mr. Night is her beau, remember?”

  “You’re very clever, aren’t you, Mikal?” the woman asked with a smile. “I am Lucy, and the Center of the Els.”

  She moved to stand in front of George, studying her very carefully, as if counting every single freckle on her face. Then she took George’s cold hands within her own warm ones. “You must be George. You are beautiful.” She patted George softly on her red hair and turned her attention to the boys.

  George’s stomach flip-flopped at the compliment, for she’d never heard one like it before.

  “Caleb, so practical and protective. I can see why Lue found you charming,” Lucy said.

  Caleb blushed furiously and stared hard at his shoes. “Thank you, miss.”

  Lucy laughed with delight and looked back to Mikal.

  “And clever, brave little Mikal—”

  Mikal interrupted. “I’m eleven, I’m just—”

  Lucy held up a finger and smiled. “Who is not little, but just small for his age. Keep in mind, Mikal, that some of the smallest beasts are the most fearsome to be reckoned with.”

  Mikal nodded earnestly, his black eyes shining with adoration.

  “And Cavendish! You have also been noble and courageous, although one might never have believed it possible.”

  “Well I, I … excuse me.” Cavendish’s screen turned crimson.

  “Lucy,” George said, “Mr. Night was supposed to guide us to Astria so we can continue our journey. Is this it? Why are you here?”

  “This is the antechamber to Astria. I was sent here by your uncle to encourage you. He wanted to come himself, but at the last moment, the only candidate for the position of Guide was deemed unsuitable, so Constantine is desperately trying to find a replacement. In addition to that, he has been attempting to correct a foolish mistake I made.”

  “What foolish mistake?” Caleb asked.

  “How could you be foolish?” Mikal asked.

  Lucy smiled faintly. “Very easily. When you met Lue and Lucretia—that is, the Hag—they referred to themselves as my sisters. That isn’t really accurate. They’re not so much sisters, as … well … they’re me. They’re both me.”

  Caleb looked confused. “What do you mean, they’re you? How can you be three different people?”

  “Maybe she means they’re super close?” Mikal asked.

  “Do you mean you’re a single person, just in different stages?” George asked.

  “Yes, that is exactly it. We are all one person. Just like each of you. The only difference is that you live your lives over an extended period of time, whereas my sisters and I live out our life span within a six-week revolution.”

  Caleb raised one silver eyebrow. Mikal scratched behind his ear. George waited.

  Lucy pursed her lips thoughtfully. “How shall I put this? For the first two weeks of this revolution, Lue is coming of age. Over the next two weeks, I live through my own stage. The last two weeks belong to Lucretia, the Hag, to do with as she will. When her time runs out, she dies, and it starts all over again with Lue. Together, we are the Els. Now do you understand?”

  The boys nodded slowly.

  “It wasn’t always this way. When we were first born, we aged normally, until we died an old woman of ninety-eight. But then something strange happened. We were born again, and again. Our body aged to ninety-eight physical years old, but this occurred in much less time, and we died far sooner than we had in th
e last life. This happened over and over, and each time, we had fewer years between birth and death. Eventually we were living our entire cycle in mere months, and we realized that if this continued, we would soon cease to exist at all.

  “When our life span had shortened to a mere forty-two days, Constantine and Henrietta found me. They had heard rumors of us and wanted to help. They had managed to find a talisman, which would act as a focus and keep my sisters and me from cycling out of life. We would be fixed on the forty-two-day schedule: fourteen days for Lue to be a kid, fourteen days for me to be a woman, and fourteen days for Lucretia to be … well … to be the Hag. We wore the talisman always, and it became more than a focus—it became a symbol of our eternal bond, and it developed its own power.

  “Constantine and Henrietta gave us Chrone Cottage to call home. It had once been the headquarters of the Council of Seven, and they asked us to watch over it. In return, it watched over us. We lived like this, happily, for a long time, but then…” She gazed fleetingly at Mr. Night.

  “But then I fell in love, and I wanted everything that went with that sort of thing. I wanted a slow engagement, a lengthy marriage, and the chance to finally grow old together with my sweetheart. None of this was possible, though, due to the nature of the Els. Neither my sisters nor I can enjoy a long childhood, a thrilling midlife, a meandering dotage, because we are each racing the clock before our next transition. I soon fell into a deep sadness.”

  Mr. Night nodded sympathetically. “Anyone would have felt the same way, my dear.”

  “Perhaps, Boris. But my mistake wasn’t in wanting something different. I think that was natural. My mistake was in not consulting my sisters about what they wanted, since we are all in this together. And then I made another mistake.

  “A few days ago, Chrone Cottage and I had landed in my favorite place near a lake high in the mountains. I was in the garden, watching the sun set over the water, when an old man I’d never seen before approached me. He said he was lost and hungry. I was hesitant to allow a stranger entry, but he seemed so helpless that I couldn’t turn him away. I brought him into my library and fed him. He saw our talisman.” Lucy lifted a hand to her chest, as if to show the children, but then frowned and dropped her hand back to her side as she realized she was no longer wearing it.