Chapter 26 – The Place Where the First Story Ended Part 1 – The Door That Was Not There Before

More about Chapter 26 – The Place Where the First Story Ended Part 1 – The Door That Was Not There Before

The Cottage of the Vanished Wizard
Chapter 26 – The Place Where the First Story Ended Part 1 – The Door That Was Not There Before
For a long while after the hidden stairway vanished, no one moved. The Hall of Beginnings had returned to its former serenity, yet the silence no longer felt peaceful. It felt watchful. Thousands of unwritten pages drifted through the endless silver radiance above them, but Mara could not forget the tiny black drop that had hovered above the page in her hands. Nor could she forget the guardian's warning. When the forgotten learns to speak, bring the page to the place where the first story ended. She carefully slipped the folded page beneath her tunic. Its warmth remained steady, though every few moments she thought she could feel a second pulse beneath the first. "We should leave," Biblior said quietly. No one disagreed. The First Reader stood beside the white pedestal, gazing toward the distant golden doorway through which the travelers had entered. For the first time, uncertainty touched the ancient face. "That doorway should return you to the library," the First Reader said. Ticko lifted his lantern. "Should?" "Until today, no one who entered this hall had ever brought something unknown into it." Madam Arabica gave a metallic shiver. "I preferred mysterious books and impossible staircases." Sir Fegelot tilted his crooked hat. "I never thought I would agree with a coffee pot." Together they began crossing the immense white floor toward the distant doorway. With every step the golden opening appeared closer, yet Mara soon noticed something strange. Their reflections beneath the polished floor were no longer moving perfectly with them. She stopped. Her reflection took one additional step. Mara stared downward. The reflected figure stood motionless beneath her. Then, very slowly, it looked up. Mara had not moved her head. "Don't look down," she whispered. Linora turned toward her. "Why?" "Because mine just looked at me." Everyone stopped. Ticko's lantern swung nervously. Sir Fegelot stared deliberately at the ceiling. "Excellent advice. I have always considered floors suspicious." Biblior cautiously glanced downward. His reflection behaved normally. So did Memoris's, Linora's and the others. Only Mara's remained different. It watched her for another moment, then raised one hand and pointed behind her. Mara slowly turned. Far across the Hall of Beginnings, beyond the white pedestal, a door stood where no door had been before. It was small and ordinary, almost absurdly so within the immeasurable silver hall. Dark wood. Iron handle. No symbols or ancient carvings. Nothing suggested magic except the simple fact t hat it had not existed moments earlier. "Was that there?" Ticko asked. "No," said the First Reader. Memoris narrowed his eyes. "You are certain?" "There has never been a door upon that wall." "There isn't a wall," Lumio observed.