Jacob was waiting for her with the teapot and a watering can. He smiled uncertainly at her.

"I thought you might...eh...that is...do you want to help me with the kids?"

Miriam smiled at him and took the watering can. It was full but also badly leaking. They walked around the room, making sure each plant had enough water.

"Davis said we came here because I wished that I could go home. So someone here has to be able to get me home, or at least get me to the Queen."

"Ah," he said patiently. Miriam waited but he didn't say anything else.

"Could you tell me about the Queen?" she asked.

"What do you want to know about her?"

"Why does Davis think she'll kill me?"

"Hmmm. Well, she might. She's more of an Empress than a Queen," he said, before adding hurriedly. "Not that you don't seem nice!"

"Then how did she end up here? Why is she the Queen then?"

"She killed the last King," Jacob said, looking at Miriam as if he had something to apologise for. "The stories say she came and conquered the land with no army, no guide, no money and no calling. No one knew she was here until she had killed the former king and driven his son into exile. Then she took up the crown and set us apart from the rest of the world. She locked us in our country as if it were a giant prison and she was the warden. She did so to protect the other people, her family and friends."

"Is that why it's always dark?"

"No. There was light and water for a long time after Idra became Queen. The people did not trust the new Queen but they did their best to make her happy. After a time, they grew to respect her strength. As long as she was happy our land prospered. No, the land only became dark a short while ago. Do you understand?"

"No," said Miriam.

"The health of our land depends on the happiness of our ruler. No matter who that ruler is. We should have known we couldn't keep her happy for too long. You people take hurt too hard. Ah, sorry. No offence," he said.

"That's okay. What happened?"

"We have different natures. The Queen was very strong, but she had a weak heart. When her littlest love acted against her, he doomed us all. She is unhappy and nothing we could do would make her happy again."

"But isn't she one of you?" Miriam asked.

"Oh no. No, Idra was born a simple human girl in your world. She's as much of a foreigner as you are."

"Then she's like me. She'll help me!"

"Ah, no. I mean, yes, she's like you. At least she was. That was a long time ago. She might not be very much of anything anymore. Even if she was the exact same, it might not matter to her that you are alike. Idra was always known for being very selfish and very cruel. If she cannot gain by helping you or by letting you live, she will kill you."

"She'll kill me if I don't offer her something? Why?"

"She is the Queen. You live to please her. If your death would entertain her, then you'll die. The best thing is to hope she doesn't notice you. I'm very good at not being noticed," he said, "I could show you if you like."

Miriam digested this.

"Thank you, Jacob," she said.

His smile was very big and very innocent. He reminded her of when her sister 'helped' her with her homework by giving her the flu so she missed the day of school it was needed for.

The small black cat walked in and weaved between her feet.

The Queen was human. The Queen had been human but may not be anymore. She had blocked off this country to protect everyone else. She killed people for fun. Miriam knew she was missing something, a piece of information that would explain the protectiveness and ruthlessness of the same person.

Queen Idra might want to save her and get her safely home or she might want to kill her because she was simply bored. The idea of such a woman frightened Miriam.

How could someone seemingly have no conscience and at the same time be responsible for protecting every other place Miriam knew. What was this about her 'littlest love' betraying her? Surely if she only had a little love for them, what they did couldn't affect her that much.

"Davis says I should stay here and let him go."

"Oh. You stay here? That would be...okay. I don't want him, though. He'll stay if you want him to. He has to do everything you tell him to."

"He has to? Why?"

"You have his light," Jacob said, as though it was obvious. "So he can't hurt you and he has to do what you say. It would hurt him to try and disobey."

"It would?"

"Yes, but they are tricky. He'll want it back. He'll try to trick you or trick someone else into helping him. He can't hurt you, but he doesn't have to protect you. All the old stories end badly."

"Old stories?"

"About them. They twist your words and your wishes to hurt you. I don't trust him. I don't like him. I don't want him to stay. You can stay though. Travellers are always welcome in the agency."

He didn't look very happy about it.

"It would seem like wisdom until Kain finds us," said the ginger cat as he slid into the room. "I don't think he would look too kindly on us harbouring a foreigner."

"Kain?" asked Miriam.

"The old king's banished son. He's gathering an army to kill her and take back the castle," said Caleb. He was currently looking at her as though judging how strong his bite could have to be to break the skin on her neck.

"So why would he be looking for you?" Miriam asked, folding her arms intently.

"We're the travel agency. Home of the guides. Although Jacob and I are the last. We gave up our lights to always know the land. No one can travel here without a guide," Caleb said stiffly while sniffing at her fingertips. "He's looking for us to get him to the castle faster."

"But he was born here. Why does he need a guide?"

"The shifts," said Jacob, sadly.

"Shifts," said Caleb, looking at her as though she was dimwitted. "Climatic events in which the sand moves considerably, rocks rip or mend that take place when the Queen gets frustrated, mad or hurt. Buildings have been known to move and landmarks have been made to traverse or to disappear. The worst shift in history took place several years ago and caused us to lose the little sun, the disappearance of many forests and stopped the rain from falling."

The Queen mad could stop the rain from falling for years. Suddenly it did not seem like such a good idea to go ask her a favour.

So you'll just stay here with a crazy man, a rude cat and an overly-affectionate version of yourself?

The thought was cruel, snide, nagging and completely true. Miriam dreaded the idea of actively seeking such a dangerous person, but she could think of no other options other than going or staying in the agency.

"Is there no other way I can get home?" Miriam asked, her heart feeling like it was sinking into her.

"I daresay that Kain would have found one if there was."

Miriam thanked them. She didn't know what else to do.

"You can stay," said Jacob, shifting from foot to foot and looking like the offer was causing him pain. "You don't have to go."

Miriam thanked him again. Jacob stood awkwardly before her, unsure of what to do.

"Don't be too sad," he said kindly.

Miriam didn't know how else to be, so she told them she was going to go think alone for awhile. The cat said something to her back but she missed it. She went back to the room she had slept in. On the way, she passed by the room Davis was in.

He called her by name, a strange noise coming from his mouth and she ignored him. The door was open and he was watching her closely as she passed but she didn't care. She was closing the door when something banged into it. She looked up to see a lantern, hanging from a circle of metal wrapped around a rail attached to the ceiling.

She remembered what Jacob had said about the lights not liking it when people closed or locked doors, so she left it open. Presumably satisfied, the lamp whizzed away with the sound of fast scraping metal.

Miriam went to lie down in the bed. A little black lump of fur jumped onto her chest, surprising and slightly winding her. The black cat gazed affectionately up at her.

"You're just a cat, right?" she asked.

The cat meowed and forced itself under her limp hand. Miriam pet it a little, which sent it into a loud purr. She could feel the vibrations of it against her chest. Miriam touched her earring, which was as warm as the small body currently kneading her stomach.

What am I going to do?