“Even so, how do you know this isn’t all just trickery in the mind? You say you went into the blasted village named Paradise without ever leaving this place. How do you know you ever left Middle Forest to begin with? For all we know we’re still in the desert at this moment. The books are probably only making us believe we’re in this white room!”

“Impossible,” Darsal corrected him. “I saw Billos vanish into the books.”

“Well, forgive my smallest doubt.” Papa made a tiny sign between his thumb and forefinger. “Billos also believed he was in the so-called ‘village of Paradise’ when we saw him lying right here.”

“Your mind’s clogged,” Karas said. “Your judgment is the least trustworthy here. I should know; I was Scab only a few days ago.”

“Is that so, supposed daughter of Witch? And I should listen to a child?”

“I had the good sense to bathe in their water. Do you?”

“And now you smell like they do.”

“Stop this!” Darsal snapped. To Billos: “What now?”

He tapped his fingers together and walked around the contraption. “The best I can figure, I escaped this place by donning the helmet and the gloves and speaking the right commands, not unlike a horse.”

“But you didn’t leave this place,” Papa said. “If I’m the diseased one, why is this fact only obvious to me?”

“Because it’s not that simple, Papa,” Karas said. “Even if he did leave it only in his mind, he found three books there. The one we brought is probably there as well now. They’re the key to our escape.”

Papa waved his hand at Billos. “This fool talks as if he doesn’t even want to escape! All this talk of guns and Marcudeves—”

“Marsuvees,” Billos corrected.

“Whatever. Some demon who ordered you to slay common village folk.”

“The enemy, armed with guns.”

“Which you say they only used in defense,” Papa pointed out.

“They had the books!” He gripped his head. “Why are we listening to this slug of diseased flesh? You should have killed him in the desert.”

“Fine, kill me when you get your hands on one of these magical guns of yours. Until then, don’t think this sword won’t put you on your backside.”

Billos humphed.

“Will you all stop arguing like spoiled children?” Darsal demanded.

“Yeah,” Karas chimed in. “Grow up, both of you.”

They all glanced at her.

Darsal walked up to the contraption and ran her hand over one of the helmets she’d mistaken for a cocoon spun from black thread. “Billos is right about the books. We need them to return. Even if there was a way to return without them, we wouldn’t dare. If we return with all four books, on the other hand, all might be forgiven.”