too. She felt like my mother. Like everyone’s mother.
Mother Earth.
“Lady of the Lake, welcome,” said Sir Perryvale. “Lady Gaea . . .”
“Oh stop that,” she said. “And get up. You know very well I’ve never required any of you to kneel or bow to me.”
I got to my feet. I could see Sir Perryvale was having trouble with that, so I helped him up. His knees cracked loudly.
“We don’t do it because it is required, Lady Gaea,” said Sir Perryvale. “We do it because it’s you.”
“Call me Gayle,” she said. “I haven’t used that old name in ages. How many times do I have to tell you? So knock it off! Or I’ll get cranky.” She looked at me. “Well. A Drood. It’s been a while . . . What do you want with me?”
I filled her in quickly on everything that had happened. She was very easy to talk to, nodding in all the right places.
“It seems likely Molly has been kidnapped by the Powers That Be,” I said finally. “Do you know who they are? Where they are? Do you know what’s happened to my Molly?”
“Of course,” said Gayle. “I know everything. And when I don’t, I make it up. Though you’d be surprised how often it all turns out to be true anyway. Molly Metcalf has been taken by the Powers That Be, taken out of this world so she can participate in the Big Game. And yes, I know you already know that; I’m just confirming it. As to who the Powers That Be are . . . not all of my knowledge, or all of my secrets, are mine to share.”
“Why not?” I said. “Who is there powerful enough to compel you to keep things secret?”
“I am,” said Gayle. “I am the world, and the balance must be maintained.”
“Am I supposed to understand that?” I said.
“No,” said Gayle.
“Just as well,” I said. “All right, what can you tell me? Can you See Molly? Can you See where she is?”
“Yes,” said Gayle.
“She’s still alive?” I said. “She’s all right?”
“She’s still alive,” said Gayle.
I could tell she was being careful about what she said. I wanted to shout at her, demand more information, make it clear to her how much I needed to know this and how angry I was; but I could tell . . . that would be a really bad idea. She really was everything she seemed to be, and more. So I clamped down hard on my emotions and said, very carefully and very politely, “What can you tell me, to help me?”
“Molly can’t save herself,” said Gayle. “You must go to where she is and save her.”
“How do I find her?” I said.
“You need a Door,” she said. “To take you to the Shifting Lands. A very special, very powerful Door.”
“I have the Merlin Glass,” I said.
“You say that like it’s a good thing,” said Gayle. “If you only knew what’s inside that Glass, watching you . . . The Glass can’t help you this time. It isn’t powerful enough to take you where you need to go.”
“There’s the Doormouse,” I said. “And his House of Doors. He’s always boasting he can provide a Door to anywhere . . .”
“To anywhere else, perhaps,” said Gayle. “The Doormouse does good work. But the way to the Shifting Lands, and the Big Game, is protected. The only way in is by invitation. And if the Powers That Be had wanted you, they would have taken you along with Molly. There’s a reason they take people, Eddie Drood. Have you ever entered into any binding Pacts or Agreements?”
I did think about the deal I once made with the rogue armour, Moxton’s Mistake, but I didn’t say anything.
“You need to find a Door powerful enough to punch right through all the defences,” said Gayle. “And for that you need to pay a visit to the Travel Bureau.”
I winced at the name. Sir Perryvale saw me do it.
“What?” he said immediately. “What is this . . . Travel Bureau? And why haven’t I heard of it?”
“Because you don’t move in those kinds of circles,” I said. “I’ve heard of them. They’re a kind of Underground Railroad, for people who need to get away. In a hurry. Before certain other highly motivated people can track them down and express their extreme displeasure with them. The Travel Bureau offers a one-way trip to the destination of your choice. The price is everything you own. Because you can’t take it