First of many

[empty_spaces]

This is not the entrance to the gardens.

Mal opens the door wider and peers into the dimly lit room on the other side.

It looks like some sort of alehouse. Why was there an entrance to an alehouse in the middle of a holy sanctuary? Was it magic? She starts grinning. She hopes it's magic. She's been sooo bored. Magic would really spice things up around here.

She steps through the possibly magic door and lets it close behind her.

Comments

[empty_spaces]

"I do! Knowing all of that just by looking at these things. That's incredible."

Her breath starts to hitch, and her heart is running a mile a minute.

"Change. Yes, I want it. I hate the monks and their stupid monastery. I never want to go back. This Death person, he's kept me there, imprisoned me for so long. I don't care about his reasoning, or if he means well. It's torture."

She looks around, and back to him. "You'll help me? I can stay here?"

[nevercatchwise]

"Sure. And you can follow me back to Chicago, if you like. After that reading I'm betting you'll be good company."

[empty_spaces]

"What's it like there? Does everyone have magic, like you?"

She makes a face, "If I go with you, what will happen in my world? They'll notice I'm gone, what if they open the door?"

[nevercatchwise]

"I don't remember what happens if you never go home, but they won't find the door unless you open it for them. If you don't want to see them again, odds are good you won't."

"As for my world... we call it Earth. The only magic I've heard of there is the cards. Other people have made claims, sometimes, and a couple miracles might have been legit, but the only one anyone's ever proven works is fortune-telling. And you need Roma blood - only call them gypsies if you want to pick a fight - or you've got no chance of getting the talent. At a guess, we've got a lot nicer technology than you do, though, which will probably look like magic. Do you have much, where you come from? Or are there just a few people running around immortal?"

[empty_spaces]

She sighs in relief. "Good. I'll never see them again, if I have any say about it."

"I'd heard about other sorts of magic, before I came to the monastery. But I've never personally experienced any, my immortality and the magic door are the only ones."

"I'm not really sure? The man you call Death. He felt like me, immortal, there was a sort of... buzzing. In my head. I've never met any others. Maybe we are the only ones, I don't know."