“When did you do all this dying and journeying to Duat?” asked Hermia.

“A few days ago. Danny got rid of the captive gates the moment after he healed my body. I had just died. That’s when he followed my instinctive journey to Duat.”

“No coin for the ferryman at the river Styx?” asked Hermia.

“There’s no river and we all know the way.”

“And our outselves are prets that voluntarily bound themselves to us, when we were born,” said Hermia.

“We don’t know how they sort themselves out,” said Pat, “but yes, that’s pretty much what we were told.”

“So how could the Gate Thief take them away from other gatemages? How could Danny strip my outself away from me? Did they suddenly decide they liked him better?”

“No, they’re still yours,” said Pat. “Only captive. You can’t use them, but the Gate Thief can’t use them either, or not safely, anyway. Which is how that Wild Gate was created in the first place. The prets wanted to be part of a Great Gate, and once they weren’t locked inside Danny’s hoard, they weren’t bound to obey him.”

“But how could they be stolen?” asked Hermia.

“I’m not a gatemage,” said Pat. “But from what Danny and Veevee were saying, I think their current guess is that your gates, your outself, your … entourage?… was invited to leave you for a time, and they accepted.”

“Just like that?”

“They were asked by somebody far more powerful than you. Far more attractive to a pret. But they still belong to you because that oath seems to be unbreakable.”

“You sound so sure,” said Hermia.

“I’m sure that that’s what Danny and Veevee said. I’m sure that they’re completely unsure about whether they’re right. I’m sure that I can’t do any of those things because even though I can move wherever I want, I’m not a gatemage, so I will never experience any of what you experience.”

“And apparently I will never experience it again,” said Hermia. “Because even if Danny were inclined to return my gates to me, they’re now in the possession of the Gate Thief, and he doesn’t give anything back.”

“Whatever,” said Pat. “Danny’s heard all he needs to. So I have only one question now.”

“What’s that?”

“Do you want to get out of this place?”

“I’m like the Wild Gate,” said Hermia. “If Danny sets me free, what makes him think he can control me?”

“He doesn’t,” said Pat. “Because he doesn’t think he can control anybody.”

“He controls you,” said Hermia, knowing that it wasn’t true, knowing that these words were designed to cause pain to someone who had done her no harm. But it was in her nature to say it. It was her pleasure to say it.