I don’t know how long I’ve been walking, but after awhile I realize that the tree trunks are getting smaller. Over the next hour, I can start to see the upper canopies of the trees, with tiny glimpses of blue sky in between their branches. There’s undergrowth now—ferns and weeds, bushes and saplings—but it’s still easy enough to make my way through them. The glow that was so faint, back where I first appeared in the Greatwood, is strong now and I no longer have to guess what I means. It’s obvious: I’ve travelled through the Greatwood into a regular forest, and that forest is now ending.

The ground starts to rise—a gentle slope—but when I get to the top, I find myself looking out at an endless array of fields. A patchwork of old farmland, separated by hedges, broken-down fences, and ragged tree lines. And there, in the far, far distance, I can see the smudge of something that might be a city.

I don’t know if it’s Mabon or some other place. Like Joe’s so fond of telling me, you can find anything you can imagine if you travel far enough into the otherworld.

I wish he was here.

I wish somebody was here, because I’m feeling lonely and let’s face it, travelling is never that much fun when you’re on your own.

And then—

Well, all I can say is, don’t make wishes, because if they get fulfilled, they’re not necessarily going to be filled to your expectations.

I hear something in the woods behind me. It’s just a soft scuffle, like a squirrel would make, but you know how it is when you’re alone. Everything gets blown up out of proportion. Except this time it’s pretty much the opposite. The sound is small, but it’s a bear that suddenly rears up on its hind legs from a stand of tall ferns to my left.

I don’t know what kind. Brown and sort of grizzled looking, so I guess it’s a grizzly, except it’s at least twice my height and grizzlies aren’t that big, are they? All I know for sure is that my poor little heart has jumped into triple time, and I’m too scared to even think about moving, never mind running away.

Bogan Boys

Big Dan and the green-bree were arguing again. Or at least, Big Dan was arguing. The tall blind spirit who called himself Odawa didn’t so much talk as make pronouncements, so it was hard to argue with him. But either way, it made no difference. It was all boring and Gathen Redshanks was particularly bored.