did no

aceful, but no longer heavy with unspoken things. The walls did not groan with memory as they once had, and

er arms and dust in her throat. The restoration had begun not with stone or gold, but wi

l bound in cracked leather. Her brother's init

rentice archivist beside her, a quiet boy from Velbridge named Elias not the

arefully, as thoug

te this before the

ght up to the we

pages, reverent. "Why did

ause some people thought si

ce still cool, still dim, but no longer oppressive. Oil lamps now lined the walls. E

re dusted with plaster. He had spent the morning helping repair the collapsed floor in the north wing he clai

box down

terials," he said. "Nothing but

. "Those are Thorn

f labeled Unclassified. He still didn't like being down

"I keep thinking about Tomas. Ho

ogging. "He was always the one who believ

tated. "But sometimes I

g moment. Then, "Maybe. But

est drawing room now housed a rotating display of personal artifacts portraits, ribbons, candleholders

on it: the ordin

ge Historical Society a small, graying woman named Dr. H

place," Dr. Hollis said, peerin

a replied. "And it never

wly. "You've made a sanctu

ly restored and displayed on a small easel. It was of her fath

id softly. "I did it for the ones they

's shoulder. "That's what history is for, my dea

where the piano had finally been tuned. The old windowpanes still ratt

ow how to play, not really but his fingers found something

inst the doorfr

mproved,"

eplied, not looking up. "Wh

d, "Do you think people will forget? Once this

ow, looking out at the dar

htly. "Does th

hy we're doing this. So even if th

hoes last long

rprise came

d, addressed only to The

map aged, hand-drawn, bearing the layout of a t

der. "That can't be right

a finger over one passage mar

the cellar, behind a bricked wal

erns and crowbars, th

way after an h

nd filled with old dust, but unmistakably part of th

l chamber no bigger than a closet. Inside were two tr

to the sky. At the center stood a child holding a candle. The

closer, bre

rs, toys. Clearly belongings of som

and read the fi

remember who I am."Mira sat down slowly on

d. "This was his. From bef

this life. But he

ing the items, their sil

ed the trunk gently and whisp

exhibit on false i

ealed. No direct

ural was

it, in ca

e made to forge