Chapter Twenty-Three: The Way

I took the book from the writer's hands and pulled off the rubber bands. Gingerly, I opened it. The first page it opened to had this written on it:

THERE ARE FOUR LETTERS, FIVE SUNS, NINE CIRCLES, TEN PLAGUES. THERE ARE THREE BODIES, FIVE MANSIONS, SEVEN HEAVENS, AND SEVEN HELLS.

THERE ARE TEN PASSAGEWAYS AND TEN BRIDGES.

YOU MUST CROSS EVERY ONE TO GET TO THE LAST BRIDGE.

THE LAST BRIDGE IS THE WALL.

I read it out loud. "What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means," the writer said, "we have a long way to go before we reach the Wall. Luckily, we've already started. The 'three bodies' it mentions are us. Turn the page."

I turned the page and read the next one out loud as well:

THE FIVE MANSIONS:

FIRE, FOREVER, FORTUNE, FORTITUDE, FORGIVENESS

"We can cross the first mansion off the list," the writer said. "We've already visited it - that was Our Lady of the Immaculate Conflagration. And now for the next one."

"Forever?" I said.

"Okay, we'll skip that one," he said. "Too complex. How about the House of Fortune? That should be easier. Relatively." He grinned.

"You're having fun?" I said.

"I'm having an adventure," he said. "I've never had one of those before. Come on then."

"Where?" I asked.

"To find some dice," he said.