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†††† ††††
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† THE GLASS FACTORY. †
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†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
#£§$†^=,¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨,=^†$§£#
##£§$†^=,¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨,=^†$§£##
#£§$†^=,¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨,=^†$§£#
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ †† ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ †† †† ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ ======= † † ======= ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ †† †† ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
#£§$†^=,¨¨ †† ¨¨,=^†$§£#
##£§$†^=,¨ ¨,=^†$§£##
#£§$†^=,¨¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨¨,=^†$§£#
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
#£§$†^=,¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨,=^†$§£#
##£§$†^=,¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨,=^†$§£##
#£§$†^=,¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨,=^†$§£#
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ †† ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ †† †† ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
#£§$†^=,¨¨ ======= † † ======= ¨¨,=^†$§£#
##£§$†^=,¨ †† †† ¨,=^†$§£##
#£§$†^=,¨¨ †† ¨¨,=^†$§£#
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
#£§$†^=,¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨,=^†$§£#
##£§$†^=,¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨,=^†$§£##
#£§$†^=,¨¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨¨,=^†$§£#
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
#£§$†^=,¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨,=^†$§£#
##£§$†^=,¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨,=^†$§£##
#£§$†^=,¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨,=^†$§£#
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ †† ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ †† †† ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ======= † † ======= ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ †† †† ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ †† ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
#£§$†^=,¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨,=^†$§£#
##£§$†^=,¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨,=^†$§£##
#£§$†^=,¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨,=^†$§£#
£§$†^=,¨¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨¨,=^†$§£
§$†^=,¨¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨¨,=^†$§
$†^=,¨¨¨¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨¨¨¨,=^†$
†^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^†
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
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