========
==== ====
== ==
= =
= =
= THE GLASS FACTORY. =
= =
= =
== ==
==== ====
========
£¤=^«^¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨^«^=¤£##
==
== ==
= =
== ==
==