"You’ve lived in this same home for the past four years. How do you know that lady didn’t come in after you?"

"Because…" I stopped. I was going to say I would have noticed if someone new arrived; but perhaps that was not so certain. Especially if the woman had arrived while I was sleeping. But no, she could not be younger than I. I was Mentally Alert, whereas the woman before me was already starting to lapse back into slumber. Her gaze was losing intensity; the fire that had flared up while she cursed me was now turning to ash. I tucked my hands under me woman’s armpits, lifted her up, and slammed her back against the tower’s glass wall. Uclod grimaced at the crack of glass bones on glass bricks… but I knew the wall would break long before this woman suffered the least bit of damage.

My people are more sturdy than walls.

"Wake up!" I shouted in the woman’s face. "Do not go to sleep again."

"Why not?" Her collision with the wall had brought back the focus in her eyes, but her voice was sullen — like a cranky child who wants to remain in bed.

"Because if you stay awake," I told the woman, "you will be able to lead a rich life wherein you accomplish great things."

"Like what?"

"Like…" I looked about me for inspiration; seeing the open path down me center of me room, I remembered why I had awakened her in the first place. "We shall solve a mystery, you and I. We can discover who cleared the space from me to the door."

"Oh, I saw that," the woman said. "It was interesting. Sort of. I think…"

Her voice was fading. "Wake up!" I cried. "Stay awake and talk to me." With a burst of fierceness, I thrust my silver ax close to the woman’s face. "Stay awake or I shall cut off your wallabies."

"Missy!" Uclod said, staring at the ax. "What the hell are you doing?"