As I looked in awe upon its beauty, I was startled by a voice coming
from an unseen figure somewhere on the center platform. It said, "Jehu,
you have come at last. Welcome."

The voice was very gentle and pleasing to the ears, slowly and
confidently spoken, meticulously articulated. I looked around in its
direction and saw a short, elderly gnome with a long white beard
reaching to his chest and a short crop of hair on his oblong head, which
was outfitted with a sharp, angular nose, a pair of sparkling eyes, and
two protruding ears. He was no more than four feet tall, and no less
than three, with a dignified poise to him, and was dressed in a dark
robe with a black and gold design on it. We looked at each other for a
moment, he smiling pleasantly and me expressionless, for though I felt
that I should be surprised, or at least bewildered, at the sight of a
gnome in an underground cavern, I was not, it was as if I had almost
been expecting it to happen, as if in the back of my mind I had already
been there and done that. Perhaps it was only a case of predestined deja
vu, or maybe it was something less tangible. Either way, the gnome then
broke the silence again, saying:

"Let me introduce myself, Jehu. I am Onan, the Lord of the Past, and
these are the Chambers of History."

He then paused for a moment, waiting for my reaction, which was, again,
not too much surprised, but rather complacent, thought I didn't look
bored or snobbish, as is sometimes the case in that situation. Instead I
became as genial as possible, realizing that whatever force was behind
this, it was greater than I.

"Hello, Onan, it is pleasure to meet you," I said, advancing with a