At the Clayr's glacier, everyone was buzzing with excitement. Sanar and Ryelle had returned just late last night, and, being very tired, had gone to bed straight away. Now, it was seven in the morning and the other Clayr were preparing a surprise party for them. The twins had returned so late that they were still asleep, even though they were usual the first ones to awake in the glacier. The glacier was still dripping from Orannis' second manifestation. Although the burning of land and the melting of rocks had only affected the nine miles surrounding the silver hemispheres, the heat wave from it had spread far and wide. As they tripped over buckets that were catching water seeping through the limestone, they brought various articles, including several that hadn't been used in so long that they were stored deep within the Library of the Clayr. With all the 1799 members of the Clayr old enough to fetch and carry objects doing so, materials for the feast were coming in more quickly than they could be cooked. The feast was to contain every food known to the Clayr, including massive quantities of Sanar and Ryelle's favorite, truffles. Before the feast was quite finished, a young girl came from where she had been on watch for any visitors to the Glacier.

"Lirael's back! She's finally returned!"

Everyone quickly stopped what they were doing and quickly set down the plates they were carrying on the dining tables on their way to the Starmount stair. Those who were agile enough to run up the stairs did, while those who weren't made their way up the stairs quickly while trying to avoid being trampled by the herd of younger Clayr.

After searching the entire storeroom, which seemed to be much larger than it was the last time he had been inside it, Sam had finally managed to find a small lump of gold in a corner of the workshop. If he used it just right, it would be enough to make Lirael's new hand with. He hoped to finish the hand before she and Nick returned, which would probably be sometime in the next two days. As he walked up the stairs to the study, Sam was already filling his head with the necessary marks to give the hand motion according to the will of its master. Placing his foot on the top step, he recognized the familiar yet dominating touch that told him he would need not only the mark, but the music of Saraneth to continue the spell any farther. But how he could get one of the Saraneth bells when one set was wandering the borderlands with his mother, and the other with Lirael was beyond him.

"If you were wise," came a sardonic voice from under the table, "you would realize that the touch of the sword made with the panpipes would be enough to bind the gold to her will."

Sam sighed. " Sadly, that is another thing we have yet to deal with. The hemispheres lie unburied with the sword and her hand between them, open and vulnerable to any force. In any case, I don't have time to get there and back before Lirael does, and I want to have the hand ready when she returns."

"Well, if you don't think you can handle it, I might be able to do it; at least I might be able to if I had some kind of incentive." On might, he jumped from the floor to the stool, then up to the top of the table, where he proceeded to clean his paws.

"I'm sure the sendings will prepare a dinner full of fish to celebrate your return, Mogget," replied Sam. A nearby sending enthusiastically nodded its pale head in agreement.

" Then I suppose I might as well be on my way," returned Mogget as he leaped down from the table and headed towards the stairs. "We cats are much faster than you humans, so I'll be back before dawn tomorrow." At that point, he leaped down the stairs and headed out the door.

Lirael jumped out of the paper wing, glad to have returned to her home. Nick quickly followed suit, just as glad to be back on the ground. While unpacking the few things they had brought, Lirael thought she noticed a fleeting image out of the corner of her eye. As they headed toward the stairs they were met by a surging mass of blonde hair, dark skinned woman and girls.

"Who are these people?" Nick shouted over the clamor.

"This is the Clayr, my family!" replied Lirael joyously.

At that point the crowd engulfed them and everyone seemed to have a question.

"Where have you been?"

"What did you do?"

"Who is that?"

These were just the few questions that Lirael could make out among myriad welcomes. For once, Lirael was glad when her Aunt Kirrith clapped her hands on Lirael's shoulders and steered her towards the Starmount stair through the crowd, shielding her from the roiling mass of Clayr and questions.

"She will answer your questions when we are all warm and safe inside the glacier," boomed Kirrith so that she could be heard even above the crowd. Lirael was surprised by how loud she was, as Lirael had barely heard her since beginning work in the library.

Everyone heartily agreed, as no one had cause to grab coats or scarves in the rush. Before too long all the Clayr were gathered in the dining hall, including Sanar and Ryelle, who had woken to the sound of other Clayr running up the stairs and shouting above theirs heads. They had expected a battle, and scarcely paused to dress before dashing into the hall, spells at their fingertips. A passing cousin, however, told them of the true situation. Of course, once all the Clayr were gathered, they continued to asked Lirael questions between every bite of the feast. Kirrith, hearing the number of questions being asked, and seeing the flustered expression on Lirael's face, came to the front of the hall, bringing Lirael, Sanar, and Ryelle with her.

"Hush now, hush now! Everything will be told by these three shortly." Kirrith shouted as loudly as she could while still using her favorite, falsely jolly tone.

As Lirael related the events she had been through up to the time when everyone had arrived to break and bind Orannis, she gazed about the area, remembering the many adventures she had had here. It seemed like it had all happened years ago, though it had been less than a month since she had embarked on her voyage with Finder. Before she realized it, the twins were assisting her in telling of the breaking of Orannis, and the loss of her hand.

At last, the flow of questions had ceased, and Lirael and Nick were able to ask their question.

"As most of you have probably guessed or Seen, we're not here merely for a visit. The vision Sanar and Ryelle described to you Has occurred, whether it may be for good or ill. The blinding light they witnessed came from a simple Charter light that Nick cast. "We wish to know what could cause someone so completely inexperienced and new to magic of any kind to cast such an unusually powerful spell."

"Of that we do not know, but you might find records of such in the Library," replied one ancient Clayr who looked as though she would be sent to a dreaming room someday soon. "Didn't you used to work there?"

That was one of the things she had remembered about the Glacier while relating her story. The endless stairs with unimaginable numbers of doors that she had once explored with the Disreputable Dog. No, she thought, it wasn't the Dog, it was Kibeth, the Shiner for which one of the bells in her bandolier stood. Kibeth who she had explored so many hallways with. Kibeth... Her thoughts were suddenly shattered as a harsh voice from her past cut through the temporary silence. After a moment, she realized it was her former boss, the Chief Librarian speaking.

"You cannot return to the Library!" she said, "not even to search for such useful information. The Stilken you once bound has broken its wards and is free again!"