"Yes, Miss Moore. It is," she answers.
Miss Moore puts a hand on her stomach, as if trying to steady herself. "I'm really here, aren't I? I'm not dreaming?"
"No, you're not dreaming," I assure her.
Miss Moore stumbles through the garden, taking in everything. I'm reminded of my first journey here, how astonished I felt. We follow her under the tarnished silver arch and into the place where the runes once stood. She stares at the scorched earth there.
"That is where Gemma smashed the Runes of the Oracle, the binding on the magic," Pippa says.
"Oh," Miss Moore says, as if she is a thousand miles away.
"That is why you were looking for your temple?"
"Yes," I say. "Still looking."
"You haven't found it, then?"
"No. We were trying to find it when we were led astray by some dark spirits. And then the water nymphs took Ann," I say.
"We've got to save her, Miss Moore." Felicity cries.
Miss Moore straightens. "Yes, of course we do. Where do we find these creatures?"
"They live in the river," I say.
"Is that their home?" Miss Moore asks.
"I don't know," I say.
Pippa speaks up. "The gorgon knows where they live."
Miss Moore's eyes widen. "There is a gorgon?" "Yes," I answer."But I am not certain she can be trusted just now. She was bound by the Order's magic to tell only truth and do no harm. But the magic is no longer as it was."
"I see," Miss Moore says. "Is there another way?"
"None that would be faster," Felicity argues. "We've no time. We have to trust the gorgon."
I do not like placing my faith in a creature of the realms, but Felicity is right. We must find Ann as quickly as possible.
The gorgon sits patiently on the river. When we approach, she swivels her hideous, writhing head in our direction. Miss Moore balks at the sight.
The gorgon's disturbing yellow eyes blink. "I see you have brought a new friend."
"An old friend," Felicity says. "Gorgon, may I present Miss Hester Moore."
"Miss Moore . . . ," the green, slithery head hisses.
"Yes. Hester Moore," Miss Moore replies."How do you do?"
"As I have always done," the gorgon says.
The plank lowers, and Miss Moore walks onto the barge as if she expects the whole thing to evaporate at any moment.
"Gorgon," I say. "The day we visited the Forest of Lights, the water nymphs swam away in that direction." I point down the river. "Do you know where they live?"
"Yessss," the gorgon says, the snakelike eyes opening and closing slowly. "The lagoon is their home. But it is surrounded by black rock. I can only take you as far as that rock. From there, you must go on foot."
"That will be sufficient," Pippa says.
"Their song is great," the gorgon warns."Can you resist the lure of it?"
"We shall have to try," I say. We climb aboard, and the great barge turns for the journey down the river. I take my amulet into my hands.
"The crescent eye . . . ," Miss Moore says. "May I?"
I give it to her.
"It is a compass. Hold it like this."
She rocks it in her hands, but the amulet gives me no glow to guide us. We are off the path for certain now and completely on our own. The boat moves from the sunset of the garden into a green mist that makes it hard to see much of anything.
"How did you discover this place?" Miss Moore asks, looking around in pure wonder.
"My mother," I say. "She was a member of the Order. She was Mary Dowd."
"The woman from the diary?" she asks.
I nod.
"And you think your Miss McCleethy is the one who killed her?"
"Yes. I believe she's been traveling from school to school looking for me."
"And what will you do if she comes for you?"
I stare at the mist swirling into little funnels."I'll make certain she never harms anyone ever again."
Miss Moore takes my hand."I'm frightened for you, Gemma."
So am I.
It's growing warmer. Sweat trickles between my shoulder blades and plasters moist strands of hair to my forehead.
"This heat," Felicity says, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.
"It's horrid." Pippa lifts her hair, keeping it from touching her neck. But as there is no breeze to cool her, she lets go. Miss Moore trains her eyes on the river, taking in every sight, every sound. Watching the water flow under and away from us, I wonder what has become of Mae and Bessie Timmons and the rest of the factory girls. Have they been swallowed up and enslaved by the dark spirits of the Winterlands? Did it happen quickly or did they have time to realize the full horror of what was happening to them?