door to the long, circling stairway from whence we had come. As we
ascended we engaged in small talk, the usual meaningless pleasantry,
which I assume you have probably had enough of in your experiences to
allow me to dispense with relating it, for it was of no weight in any of
the circumstances that I found myself in, and I especially was not
interested in it, as the paper given to me by Bernibus claimed my whole
attention, and filled me with an anticipation and mystery of what it
might contain. I kept up the small talk with the King merely to allay
any suspicions he might have had, though he had none. After a seeming
eternity we reached the top, and once there I stepped into my chambers,
as the King jestingly called them. We bade each other goodnight, which
was followed by the metallic click of the door locking, and the sound
his footsteps as he descended and made his way to his palace.






Chapter 11: The Land Across the Sea



I waited reluctantly with my ear against the door until his footsteps
could no longer be heard, and then waited for fifteen minutes more,
listening carefully for any noises. There were none, and once I had
convinced myself that I was completely alone, I dashed swiftly up the
stairs and jumped onto the couch. My sudden movements caused the top-
heavy tower to sway slightly for a few moments, giving me quite the
scare, for I didn't realize what it was at first. But then my pilot's