her against him so that her cheek rested on his chest. A steady heartbeat, even breath. His lack of fear comforted her, and in a moment she was able to whisper, “The dragons. I think they’re looking for me.”
A moment of silence, long enough for her to wonder whether he was going to lie to her. She’d learned thatgrown-ups often lied. The social worker, the aunt and uncle, her teacher at school. She pulled away and looked for the this-is-for-your-own-good expression on his face. Instead, his blue eyes looked straight into hers, and he half smiled.
“I imagine they are.”
She hadn’t expected that.
“They scare me.”
“As they should.”
He fell silent and stared at the sinking sun. The look on his face reminded her of Isobel’s when she was in one of her moods, and she shook his arm to bring him back to her.
“So what do I do? About the dragons?”
“Oh, that’s easy, for now. Stay out of the Between. Later—well, there’s time enough to talk about later.”
“What’s Between?” She waited, her lip caught between her teeth, scarcely daring to breathe.
“Listen carefully. This is important.”
She nodded. If he was going to tell her how to be safe from the dragons, she didn’t plan to miss a word.
“There’s Dreamworld, right? Your dreams and everybody else’s. This, for example, is somebody else’s dream, but it’s still a dream.”
“Okay.” This was good. Confirmation of what she’d already known.
“And there’s Wakeworld. Where all the stuff the idiots call reality happens. Like school, and chores, and spinach for dinner.”
“And Isobel.”
A deep sigh at that. “Well—your mother kind of breaks the rules. Part of her is in Wakeworld. But mostly she’s stuck in the Between.” He brushed his fingers across the back of her hand. “You know when you’re not really awake and not really asleep? That place?”
She did. Everything was all mixed up there—you couldn’t tell what was Dreamworld and what was Wakeworld.
“Well, that’s where the dragons lurk. And other things, too. Stay out of the Between and you’ll be all right.”
“But I can’t—I have to go through it when I go to sleep.”
“Yes, and when you wake up.”
“So, what then?”
“Be quick about falling asleep and waking.”
“Are we stuck here then, in this dream place?”
“No. You’re never stuck anywhere unless you want to be.”
“That doesn’t make sense!”
“True, nonetheless. Look—if you wish it strongly enough, there will always be a door to take you home. This doesn’t work for everybody, mind. You have certain—gifts.”
Vivian sat still and thought about things. About Dreamworld and Wakeworld and the hunting dragons. About her mother and that lost look in her eyes, the look of the Between.
“How did you get here?” she demanded in a sudden flurry of temper. “There’s a trick. You’re not telling me.”
He smiled. “You’re smart, that’s a good thing. Look—there are the globes, that’s one door. But for those who have the touch and know where to look, the doors are everywhere.”
“For me?”
“Not yet—but maybe someday.”
“What about Isobel?”
“Ah, yes.” His eyes were sad. “Your mother has just enough ability with doors to get herself stuck.”
“Can’t you get her out?”
He shook his head. “Not until she wants to come. She’s trying to get somewhere else.”
“But won’t the dragons get her?”
“Not the dragons, no—those are for you to worry about. We’ve left her alone long enough, though—are you ready to go home?”
Vivian nodded. “Can I come back here?”
He shook his head. “Not soon. All of the dreamspheres will be yours someday.”
“Truly?”
“Truly.” He pulled a chain from his pocket and hung it around her neck. A strange pendant hung from it, and she lifted it with both hands to see better.
A circle, with a web woven into the center out of some iridescent string. A stone creature at the
A moment of silence, long enough for her to wonder whether he was going to lie to her. She’d learned thatgrown-ups often lied. The social worker, the aunt and uncle, her teacher at school. She pulled away and looked for the this-is-for-your-own-good expression on his face. Instead, his blue eyes looked straight into hers, and he half smiled.
“I imagine they are.”
She hadn’t expected that.
“They scare me.”
“As they should.”
He fell silent and stared at the sinking sun. The look on his face reminded her of Isobel’s when she was in one of her moods, and she shook his arm to bring him back to her.
“So what do I do? About the dragons?”
“Oh, that’s easy, for now. Stay out of the Between. Later—well, there’s time enough to talk about later.”
“What’s Between?” She waited, her lip caught between her teeth, scarcely daring to breathe.
“Listen carefully. This is important.”
She nodded. If he was going to tell her how to be safe from the dragons, she didn’t plan to miss a word.
“There’s Dreamworld, right? Your dreams and everybody else’s. This, for example, is somebody else’s dream, but it’s still a dream.”
“Okay.” This was good. Confirmation of what she’d already known.
“And there’s Wakeworld. Where all the stuff the idiots call reality happens. Like school, and chores, and spinach for dinner.”
“And Isobel.”
A deep sigh at that. “Well—your mother kind of breaks the rules. Part of her is in Wakeworld. But mostly she’s stuck in the Between.” He brushed his fingers across the back of her hand. “You know when you’re not really awake and not really asleep? That place?”
She did. Everything was all mixed up there—you couldn’t tell what was Dreamworld and what was Wakeworld.
“Well, that’s where the dragons lurk. And other things, too. Stay out of the Between and you’ll be all right.”
“But I can’t—I have to go through it when I go to sleep.”
“Yes, and when you wake up.”
“So, what then?”
“Be quick about falling asleep and waking.”
“Are we stuck here then, in this dream place?”
“No. You’re never stuck anywhere unless you want to be.”
“That doesn’t make sense!”
“True, nonetheless. Look—if you wish it strongly enough, there will always be a door to take you home. This doesn’t work for everybody, mind. You have certain—gifts.”
Vivian sat still and thought about things. About Dreamworld and Wakeworld and the hunting dragons. About her mother and that lost look in her eyes, the look of the Between.
“How did you get here?” she demanded in a sudden flurry of temper. “There’s a trick. You’re not telling me.”
He smiled. “You’re smart, that’s a good thing. Look—there are the globes, that’s one door. But for those who have the touch and know where to look, the doors are everywhere.”
“For me?”
“Not yet—but maybe someday.”
“What about Isobel?”
“Ah, yes.” His eyes were sad. “Your mother has just enough ability with doors to get herself stuck.”
“Can’t you get her out?”
He shook his head. “Not until she wants to come. She’s trying to get somewhere else.”
“But won’t the dragons get her?”
“Not the dragons, no—those are for you to worry about. We’ve left her alone long enough, though—are you ready to go home?”
Vivian nodded. “Can I come back here?”
He shook his head. “Not soon. All of the dreamspheres will be yours someday.”
“Truly?”
“Truly.” He pulled a chain from his pocket and hung it around her neck. A strange pendant hung from it, and she lifted it with both hands to see better.
A circle, with a web woven into the center out of some iridescent string. A stone creature at the
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