1.      FAREWELL          or the chapter in which the whole world is lost   “What do you think?” the girl asked quietly as they ate a quick supper at home. “When will I be able to return?” “I can’t say,” Grandma answered. “It depends on the circumstances, and you’ll have to rely on your own judgment and the advice of my sisters. You’ll have to stay there long enough to be forgotten here. Long enough for Hissatam to lose all interest in you. But at the latest, you must return when you feel yourself starting to grow. It’s impossible not to miss, don’t worry; you’ll hear a cracking noise, and then you’ll slowly grow a millimeter until the next crack comes.” “Oh...” The girl became a little frightened. “A cracking noise? That’s a bit weird... but so is everything you’ve said so far... Well, all right. Do you know how long it will take?” “I really can’t say, but it will definitely be a few years. I was surprised how quickly I grew up here. You’ll grow much more slowly over there.” “A few years? But I can’t! That’s just impossible!” The girl was devastated.  “Do you ever regret coming here?” she asked sadly. “No, not at all. I have lived a very long and useful life, and in the end, I met your grandpa, gave birth to your mother, and now I have an exceptional granddaughter.” Grandma gently stroked the girl’s head and then hugged her. The girl snuggled up to her and felt warmth in her heart. “It’s a shame that Grandma is so nice now, just when we have to say goodbye,” she thought. “And besides, I have discovered so much here. I have gathered a lot of knowledge and information. My notes alone could be made into a whole stack of books... too bad I can’t use them. The Great Witch travels freely between the two worlds, and probably knows more about both of them than I do. But when you return, I want you to read all the notes I made, so you’ll understand me better. You’ll find the answers to a lot of questions in this world, as well as in Mezzarthys. It’s the best I can do. And who knows, one day it could even help the people of Mezzarthys, too.” “But what will you be doing while I’m gone? Can’t I return home when you do?” “I don’t know if I’ll ever come back. You must understand that I’m very old, and I could pass away at any moment. If I die while you’re away... no, don’t cry...” She stroked the girl and smiled. “At my age, we have to be prepared for anything. But I promise you, if I return and everything is safe, I’ll definitely let you know.” “But how?” “I’ll find a way. Our worlds have never been completely separate, and I even contact my sisters once every five years, using a crystal ball. There are other magical creatures living here, too. There are very few of them, and they don’t meet up very often—they don’t want to be discovered—but I am sure that at least one of them could help me.” “Why don’t you contact someone now? Maybe they would be able to help!” “I’m afraid not,” sighed Grandma. “The reason we got into such terrible danger is precisely because I tried to find help. Ever since I discovered that Hissatam uses a fully functional gateway, I have been trying to find out if I could get to it somehow. I was really thrilled when, during my research, I accidentally met a person I had known in Mezzarthys. This individual was called the ‘Great Protector,’ and naturally, after your mom died and I started to suspect that Hissatam was after us, I asked the Great Protector for help. I was assured that help was on its way, and that if anything happened to me, you would be taken care of. Although back then, I thought that Otto would be here, if necessary. I didn't think they would attack him, too. Anyway, it’s clear now that we can’t rely on the Great Protector anymore. I’m sure there has been foul play. I feel really stupid to have been so naive at my age! I shouldn’t have let such a person fool me—it cost us a lot of precious time—but we have known each other since I was little.” “You’ve known that we are in danger ever since Mom died?” This was just too much for the girl. “Why didn’t you say anything?” “And what would you have done? I didn’t want to scare you. After all, at the beginning, I only had a suspicion, otherwise I wouldn’t have let Otto leave.” Grandma fell silent for a moment. “I drew us both into deadly danger. I wasn’t aware of it for a long time. I thought I would die in a few years, and that you would go on living a normal life. It was because of me that Grandpa died... and then... my dear daughter. They died on exactly the same day—I mean, your mom died exactly one year after Grandpa did. That’s the way Hissatam works. And you are next on the list.” “But why?” The girl found it hard to believe. “Why would such a powerful witch want to kill me? I’m only a kid I haven’t done anything wrong, and she must know that I can’t hurt her, even if I wanted to.” “I’m terribly sorry that I put you in such danger. You certainly haven’t done anything wrong, and neither did your mom, nor your grandpa. But it’s not quite true that you aren’t dangerous to the Great Witch. Even the fact that you know of her presence in this world poses a threat to her. And when you grow up, who knows what you might achieve? Your mom didn’t know anything about Mezzarthys, and yet, about a month before she died, she told me that she had made an interesting discovery. She said that her latest research had confirmed that the existence of two parallel worlds shifted in time was perfectly possible, and that their mutual interconnection through space-time tunnels could not be ruled out. She laughed at the idea, and said that, according to one of the theories of contemporary physics, even the world I described in my fairy tales was a possibility.” Grandma sighed. “Your mom was a very intelligent and sensitive person. I’m sure she had her suspicions about me, if only in the last year of her life. But she didn’t say anything. Perhaps she was waiting for me to start first. We talked a lot, and she unintentionally helped me with many things. Unfortunately, Hissatam also has another reason to hunt you down. She is, in fact, carrying out the traditional execution ritual used by the mountain tribes of South Kranach, where she is from. The idea is to arouse a feeling of terror and utter despair in the hunted person. Once a year, always on the same day, they kill a close relative of the condemned. This way, not only do they eradicate the whole family, but they also ensure that those who remain live in utter dread. And the feeling that you are unable to save yourself, even though you have a whole year to do so, is devastating. Not to mention the boost that the authority and reputation of the person organizing the execution receives. When your grandfather died, I thought that it was only an unfortunate accident, but exactly one year later, when your mom died, I started to suspect that Hissatam might be involved. And regrettably, I was right, which is why I told you as many stories and tales as I could remember from my childhood. Although you don’t realize it, I have already told you almost everything I know. Even those maps and pictures I drew were as accurate as I could remember. At least you now have a pretty good impression of the house where my sisters live, as well as its close vicinity. I’m afraid I haven’t told you everything you need to know, and I almost certainly missed a few very important bits and pieces, but I have forgotten a lot, and Mezzarthys would be as strange for me now as it will be for you. I left when I was only a little child, smaller than you.” Grandma smiled. “Yes, I was smaller, but older than you are. I don’t even know how big Mezzarthys is. It’s just one continent and a vast number of islands, but I have no idea whether it is bigger or smaller than, say, Europe or Australia. I saw some maps a very long time ago; I can still visualize them, and I could even sketch them, but I have no idea what scale they were drawn in.” “But couldn’t your sisters help?” The girl insisted. “You’ve still got that crystal ball, why can’t you at least give it a try?” “It’s not possible, my dear. A crystal ball isn’t like a radio or telephone, and what’s more, witches protect themselves against it. You can’t see them unless they want you to. That’s because when you look into it, you may find yourself revealed to outside observers. Perhaps Hissatam found me because I kept up contact with my sisters. Mind you, the Magic Land doesn’t develop as quickly as this world does. And this...” Grandma pointed at the crystal ball. “Well, there was a time when I would have sold my soul to get one, but it’ll just be a piece of useless junk before long. You’ll find that a lot of magic artifacts are somewhat limited when compared to modern technology.” Grandma stood up and took a jar of herbs from the shelf. She put a kettle on the stove. “It’s late—let’s have some tea. You’ll sleep better... and don’t worry, this isn’t a magic potion.” She winked. “Only herbs that will help you relax. I’ll explain how to get through the gateway tomorrow morning, so it will all be fresh in your mind.” Grandma put a fragrant, steaming cup in front of the girl. “When you get to the other side, there will be a little red bird waiting for you. You’ll probably have to wait for it a little while, but don’t worry—it will come and take you to the house. You must also give my sisters a message from me. It’s a very important message, and destined only for their ears—it’s not too long, but it’s in the ancient language of Vaisaly, and you must learn it off by heart. We always used Vaisaly when we didn’t want anyone else to understand us, so they will be sure the message is from me. Don’t worry, it’s a very simple language. Oh, and one more thing. I want to send a gift to my sisters. Knowing them, they’ll be absolutely delighted if I send them some culinary specialty, some delicacy... Do you remember when we made chocolate together? I’ll explain how to make it again. It’s very simple, and as far as I know, they still only use cocoa beans for magic. I’m sure they’ll be excited.” The girl wasn’t too enthusiastic. “But what am I supposed to do there all that time? With two grannies?” Grandma only laughed. “You’ll see. I don’t think you’ve ever seen such lively ‘grannies.’” Grandma bent towards the girl and looked deeply into her eyes. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Now go to bed. You need to get your mind together, and sleep is the best thing for it.” “Could you stay with me in my room tonight?” the girl asked bashfully, not expecting Grandma to agree. She sighed with relief when Grandma smiled and nodded. The girl was crushed at the thought of what the next day would bring, and she was frightened at the very idea of being left all alone in her big, dark room. She thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep at all, but when Grandma had tucked her in and kissed her goodnight for the first time ever, she fell asleep almost instantly, as if by magic... Grandma sat by her side for a long time. She watched the small body curled under the covers of the large bed. She looked at the small, delicate fingers holding tightly onto the soft blanket, and the little upturned nose; she listened to her deep breathing. Her whole universe lay in this small girl with scruffy hair spread all over the pillow. Suddenly, the girl seemed to fade before her eyes. The image of her clouded over and rippled strangely... Grandma, startled, wiped her eyes. She had never experienced anything like it. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.   Grandma woke the girl up very early in the morning. Breakfast was already on the table, and the girl ate it without a word. She couldn’t imagine what awaited her. Meanwhile, Grandma walked up and down and never stopped talking. She was clearly very nervous, and prattled on constantly. She was explaining exactly how to use the gateway and what she must do so as not to leave any traces in the cave, and the girl had to repeat each of these instructions a number of times. She also had to repeat the message for Grandma’s sisters, in a strange language, over and over again. Surprisingly, it must have been a really easy language, because even though Grandma said it only once, it somehow became locked in her memory, and she never made a single mistake when she repeated it. During her speech, Grandma talked more and more about Mezzarthys. She frequently reminded the girl that life there would be much harder and much more dangerous than it was here. If she were to live alone, without Grandma’s sisters, she would get into a lot of trouble very easily, because many of the creatures living there were gifted with various abilities; some of them had lived for many human lifetimes. They had great knowledge, many skills, and knew the land, its history, customs, and laws, while she did not. The girl would have to survive there, even during the worst of times; she must not show herself too often, or say where she came from, and she must work hard to learn as much as she could, because by the time she returned, there was a good possibility that Grandma wouldn’t be here anymore, and she would have to take care of herself. Grandma insisted that she should stay away from the Great Witch at all times and not to try to seek revenge. She also said that she shouldn’t go to the tidal cave without good reason, so as not to attract the attention of someone or something to the gateway. She also taught her the recipe for chocolate, which she was supposed to tell the sisters. “I just hope I don’t get it mixed up with the message I have to say when I arrive,” the girl worried. “Maybe instead of chocolate they’ll cook up shoe-glue or something...” Before they realized it, it was time to go. Grandma prepared one more cup of herbal tea. “This will refresh you,” she said. She turned away from the girl, so she couldn’t see what she was doing. She pricked herself and a drop of blood fell into the hot tea. She offered it to her granddaughter and, without thinking, the girl drank it all up. Then Grandma said, “Let’s go.” She walked towards the door, and the girl followed numbly. Together, they stepped out of the house and closed the door, but this time Grandma locked it. They climbed into the car, carrying very little baggage, so it looked as if they weren’t going to be away for long. Or, indeed, forever. Grandma started the car and they drove off. The girl looked back for a long time, trying to carve the image of their town below the tree-covered mountain into her memory. They were quiet for some time, both lost deep in their own thoughts... “What will you do when we split up?” The girl broke the silence. “Do you see that black car following us?” asked Grandma. “Just behind that red Audi—three cars back. I saw it earlier this morning—it passed our house a couple of times, and now it’s following us. I think they’re already on our trail. When I hide you in the cave, I’ll cast a spell on everyone so they’ll think you’re still with me. Then I’ll drive around the country for a few days, stopping frequently—mainly in remote places—to confuse them. That way, they’ll lose your track and they won’t know exactly when I left you. Then I shall disappear too. I still don’t know where, but I have an idea.” “Are you sure they won’t see through your trick in the cave?” “No, not if I’m really careful. They wouldn’t find out even if the Great Witch herself were with them. Besides, these are only her human collaborators. Don’t be scared, everything will be fine! Just do exactly as I told you.” Driving along the winding road, Grandma’s car slowly drew closer to the Tourist Center, which was only a few steps away from the cave. The girl had butterflies in her stomach. She noticed the car that Grandma had told her about, parked on the other side of the car park. “We’re in luck,” said Grandma. “A group of tourists has just gone in. Another group will follow in an hour, and we’ll go with them. Then the cave will be closed until the evening for a concert. You’ll have more time to hide your tracks.” “So what will we do now?” “We still have time. We can stroll around—it’s beautiful here.” “Is it safe?” “No safer or more dangerous than standing here in front of the building. But I don’t think we’re in real danger yet. Not until the evening.” Grandma soothed the girl. “Come on, it’s a lovely day! Can’t you smell that wonderful scent in the air?” The girl nodded and looked back again. The black car with tinted windows was still parked on the other side of the car park. No one stepped out of it.   The girl had been in the cave a couple of times before, and every time she came, it seemed completely different. She knew very well that stalactites and stalagmites grow slowly, only a single millimeter every few years, so that couldn’t have been the reason. It was probably because each time she returned, she was a little older and noticed new things. The cave was rather large; inside, a lazy underground river flowed into a black lake in the very deepest part of the cave. It was impossible to walk around the lake, because it touched the walls in some parts, while in others it disappeared beneath the rock and into darkness. The large cavern containing the lake contained many passages leading to other caverns, both large and small, in the upper parts of the cave, while other tunnels merged, divided, twisted, and turned back upon themselves. Deep openings that looked like dark spots on the walls and ceiling were dotted all over the cave. It looked like Swiss cheese. There was a very strong draft. The stalactites and stalagmites were beautiful; there were many minerals in the water dripping down, giving them a rainbow of colors. Some of them were transparent, and when they were properly lit, they looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. But unfortunately, there weren’t many such places inside. The cave could have been exquisite and unique if there were more of them, but it was only at the very beginning of its development. As a result, it looked more like a system of underground passages. The cave’s most frequent visitors were locals. People arriving from other places thought there was “nothing interesting” to be seen there. It was too far from the main road, and even inside the cave, you had to walk for ages through the dark passages to get to the large cavern where the stalagmites and stalactites were, and where concerts for a few local music aficionados were sometimes held. Needless to say, a few eerie tales surrounded the cave, but the girl found it horrible enough listening to the guide’s lecture about the blind creatures, even though they were only insects and fish, which lived down in the deep.   An hour slipped by in the blink of an eye. They sat together in a nearby glade, enjoying the mellow spring sun, and the girl couldn’t take her eyes off her surroundings—the woods, trees, grass, and wild flowers, the silvery mountains in the distance, the blue sky, and the ever-shifting clouds. How many times before had she looked at them here... and when would she see them again? She held her grandma’s hand almost all the time. She felt her firm grip. Surely they were only parting for a short while, the girl hoped desperately; Grandma would surely settle everything soon and then send for her. Maybe she didn’t even need to go anywhere—she could hide here, in the cave... And then it was time to go. As she walked to join the little bunch of visitors, the girl looked at the black car again, but she couldn’t make anything out through its tinted windows. “Is everyone here?” asked a smiling guide, opening a heavy, metal-bound door. “Please come in, and follow my lovely colleague, Edith, into the cave. We will now step down the stairs to the first cavern, where I will tell you about the history of the cave and its discoverer. Welcome!” The girl felt a breath of cool air. She turned and looked at the scenery bathed in sunlight for the very last time, and stepped after Grandma into the darkness.   The girl didn’t listen to their guide’s lecture at all. She grasped Grandma’s hand firmly, and was really frightened. The two of them walked behind the group. And then, in the shadow of the passage, when all the tourists were preoccupied by the talk, looking at the guides, Grandma hugged her quickly and kissed her. She felt tears rolling down Grandma’s face. “My dear,” Grandma whispered hastily, “we must part now... no, please don’t cry!” “But you will send for me when you return... promise?” “Don’t worry, I’ll call you back as soon as I can.” Grandma covered her face with kisses, hugged her once more, and thrust her into a cleft in the rocky wall. She walked away decisively, without turning back. The girl held her breath; her heart was pounding so hard that it seemed to be trying to jump out of her chest. She pressed herself against the cold stone, so that no one could see her as they departed. The guide walked past, looked around briefly to check that nobody had remained behind, and left. The girl was alone. As soon as the cave was empty, the lights switched themselves off automatically. She had to make do with her pocket flashlight. She turned it on and went back to the large hall. She had to walk down at least a hundred slippery steps, which were covered in mud that had been brought in by visitors. The darkness around her was frightening, and full of noises that she hadn’t been aware of a short time ago. The wooden treads seemed to crack under her weight, the draft howled, the drips of cold water and her own breath echoed back from the rocky walls. When she finally came to the large hall, she squeezed under the railings. Carefully, so she wouldn’t slip on the wet stones, she walked to the lake. Then, just as Grandma had told her, she followed its left bank until it disappeared under the overhanging rock. She bent down and shone her flashlight on the stone, where she found a little gap between the stalagmites, just as Grandma had described it. She slipped reluctantly between the slimy stones and found herself on a tiny ledge above the lake. The girl hesitated for a little while, but then she took off her clothes, put them on the ground, doused them with a liquid she had brought in a small plastic bottle, and set them alight. She waited until the fire died down and then threw what was left into the water. The strong current immediately caught the ashes and washed them away into the deep. Now naked, the girl felt uncertain. She dipped her hand in the lake. The water was cold. She didn’t feel like walking in. Getting rid of her clothes was one thing, but she couldn’t imagine separating from her flashlight, too. There wasn’t even a little hole in the surrounding rocks where a single sunbeam could penetrate the darkness, and she simply couldn’t summon up enough courage to turn off her pocket flashlight. It was the only light she had. She tried to delay that moment. Her grandma might still be up there somewhere. Perhaps she was waiting to see whether the girl would run back to her... and maybe it was still possible to catch up. Suddenly, she lost her courage. Perhaps she shouldn’t have burned her clothes... The water was awfully cold, but even so, she dipped her feet in and tried to see the opening on the other side that Grandma had described, hoping that if she couldn’t find anything, she would return. But with no clothes on, she wouldn’t be able to blend in with the visitors tomorrow morning... Eventually, in spite of her fears, she sank into the chilly water. Her teeth chattered from fright and the cold. Finally, she stretched out her hand and resolutely switched off the torch. Its flickering light vanished, and the veil of deep darkness left in its wake terrified her. She tried to put the flashlight on the edge of the rock, so as to have it close at hand if need be, but she couldn’t see a thing, and the flashlight rolled down into the water. The girl heard only a quiet splash. “So... what now?” It was all so unbelievably terrifying, and yet Grandma had said that this was only the beginning—that the worst and most dangerous part was yet to come...   The girl swam blindly across the lake. It seemed to take ages until she finally touched the rough rocks in front of her. She swam under a sharp rock jutting out over the water, where there was just enough space for her head to stay above the surface. Using one hand to swim and the other to feel out her way, she suddenly felt a soft draft on her face. “There must be an opening somewhere ahead,” she thought. She moved along slowly, against the breeze. It took her a long time to reach her destination, and when she finally sensed that she had arrived, a strong current started to drag her down, and she surrendered herself to it, as she had been told. The water seized her and pulled her along with growing vigor; when she reached the entrance to the “somewhere,” which she sensed only as a darkness even greater than the one that already surrounded her, the current suddenly started to spin her forcefully and pull her down into the deep. The girl panicked. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to overcome the current anymore; from this point on, there was no return. In last second she managed to take a deep breath, and closed her eyes in dread. The speed of the current pulling her downwards grew even stronger. She flew at an amazing pace, and everything raced backwards around her. The gateway was extremely narrow. There was just a thin layer of water between her and the jagged, rocky walls. She couldn’t hold her breath for much longer; a bit longer; just a bit... She started to choke, and felt incredibly scared. She heard a drumbeat in her ears, but that might just have been her pounding heart... Just when the girl felt that she couldn’t hold her breath any longer, that she wouldn’t get out of there in time, that she might as well die, a red glow began to penetrate her closed eyelids. The current shot her out into a white light. She gasped for air. She had made it to the other side.   After Grandma had said goodbye to the girl, she stepped briskly towards the group of visitors surrounding the guides. Her eyebrows were furrowed deeply in concentration, and she knew she must not falter. She had to break away from that beloved little person pressed against the cold walls of that dark, rocky crevice, and focus all her skills on getting to the car safely. Luckily, the group of tourists was small, and tricking them into seeing a vision of the little girl firmly clutching her grandmother’s hand was relatively easy. When they approached the exit, Grandma, who was walking slowly at the rear of the group, stopped for a moment. The guide behind her saw her bending over and taking her granddaughter in her arms. “She’s tired,” Grandma explained, wrapping the ‘girl’ in a big scarf that she was wearing around her shoulders. “See, I told you. That dress isn’t warm enough for the cave,” she added, turning to the bundle in her arms. A quiet murmur was the only response. After they emerged from the cave, all the visitors saw her carrying her exhausted granddaughter to the car. Grandma placed the ‘girl’ on the back seat, then got into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and drove away. As she approached the black car, she briefly noticed something stirring inside. She had been right—as soon as she passed it, the car moved off in pursuit. Grandma turned onto a road that led to the city by the sea where her daughter and the girl had lived, which was approximately three or four hours’ drive away. She left the forest, passed the town where she had spent most of her life, and turned onto the motorway that led directly to the sea. She noticed that another car had joined her pursuers, but didn’t pay too much attention to it. Instead, deep in concentration, she repeated an incantation until she connected with the drop of blood that the girl had drunk in her tea that morning. She sighed with relief when she realized that the girl was already in the large cavern. She increased her speed. As the car flew along the motorway, Grandma’s eyes glowed with a mysterious green light—which pierced one right to the core, as the people in the town used to say—and she followed the girl in her mind. She perceived the girl’s doubts and fears, knew her feelings when she took her clothes off, and trembled with the cold when the little girl immersed herself in the water. After about an hour of fast driving, Grandma reached her destination. Her pursuers had kept up with her, but she didn’t care. She turned onto an old, disused road cut into the steep cliffs that rose high above the sea. She sensed the girl swimming under the rock and knew that she was approaching the gateway to Mezzarthys. She stepped on the accelerator. Her car gathered speed, racing along the narrow road at a suicidal pace. The tires squealed on the sharp curves as Grandma followed the road cold-bloodedly and without a moment’s hesitation, concentrating fully on her granddaughter. In her mind’s eye, she saw the current capturing the girl, and felt the vortex dragging her deep under the water, into the dark hole. She pressed her lips together. Sharply she turned the steering wheel. The car smashed through the barrier at the side of the road and tumbled down from the cliff into the sea. Grandma died at the very same moment when the whirlpool caught the girl and pulled her down into the gateway. They had both disappeared from this world.   High up on the cliff, next to the smashed barrier, stood two cars that had only just managed to stop in time. Four men in black suits stood at the edge of the steep precipice, coldly inspecting the surface of the sea. After a long time, they got into their cars, turned around, and drove back the way they had come.   E ....back to Sample Chapters Page