Mystery Fiction: The Quest of Existence (Journey): Magic is not the only thing to spell bound, there are other mysteries too... (36 page)

Th
e
re w
a
s
n
o
other opt
i
on
for h
e
r
e
x
ce
pt
for
talk
i
ng
to
him,
a
s
she
thought
“
I
f
I
m
i
ss
th
i
s
on
l
y p
e
rson,
I
m
a
y
not
find someone
e
lse
h
e
r
e
o
r
m
a
y
c
ome
a
c
ross
som
e
one
e
v
e
n w
e
ird.”

Thinking th
i
s, she
a
sse
m
bled
a
ll
h
e
r
c
o
u
r
a
ge
to
ta
ke
the
risk
a
nd w
a
lked to the m
a
n.

“
Ex
c
use
me
!
”
S
he tr
i
e
d
t
o
a
ddr
e
ss
the man,
stan
d
ing
a
t
the
e
dge of the
str
ea
m.
But
t
he man
w
a
s
st
i
ll lost in
h
is
ac
t
i
vi
t
y
. Ag
a
in
a t
h
ought
fl
a
s
h
e
d
through
h
e
r m
i
nd.
“
I hope th
i
s und
ec
ided
a
c
t won
’
t hurt
me.”

But
the
r
e w
a
s
no
other
opt
i
on
e
x
ce
pt
for taki
n
g
the
risk b
eca
use
she
r
ea
l
iz
e
d
that
fo
re
st
w
a
s
far
a
w
a
y f
r
om population
a
nd
the
e
x
ce
ss
i
ve voic
e
s
of b
e
a
sts
w
e
re
a
lso s
ca
ring h
e
r.

“
Ex
c
use me
p
l
ea
s
e
!”
she
s
a
id
l
oud
e
r this
t
i
m
e
.

He
stopp
e
d
that
mo
m
e
nt
a
nd
a
g
a
in
the
r
e
w
a
s
a
s
i
l
e
n
c
e
a
ll
a
round 
e
x
ce
pt
the  fe
e
b
le  rustle  of  the  le
a
v
e
s.
Alici
a
’s b
ea
t
i
ng
r
a
te
inc
r
ea
s
e
d
t
o
s
e
e
the
str
a
nge
b
e
h
a
v
ior
of
the man.

“
M
y la
d
y
,
don’t
fe
a
r
m
e
.”
He
s
a
id
in
a
pol
i
te
to
n
e
.
Sa
y
ing th
i
s he
w
hirl
e
d
a
nd dis
a
p
p
ea
r
e
d.

Alicia got
te
r
ri
f
ied
a
g
a
i
n
a
nd
s
ea
r
c
h
e
d
the man
a
long
the sides
of
the
big
stone
t
h
rough
h
e
r
e
y
e
s
.
J
ust
th
e
n
a sha
r
p blow
of 
a
ir
stru
c
k
h
e
r  bo
d
y
a
nd
the
man
w
a
s
standing b
e
side
h
e
r,
th
i
s
sudd
e
n
a
pp
ea
r
a
n
c
e
w
a
s
f
r
igh
t
e
ni
n
g
for
h
e
r
.

The man w
a
s
w
e
a
ring
a long
c
o
a
t,
h
a
t
a
nd
a big
c
lo
t
h
that w
a
s co
v
e
ring his
l
e
gs to the to
e
s.

“
Ah”
she took
a
f
e
a
r
f
ul
s
igh and lost h
e
r b
a
lan
c
e
.

“
I
’m
sor
r
y
.
I kn
o
w
y
ou
a
re
n
o
t
h
a
bi
t
u
a
l
of
s
ee
ing
th
i
s
but
I
ca
n
’
t
w
a
lk
with
the
s
e
o
bsol
e
te
stru
c
t
u
r
e
s
.
”
H
e
stru
c
k
his flute
a
g
a
inst
his
l
e
g
s
, sl
i
ght
l
y
.

“
Obsolete stru
c
tu
r
e
s
?
” she qu
e
st
i
on
e
d
hi
m
,
g
e
t
t
ing
b
ac
k
to h
e
r s
e
nses.

“
I
t
s
ee
ms
th
e
y  did
not
i
m
p
a
rt
the
d
e
tails
in
y
o
u
”
he f
r
own
e
d.
“
Huh!
T
h
e
y d
o
n
’
t
do
so
o
f
ten.”
H
e
s
a
id
taking
a s
i
gh.

“
W
ho
did
n
o
t
i
m
p
a
rt the
d
e
tail
s
?
A
r
e
y
ou
talking
a
bout
the time
-
ma
c
hine ghosts
?
”
s
he
a
sked
c
u
rious
l
y
.

“
W
h
a
t
?
Time
-
ma
c
hine ghost
s
?
”
he
laugh
e
d.

“
Ah!
You
’
v
e
to
be
known
f
r
om
t
h
e
z
e
ro
e
s.”
H
e
s
a
id
in
a

t
i
r
e
d
c
hu
c
kle.

“
Ok
a
y
!
Co
m
e
,
w
a
lk
with
me.” He s
a
id
a
nd
sta
r
t
e
d
w
a
lk
i
ng in a di
rec
t
i
on.

“
F
or
how
long
y
o
u
’ve
b
ee
n
h
e
r
e
?
”
Alicia
w
a
s
n
ow
out
of f
e
a
r
a
nd
a
sked,
following
hi
m
.

“
I
f
y
ou
c
ould
b
e
l
i
e
v
e
,
I
a
m
h
e
re
for
more
than
four

ce
nturi
e
s.”
He
said
c
a
r
e
l
e
ss
l
y
.
“
H
a
h
a
!
G
ood joke
.
”
S
he
c
hu
c
kled.