ter imes uttered or ten, t I er our montc no envy for t of restrained pity. ion bo it run trange to settle on to time and lost to ones true nature.

    I  back for my book. Our encounter outside ted overnigo t a single candle to sory and isfied. tried to sing tes of o one bundle  my manuscript, papers from ter from Speck; and into anot of to leave at able. Our miscime o make amends. Above me, glass crastered. An obscene exclamation, a to tsteps approacrapdoor.

    Per t cions drifted from dread to excitement, a sensation not unlike ing at turn from o  o sless not befriend me after all t I did not e  olen music, give him my name, and bid him farewell.

    ting to figure out o get into to come to er an eternity,  back on its lig. A perfect square separated our t once, uck o ted over to traig six inc of ed me, for no sign of kindness or recognition marked ures, no expression but ra, ed o a snarl, and rage beat out of o our orc—and co t;Keep your distance,quot; I ;I can send you from t; But  coming.   to do and lifted tern above my  past  my back.

    tern glass broke and a blaze spilled out like er over a pile of blankets, and traig. As ter,  t of ter, and  into to retrieve. urned around, rapdoor banged closed, and a long, t upward, brighe walls.

    On ture began to emerge in terne ligion, but as tlines flared and flickered. t once I perceived t: t Coast of ted States, tours of t Lakes, ty plains, to tly above my roke of tion, and some. Speck e and drarail to