I opened the door.  The Jefferson-thing was waiting outside, its face widening into a smile as it finally saw its patience rewarded.  At its feet, I saw the body of one of the other workers that had picked the wrong time to visit the twenty-first floor.  I quickly stepped back out of the way, but not before I saw the Stranger’s eyes fall on the storm raging toward him.  It began to scream in terror even as Harvey reached out invisible tendrils and began pulling it toward the door.  It tried to resist, but it was using an approximation of Jefferson’s muscles and stamina.  I think the only reason it took more than a couple of seconds was because Harvey was trying to be gentle.

As soon as its body cleared the threshold, the screaming stopped.  The fighting was over.  And as the unseen winds let the Stranger fall to the ground, it crumbled into dry autumn leaves and began to blow away.

Still holding the door, I realized that we were now in a massive suite.  There were black candles and lit turnip and pumpkin jack o’ lanterns scattered around a room filled with bats and black cats, spiders and ghosts and witches.  Even more than the Christmas Room, this place was filled with all manner of decoration, some of which I didn’t even understand or recognize.  And in the center of it all was me and a strange little fox made of leaves and clay.

“Harvey, is that you?”

The fox nodded.

“Is it really gone?  Am I safe now?”

The fox nodded again, and when Harvey spoke this time, it sounded like the rustle of the wind through tall grass.  “It is.  As for you being safe…I don’t know, Samantha.  I don’t think you were drawn to this place by accident.  I believe you are connected to this hotel, to Angelica Lamark.  If that is true, then you may still have a role to play.”

I shook my head.  “No.  I appreciate all you did.  I really do.  But I just want to have a normal life.  And you said she’s imprisoned or something, right?”

“She is.  For the moment.  But she has agents in Incarnata.  And while I have never encountered her, from all accounts, she is ruthless and tireless.  She would have to be to do all that she has done.  I believe she will be freed at some point, and when that happens, there will be a reckoning one way or the other.”  He licked a delicate paw before fixing me with his eyes again.  “It may be that you would be helpful in stopping her.  But I’m no soothsayer.  And whatever may come, now you have the freedom to choose what your life holds.”

I felt a mixture of guilt and fear as I gripped the doorknob tighter.  “I…I need time to rest and think.  Get some distance from…well, all of this.”  I tried to swallow down my next words, but I couldn’t.  “But if I wanted to help, how would I do it?  How could I even find a way to help you?”