Chapter 35 – The Name the Cottage Must Never Hear Part 2 – The Memory That Belonged to Nobody

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The Cottage of the Vanished Wizard
Chapter 35 – The Name the Cottage Must Never Hear Part 2 – The Memory That Belonged to Nobody
“You.” The word remained behind the grey door. Mara stared at it. “Me?” Horologia caught her arm. “That sounded like an answerable question.” Sir Fegelot positioned himself between Mara and the door. “New policy remains in effect.” Madam Arabica clicked her lid. “Our policies have remarkably short lives.” Tiktora raised the reader. The black line through the final silver mark had grown thicker. “Fifty-four is still changing.” Memoris unfolded his letter. Fresh ink appeared. THE WITNESS PROVIDES THE NAME. The words trembled and rearranged themselves. THE WITNESS PROVIDES THE PLACE. A third line formed. THE PLACE MUST NOT BE EMPTY. Mara looked toward the grey door. “The Witness stood outside the circle. Now the Cottage wants someone there.” The unnumbered mark beyond fifty-four clicked. Mara glared at it. “Stop that.” It clicked again. Madam Arabica tilted her spout. “You are arguing with arithmetic.” “Arithmetic started it.” The grey door vanished. Behind it was darkness filled with floating doors. The eighth chair stood at its edge. Empty. Golden letters appeared above it. THE PLACE IS AVAILABLE. Horologia tightened her grip. “Nobody approaches that chair.” Sir Fegelot planted himself before it. “Finally, an instruction suited to my talents.” The chair slid sideways. Sir Fegelot followed. Madam Arabica’s lid rattled. “An inspiring duel.” More empty chairs appeared. “It is offering alternatives,” Memoris said. “No,” Mara replied. “It is trying to find the right memory.” One floating door opened. Mara saw herself many years older beside the ancient black door, the black key in her hand. The Witness stood opposite her with a clear face. Mara looked away. Another door opened. The Witness wore the vanished wizard’s face. A third showed Mara’s face beneath the Witness’s hood. A fourth showed a stranger. “It is guessing,” Mara said. Biblior nodded. “Because it never knew the face.” “It knew there was a Witness,” Memoris said, “but not who.” Horologia looked at Mara. “And you do.” Mara nodded. The silver mark pulsed. The doors changed faster. Wizard. Stranger. Mara. Child. Blank face. Then the garden appeared. The child with the wooden sword stood beneath the tree. The Witness knelt before the child. The child handed them the sword. Mara frowned. “That never happened.” The vision froze. Tiktora gasped. “Fifty-four reacted.” The black line advanced. Horologia understood. “Every time you reject a false memory, it learns.” “Then I stop correcting it.” Sir Fegelot pointed at the doors. “Excellent. From now on every memory is accurate.” Madam Arabica tilted toward a vision showing him with three handles. “Even that one?” “Especially that one.” The false memories vanished. Only one door remained. Small. Grey. It opened. Beyond it stood a room containing eight chairs and the cracked white cup.