“It’s going to be fine.” He spoke reassuringly now. “Climb on my back and we’ll be there before you know it.”
“Climb on your back? As in piggyback? You’re going to carry me like a child?” Zani scoffed, a bit disbelieving.
“I’m going to carry you like a porter carries a passenger. I’ve found that’s the most comfortable position. There’s a few others we could try if you prefer. There’s one where I throw you over my shoulder and…”
“Stop there!” Zani exclaimed. “I’m not sure I want to know. I’m probably going to regret this.”
Will had to admit, he was excited at the thought of trying different porting positions with Zani. She seemed quite athletic and up to the challenge. But now was not the time. Boring, safe, piggyback-style it would have to be.
“Step up onto the seat. It will make it easier to hop on,” Will said.
Zani followed his directions, reaching out to grab a handle by the door to steady herself as she swung one leg over him.
The portal was widening now. It started as a mere pinprick of light that bloomed outward, expanding and cracking the familiar dimension wide open. The void shone with the blinding light of infinite possibilities.
“You should close your eyes,” Will shouted above the hum. “And hold on tight, please. Wrap your arms and legs around me. You mustn’t let go. That’s the most important rule.”
“Got it!” Zani shouted back. Her arms twined around his neck and into his jacket. “What about my train case?” she shouted again.
“I’ve got it.” Will reached out a hand to scoop up the case. Then he took a giant step, plunging them both into the shining white oblivion.
Something was not quite right.
Will was used to wading through the porridge-like sludge of the empty spaces. It was his special skill. He’d never gotten stuck. Not once. But when he stepped into the abyss with Zani, his foot unexpectedly came down on something hard and slick. He didn’t sink. He slid.
Careening forward, Will clung to Zani’s weighted case with one arm and threw out the other to aid his balance on the slippery surface. He was at once gliding downhill and also standing still. Frigid air rushed past him, stinging his nose and frosting his eyebrows. It was impossible to tell how far he’d come in that single step, or whether he remained on course. He was grateful for the warmth of Zani. Through his shirt, he felt her fingers as they spread out to cling and clutch at him more tightly.
He’d heard plenty of tales about how to avoid the quicksand of oblivion. But ice? The phenomenon wasn’t well documented. Only children’s stories and the writings of eccentric crackpots described such unlikely events. Will struggled to remember what his old professor Burnside wrote about these situations.
When the void’s familiar sludge suddenly turns to ice beneath your feet, do not fight the slide. Most porters panic, digging in their heels. This topples them. Instead, shift your weight forward like a skater. Surrender to the glide while seeking constellations that remain fixed.
Fortunately for Will, he had grown up ice skating on frozen ponds and this wasn’t all that different, really. He bent his knees and angled his toes together, forming a v-shape, and slowed to a stop. Through his squinting eyes, he saw thousands of specks of silver floating in the air like snowflakes. Absolute truth. It was always present in oblivion. It usually gathered in ominous puddles around the edges, but here it drifted in dust motes, forming pretty patterns.
Will squeezed his eyes shut and refocused his mind’s eye upon the precise point of entry he’d chosen: the mudroom in the Mudpuddle Bookshop and Cafe. This was a perfect place for a portal because it was almost always empty, especially on a quiet afternoon like today. It was a sort of pantry where Maida and Arthur kept their winter boots and coats, and Rosie kept her cat’s food. He’d been expecting to reach it in two, possibly three strides. Now that he had no idea how far he’d slid, he was less sure. There was nothing to do but carry on, though. He couldn’t risk lingering in the abyss. Tentatively, he lifted one foot and prepared to step forward. He slid quickly once more, as if he’d pushed away from a wall and not simply taken a step.
He didn’t slide for very long this time. The next instant, his foot landed on the wooden planks of the mudroom floor.
Will and Zani tumbled together into the mudroom, nearly overturning the heavily laden coatrack. Sun streamed through the window on the side of the house and he could smell something baking in the kitchen. Rosie must have put up another batch of cookies.
“Holy crows!” Zani exclaimed. “Is it always like that?”
Will shook his head. He was at a rare loss for words. Had they really just arrived here in little more than a single slippery step?
“Can I get you some water? Give yourself a moment before you stand up.” Will leaned backward and bent his legs to deposit Zani on the wooden bench by the door. He would have liked to have sat on the bench himself for a moment or two, but he didn’t want to alarm her.
Zani did not seem alarmed, however. If anything, she seemed exhilarated. “What was all the silvery stuff in the air?” she asked.
“You opened your eyes?” Will sucked in a breath. Why hadn’t she listened to him? And how was she still conscious? He’d known no one, aside from his fellow porters, who could risk having a look around while porting. It made most people faint immediately. Or worse. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“What do you mean, am I all right? Of course I am! Better than all right. I don’t know what was in the air, but my headache is gone!” Zani chattered excitedly. “That was amazing. Although, to be honest, it was almost a littletooquick. I was expecting it to last a little longer. Also, I was a little worried you were going to fall. Is it always over that fast? And are you always that unsteady on your feet?”
Will’s head was swimming now. Porting always took a lot out of him, but quick trips like this rarely left him quite so depleted. He felt dizzy. Lightheaded and a little faint. He felt in his breast pocket for a sweet.
“Stay there,” Will said. “I’m just going to go fetch us something sweet from the cafe. It’s good to replenish after a port.” He was slurring his words slightly, he realized, like he’d had too much mead.
“Don’t be silly, I’m fine. I’m coming with you!” Zani interjected.
“Sit!” Will pointed a finger at her and turned toward the door. He swung it open and stepped into the hallway, where he promptly collided with Maida. She looked surprised to see him.
