She pulled open the door to the projection room.
“Exactly,” Cosimo agreed. “You understand this.”
“I do,” she said, turning to go up the steep narrow staircase to the booth. Two steps up the staircase, she paused and turned back. “For what it’s worth, Cosimo, I suspect if I had actually ever met you in the past, I wouldn’t have forgotten you.”
“Likewise, Goldie.” Cosimo performed a tiny half bow. “You strike me as the sort of woman who is utterly unforgettable.”
The void teaches porters humility in a way that few other experiences can. We pride ourselves on mastering this space, believing we navigate its currents by skill and will alone. Yet occasionally, it reveals itself to be our sovereign, instead of our slave. In those moments when the rules we’ve memorized suddenly change, we glimpse a greater truth: We were never truly in control. We were only following the well-worn grooves of time and space, mistaking permission for prowess.
Those who cling desperately to their illusion of mastery call these moments glitches or anomalies. The wise recognize them as glimpses of something else. Brief revelations of how little we truly understand the lines we traverse.
Every new mystery you encounter in the void (and there will be many!) isn’t a failure of your ability. They are invitations to expand your understanding. The universe reveals itself to us in drips and drops, not because it must, but because we could not bear the whole flood of absolute truth all at once.”
BURNSIDE PORTER,THE WAY OF THE LEY
Chapter11
The Here and Now
It’s just a normal donut run. Same as usual. Nothing to be nervous about,Will told himself as he stepped into the void.
Porting into The Bunny Hole donut shop in Laguna Beach, California, was not only familiar, it was simple. The shop was a well-established international porting hub, which meant it was used by many porters. The ley lines leading to and from the location were not only well anchored, they were also well worn. The shop even had a dedicated back room full of mirrors that smoothed out arrivals and departures.
Just so long as there wasn’t a children’s party happening there at the moment, which there probably wouldn’t be. They mostly rented the back room out on weekends. Will had learned that the hard way. Fortunately, Ordinary children were surprisingly okay with people suddenly emerging from mirrors. He’d played it off well. The Ordinary kid’s parents had even given him a generous tip, assuming the fantastic “stunt” was a perk of the venue.
Will wasn’t headed to The Bunny Hole to party or earn tips. For once, he wasn’t even going for the incredible donuts. He was heading there for one reason only.
He desperately needed to find and speak with Burnside Porter.
Will had never experienced a glitch like the time slip. He kept bouncing between fear and excitement as he set off on his journey. He leaned into the excitement harder. There was no point in letting fear get the best of him. Back up and onto the horse. Or in his case, into the void.
His first step into the nothingness was reassuring. The emptiness was warm and thick around him, like a primordial ooze. It wasn’t threatening, at least not to him. So long as he didn’t linger or stray from the path. This time, as in the past, the path was clear. He could trace the ley lines with every slogging step.
Will knew that although his feetfeltlike they were dragging, his corporeal being was actually moving with incredible speed. The weight of each step was compounded by the distance. The farther the destination, the more and heavier the steps to get there. But Will was an exceptionally strong porter. There was no destination on this earth that he couldn’t reach in ten paces and a matter of minutes.
And so it still was. In another two steps, he was stepping through the mirror and into his beloved Bunny Hole. Suddenly, and predictably, he realized he was feeling famished once again. Porting burned all kinds of calories. It was difficult to keep up with the deficit.
The back room was empty, tables folded and stacked in the corner. He could hear music playing on the radio out in the shop. Something mindless and pop-y. Other than that, the shop felt quiet, which made sense for the hour.
It was early afternoon, so naturally the day was winding down. The daily special donuts would be gone by now. He’d have to choose from the more run-of-the-mill varieties. Will inhaled deeply, sucking in the welcome scent of coffee that greeted weary travelers at any and all hours. Even when the shop was closed for regular business, the coffee never stopped brewing in the enchanted pots. The aroma mingled with the sweeter smells of yeast and sugar.
Will stepped out from the back room and joined the short queue at the register, feeling relief and disappointment simultaneously. He’d arrived without a single glitch, hitch, or bump. It was reassuring to know he could still port as usual. But now that he’d experienced the time slip, he was dying to know if he could do it again.
He scanned the cafe for Burnside unsuccessfully. No sign of the guy. Will placed his order for a dozen donuts hastily. As soon as he had the box in his hands, he popped the first one—a plain glazed sugar donut—into his mouth. He did this even before he chose a table to sit down at. It took some of the edge off his disappointment.
It was a shame that Burnside Porter wasn’t here today. The only other people in the cafe were a couple of Ordinary nannies, gossiping with each other while their infant charges slept in the bassinets of expensive-looking prams.
All the other tables were empty. So he didn’t have to worry about not recognizing the elder porter.
The first few times he’d seen Burnside at the Bunny Hole, Will hadn’t realized it was him. With his long gray hair, unfashionable leather sandals, and an apron covered in pottery slip, Burnside blended in seamlessly with the local Ordinaries. The only accessory missing was a kale ginger smoothie. But eventually, Will had sussed him out.
Two things gave Burnside Porter away. The first was his extra long pinky fingernail that he liked to use as a pointer. And the second was that “special” sparkly blue tooth.
As Will slurped the filling from a jelly donut, his thoughts strayed back to Zani. He still felt her frustration about her situation almost as if it were his own. It wasn’t like him to carry other people’s emotions like this. It felt like an unexpected burden he couldn’t set down.
It was annoying.
Why did she have to be so cool? Why did he feel so compelled to rescue her? Not that she thought she needed to be rescued. And not that he’d succeeded. He’d only made a fool of himself thus far.
