"You ever hear of two people taking it at once?"

"No, but there's a first time for everything," I said.

Luke nodded slowly.

"What the hell," he said, "I'm game."

He followed me to the place of the snakes, and we peered up it. Candlesflared along its walls, at either hand. And the walls glittered from thecountless mirrors which hung upon them. I stepped forward. Luke followed, atmy left.

The mirror frames were of every shape imaginable. I walked very slowly,observing the contents of each one. I told Luke to do the same. For severalpaces, the mirrors seemed simply to be giving back what was before them.Then Luke stiffened and halted, head turning to the left.

"Mom!" he said explosively.

The reflection of an attractive red-haired woman occupied a mirrorframed in green-tinged copper in the shape of an Ouroboros serpent.

She smiled.

"So glad you did the right thing, taking the throne," she said.

"You really mean that?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied.

"Thought you might be mad. Thought you wanted it," he said.

"I did once, but those damned Kashfans never appreciated me. I've gotthe Keep now, though, and I feel like doing a few years' research here--andit's full of sentimental values as well. So as long as Kashfa stays in thefamily, I wanted you to know I was pleased."

"Why--uh--glad to hear that, Mom. Very glad. I'll hang onto it."

"Do," she said, and vanished.

He turned to me, a small ironic smile flickering across his lips.

"That's one of the rare times in my life when she's approved ofsomething I've done," he said. "Doubtless for all the wrong reasons, butstill... How real are these things? What exactly did we see? Was that aconscious communication on her part? Was--"

"They're real," I said. "I don't know how or why or what part of theother is actually present. They may be stylized, surreal, may even suck you