The sixth Key glowed and a moment later so did all the others. Friday dropped her hand to her belt and touched the fifth Key absently until it stopped sparkling. Saturday glared at the human.
"There, happy now?" she sneered. Clara nodded and Friday clapped her hands together.
"Excellent! Well, I think that's all we can do for tonight. We'll arrange for the transfer of the First Key some other time. For now, I think I'll take Miss Jenkins back with me to the Middle House. If you could release her for me Saturday dear?"
Saturday flicked the sixth Key again and the child's eyes went wide.
"Hey! Hang on, nonononono, ah!"
She dropped like a stone but Friday caught her by the ankle before she cracked her head on the stone floor.
"Careful now, don't want her getting hurt now do we?" Friday chided, lowering the human a little more gently to the ground. She got unsteadily to her feet and staggered drunkenly, clutching her reeling head.
"Right then I'd best be off, come along dear." Friday said. The human glanced anxiously at the other Days before trotting off after Friday. Behind them she heard Thursday mutter,
"She'll have experienced it by the end of the week."
The Mistress of the Middle House scowled at his impudent words but smoothed it away once the doors closed. She smiled warmly at the human.
"It's Clara, isn't it?" she asked kindly.
"Yes." Clara said hesitantly. She was worrying the hem of her shirt in her hands.
"Such a pretty name." Friday sighed. "Well Clara, I hope you will at least be comfortable whilst you stay with me. Dusk? Come here."
Dusk obediently crossed the hall towards them, casting the human a curious look.
"This is Clara, Dusk. She is the Rightful Heir and will be our guest for the foreseeable future."
A flicker of surprise crossed Dusk's face but he dispelled it almost at once.
"Charmed, Miss." he said graciously. Friday checked her watch.
"Let's go, Saturday doesn't like people hanging around her domain." They entered the fifth lift from the left on the bank lining the far wall.
The interior was all gilded gold and Friday stepped onto the rotunda in the middle, as did Dusk. Clara however loitered for a moment before opting the stand beside it instead. This rendered her even shorter and she cast dubious glances up at Friday every now and then. She looked like she wanted to ask something and a moment later she did.
"Um, my friends, and my parents…" she began tentatively.
"What about them?" Friday asked.
"Well people will notice if I go missing for a year."
"I doubt it. Time runs true in the House and meanders elsewhere. A year in the House may be equal to mere hours on earth, a couple of days at the most."
"Oh." said Clara, looking surprised and relieved. "Oh well that's ok then."
The rest of the journey was spent in silence. It took twenty minutes for them to arrive once more in the Scriptorium. The human was swaying badly and her eyes seemed to be slipping in and out of focus.
"This is the Scriptorium." Friday explained, gesturing around the entrance hall. The ceiling was made of domed glass, dark now given the lateness of the hour. Directly before the lift was the main door and on the left and right, long halls filled with mirrors. The tiles on the floor were black and white like chess board and Clara stepped precariously over it.
"You may come and go as you please." Friday informed her. "In the morning I'll show you the rest of the domain if you wish."
"T-thank you." Clara mumbled faintly. Friday frowned a little.
"My dear are you quite well?" she asked with a good show at concern. Clara put a hand to her forehead.
"I'm, I don't feel, great." she groaned. Then she fainted. Dusk caught hold of her and Friday sighed.
"Humans." she said regretfully. "Why does passing through the Front Door take it out of them so? Would you mind taking her up to a spare room?"
Dusk's nose wrinkled a fraction in distaste but he still sung Clara up into his arms. He turned towards the stairs but paused, with his foot on the lowest step.
"Milady," he began carefully. "Is this wise? Having the Heir around may prove dangerous."
Friday laughed.
"Dusk, be serious, do you honestly think this little girl could possibly pose a threat to any of us? No, it will amuse me to have Jenkins around. Now I seemed to recall I left Noon waiting for me. When I'm done with him I expect you to service me."
"Of course milady." Dusk said humbly.
.
.
.
The following morning Friday entered the guest bedroom that had been allocated to Clara without knocking. The human was still asleep, with her mouth slightly open and her hair in a tangled mess all over the pillow. Friday moved carefully about the room so as not to wake her. One of the servants had already been in with a breakfast tray which sat on the coffee table beside the empty grate. There was a rack of toast, some porridge, a plate of crumpets, butter, jam, marmalade and a steaming pot of tea. Friday bent to pour a cup each for herself and Clara. The clinking of porcelain woke the human with a start.
"Good morning Clara." Friday said brightly, bringing over the cup and saucer. "Do you take milk?"
Clara nodded, rubbing sleep from her eyes and propping herself up on the pillows. She cast a despondent look around her.
"Damn it wasn't a dream." she muttered and Friday chuckled.
"I'm afraid not, sugar?"
"Just one please."
Friday stirred the tea and handed it to Clara, earning herself a murmured thanks. Friday settled in the chair beside the bed with her own tea and after taken a sip she inquired,
"So, how much did the Will tell you about the House?"
"A little bit." Clara explained. "I didn't think it was real though! Just a story. I know about the domains, kind of know what they all do, oh and there was a character profile of all the Trustees."
"Good, so you're not completely confused then." said Friday contentedly. "Last night for instance, you knew who was who I trust?"
"Uh, kind of, Saturday was the really tall one right?"
"She was indeed. Don't mind her, she's like that with everyone."
Clara grimaced and once she had drained her cup Friday got up.
"We need to find you some decent clothes, we can't have you wandering around in your pyjamas now can we?"
Clara's smile was a little forced but Friday ignored this as she crossed to the wardrobe.
"Why don't you eat some breakfast whilst I pick something out for you to wear?"
"Ok, thanks." said Clara. Friday heard her slide off the bed and pad over to the tray. When she emerged once more she saw her nibbling on a corner of toast, without much of an appetite.
"I think this will serve you well." Friday said, draping a blue velvet dress over the back of a chair. It was of the highest quality and had cost excessive amount of gold since it was an original from Earth, not a copy woven in the Far Reaches. "At least until we can get you fitted out in clothes of your own."
"Thank you. Um, can I ask you something?"
"You may ask anything you wish." replied Friday with a faint smile.
"Why is everything Victorian?"
"Fashion, it changes every couple of centuries." Friday shrugged. "Now once you've finished eating you can get dressed and then come down stairs. I'll show you Top Shelf this morning."
Friday left her to it and retreated to her office off the left hand mirror hall. It was not a large room but it was handsome, with a mahogany desk and a plush red carpet. A golden carriage clock ticked faintly on the window sill where ceiling light was spilling into the room. Friday leant against the desk and amused herself by spying on her subjects through the fifth key for a while. She ensured that there were mirrors all over her domain so she could keep an eye on things. There happened to be a very ornate mirror hanging over the fireplace in Clara's room and out of sheer curiosity Friday alighted on that one. She watched Clara pick at her breakfast before giving it up and got up off the carpet.
She changed quickly into the dress and Friday narrowed her eyes ever critically. She had never seen a naked human before, not a real one anyway. She'd seen plenty of portraits and statues (Tuesday's fetish for collecting them was quite alarming at times) but they weren't the same as the real thing. Friday lowered the Key and placed it carefully back in its proper place. Then she raised her voice a little.
"Dusk? Could you come in here a moment?"
Dusk poked his head around the door.
"Yes milady?" he asked.
"Is no around?"
"No ma'am. He was called back to the Middle of the Middle an hour ago."
Friday sighed.
"Oh well, I suppose you'll have to do for now." she said regretfully. "If you'd be so good as to close the door."
"Of course ma'am." Dusk said, dutifully.
