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Description
4~*~4

I woke up late, nine thirty to my usual six o'clock, but I did not hurry to do my chores. Why? Because the book was still sitting on my bedside table and the events of the previous night had not been a dream. I grabbed the book and started reading all about a time that did not exist yet. I was fascinated by the stories of pharos, mummies, crocodiles and hippos, and everything else in this kingdom built by a river called the Nile. I must admit, this river frightened me. Every year it would flood and destroy anything foolishly built in its path, leaving behind it a layer of fertile soil in which the farmers would plant new crops. I had never heard of our river flooding, but what if it did someday?

I was so engrossed in the book that I forgot to go down for food until well past noon.

Down in the main hall, my entire family was still sitting at the table, long after the meal should have finished. My presence went unnoticed until I sat down and pulled a plate of potatoes forward, and even then only a few people glanced my way. I looked up and down the table and saw that Lapis and Great-Grandpa Joseph were present in addition to my direct family, and everyone was listening to Julian, who sounded quite agitated

"I don't understand why you're so against the idea of leaving the valley," he said to Lapis. "I did it and I came back alive!"

"Julian, we understand that you feel passionately about this," the sorcerer replied. "But I just don't think it's a good idea. I have learned through experience that humans are fickle beings, more so than any of the other races. They will turn on anyone who is different, even themselves, and when one turns they all follow…The results are always disastrous."

"There you go again," cried Julian, banging his fist on the table. Soup sloshed out of my bowl and Tam's hands darted forward to catch the candlesticks before they fell over. "You always do that, start talking about how you know better than everyone that humans aren't to be trusted, but you never say why, so WHY?"

"That is none of your concern," Lapis muttered. Julian glared at her.

Victoria spoke up. "I rather like the idea of going outside the valley. We'd only send people who looked human too, of course, and we could make friends -"

"Shut up Victoria," snapped Nelson. "They're not animals to be trained, and besides, you're just saying that to make Julian like you."

"And how would you know?" Victoria demanded, though her face went bright red and Julian's promptly followed suit.

"Because it's your nature."

"It is not!"

"Only because Lapis bound your magic."

"Girls will you please stop bickering," Mom spat.

"It would be good to get to understand the humans," said Grandma, picking her words with care. "If we could walk among them without them realizing that we weren't Human, we could see how their minds work, get to know their nature. It's only a matter of time until they find the valley anyway, and we may as well know what we're dealing with."

"Hmm…" It was clear that Lapis was against the whole idea. "I'll have to think about this for a while. In the mean time Julian, I'd like you to write down everything you can remember about your journey and give your notes to me."

Julian's shoulders sagged at the prospect of such a large project, but that was that. Lapis stood and walked away from the table. Great-Grandpa Joseph remained in his seat, staring at his folded hands.

"This isn't a good idea," he said in a low voice.

"Oh not you too," groaned Victoria.

"You don't understand," he said, sounding very much like a stubborn child.

"Well why don't you enlighten us since Lapis won't?"

Great-Grandpa Joseph said nothing.

"I'd love to get out of this valley for a while," said Tam. "Meet new people…see the world…"

"Well you're the last person we'd send if this thing got off the ground," snapped Mom. "I mean look at you! You wear horrible clothes and you can never hold your tongue, and if one of them took offense at something you said-"

"How do we know they're all that bad?" Nelson put in. "If no one has left the valley in one hundred fifty years then-"

"I did," said Julian, miffed. "And it wasn't all that bad."

Everyone began to discuss, debate, and argue themselves hoarse, so I jumped up to leave when someone addressed me.

"What are you reading, Myra?"

It was Great-Grandpa Joseph. He must have moved down the table when I was not looking. I had brought the book to breakfast without thinking.

"It's, uh, a romance novel."

"Really?"

I knew that he did not believe me. His eyes flicked downward to my neck.

"That's a very pretty necklace you're wearing."

I did not say anything.

"Did Lapis give it to you?"

I nodded.

"I'd wear it inside your shirt if I were you."

I tucked it away and he nodded his approval.

"It would appear that I have a bone to pick with Lapis. Good-bye."

And he hurried off.

I did not stew too long over his behavior. Seeing him out of his room on an otherwise normal day was surprising, but I had other things to think about.

I was almost a third of the way through the Egypt book and I figured that I could get it done and then travel that very night. No one had mentioned the fact that I had skipped my chores, so I did not think it would be a problem.

Of course, I had never read a book of history before.

There comes a time, more evident in books over three hundred pages, where all the facts and the history begin to slow down and meld together in your head. I realize that this does not happen for everyone, but for me, the last hundred pages were torture. Every so often I would count the pages left to go, which of course made it seem even longer. I did not finish until almost eight o'clock at night.

When I had read the last word of the last line on the last page, I slammed by book shut and jumped up. I was ready to leave, ready to have my first adventure.

I picked up the book and held it close to my neck so that I would not have to take the necklace off. The nine-pointed star slid into the imprint, a perfect fit.

Nothing happened at first, but after a moment or two I became aware of the sound of wind in my ears. I snapped my eyes shut. In the darkness behind my eyelids, I saw a flaming white door fly open and suck me in.

I was in a giant corridor, gray except for where open doors lead to other worlds. There were thousands, millions of doors, and through them I could see colorful images of the times and places they led to.

I moved toward the left side of the corridor and began to slow down. At last, I whipped around and fell face-forward into the time and place. I hit a hard floor and my eyes flew open. I saw a room, one of the uncomfortable-looking beds, and a person in the lamplight.

"Iras? What's wrong with you? Get up!"

I was in Egypt.

Description
4~*~4

I woke up late, nine thirty to my usual six o'clock, but I did not hurry to do my chores. Why? Because the book was still sitting on my bedside table and the events of the previous night had not been a dream. I grabbed the book and started reading all about a time that did not exist yet. I was fascinated by the stories of pharos, mummies, crocodiles and hippos, and everything else in this kingdom built by a river called the Nile. I must admit, this river frightened me. Every year it would flood and destroy anything foolishly built in its path, leaving behind it a layer of fertile soil in which the farmers would plant new crops. I had never heard of our river flooding, but what if it did someday?

I was so engrossed in the book that I forgot to go down for food until well past noon.

Down in the main hall, my entire family was still sitting at the table, long after the meal should have finished. My presence went unnoticed until I sat down and pulled a plate of potatoes forward, and even then only a few people glanced my way. I looked up and down the table and saw that Lapis and Great-Grandpa Joseph were present in addition to my direct family, and everyone was listening to Julian, who sounded quite agitated

"I don't understand why you're so against the idea of leaving the valley," he said to Lapis. "I did it and I came back alive!"

"Julian, we understand that you feel passionately about this," the sorcerer replied. "But I just don't think it's a good idea. I have learned through experience that humans are fickle beings, more so than any of the other races. They will turn on anyone who is different, even themselves, and when one turns they all follow…The results are always disastrous."

"There you go again," cried Julian, banging his fist on the table. Soup sloshed out of my bowl and Tam's hands darted forward to catch the candlesticks before they fell over. "You always do that, start talking about how you know better than everyone that humans aren't to be trusted, but you never say why, so WHY?"

"That is none of your concern," Lapis muttered. Julian glared at her.

Victoria spoke up. "I rather like the idea of going outside the valley. We'd only send people who looked human too, of course, and we could make friends -"

"Shut up Victoria," snapped Nelson. "They're not animals to be trained, and besides, you're just saying that to make Julian like you."

"And how would you know?" Victoria demanded, though her face went bright red and Julian's promptly followed suit.

"Because it's your nature."

"It is not!"

"Only because Lapis bound your magic."

"Girls will you please stop bickering," Mom spat.

"It would be good to get to understand the humans," said Grandma, picking her words with care. "If we could walk among them without them realizing that we weren't Human, we could see how their minds work, get to know their nature. It's only a matter of time until they find the valley anyway, and we may as well know what we're dealing with."

"Hmm…" It was clear that Lapis was against the whole idea. "I'll have to think about this for a while. In the mean time Julian, I'd like you to write down everything you can remember about your journey and give your notes to me."

Julian's shoulders sagged at the prospect of such a large project, but that was that. Lapis stood and walked away from the table. Great-Grandpa Joseph remained in his seat, staring at his folded hands.

"This isn't a good idea," he said in a low voice.

"Oh not you too," groaned Victoria.

"You don't understand," he said, sounding very much like a stubborn child.

"Well why don't you enlighten us since Lapis won't?"

Great-Grandpa Joseph said nothing.

"I'd love to get out of this valley for a while," said Tam. "Meet new people…see the world…"

"Well you're the last person we'd send if this thing got off the ground," snapped Mom. "I mean look at you! You wear horrible clothes and you can never hold your tongue, and if one of them took offense at something you said-"

"How do we know they're all that bad?" Nelson put in. "If no one has left the valley in one hundred fifty years then-"

"I did," said Julian, miffed. "And it wasn't all that bad."

Everyone began to discuss, debate, and argue themselves hoarse, so I jumped up to leave when someone addressed me.

"What are you reading, Myra?"

It was Great-Grandpa Joseph. He must have moved down the table when I was not looking. I had brought the book to breakfast without thinking.

"It's, uh, a romance novel."

"Really?"

I knew that he did not believe me. His eyes flicked downward to my neck.

"That's a very pretty necklace you're wearing."

I did not say anything.

"Did Lapis give it to you?"

I nodded.

"I'd wear it inside your shirt if I were you."

I tucked it away and he nodded his approval.

"It would appear that I have a bone to pick with Lapis. Good-bye."

And he hurried off.

I did not stew too long over his behavior. Seeing him out of his room on an otherwise normal day was surprising, but I had other things to think about.

I was almost a third of the way through the Egypt book and I figured that I could get it done and then travel that very night. No one had mentioned the fact that I had skipped my chores, so I did not think it would be a problem.

Of course, I had never read a book of history before.

There comes a time, more evident in books over three hundred pages, where all the facts and the history begin to slow down and meld together in your head. I realize that this does not happen for everyone, but for me, the last hundred pages were torture. Every so often I would count the pages left to go, which of course made it seem even longer. I did not finish until almost eight o'clock at night.

When I had read the last word of the last line on the last page, I slammed by book shut and jumped up. I was ready to leave, ready to have my first adventure.

I picked up the book and held it close to my neck so that I would not have to take the necklace off. The nine-pointed star slid into the imprint, a perfect fit.

Nothing happened at first, but after a moment or two I became aware of the sound of wind in my ears. I snapped my eyes shut. In the darkness behind my eyelids, I saw a flaming white door fly open and suck me in.

I was in a giant corridor, gray except for where open doors lead to other worlds. There were thousands, millions of doors, and through them I could see colorful images of the times and places they led to.

I moved toward the left side of the corridor and began to slow down. At last, I whipped around and fell face-forward into the time and place. I hit a hard floor and my eyes flew open. I saw a room, one of the uncomfortable-looking beds, and a person in the lamplight.

"Iras? What's wrong with you? Get up!"

I was in Egypt.