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‘The Firm The Company The Business,’ said Suzy ‘Them as wot runs the House and all itsI dunnobusiness’

‘What is the House?’ asked Arthur ‘And how can all this be inside it?’

‘Through here,’ said Suzy She looked around, then opened a trapdoor at the base of a nearby wall ‘Bit of a crawl’

Arthur followed her into a narrow tunnel that led under the building It sloped down quite sharply, then levelled out As they crawled, Suzy answered his question

‘I’ve never been exactly sure what the House is, cos I was an irant so to speak and I never seen much ’cept the Lower Atrium and maybe a dozen other floors And I ain’t had ht – oomph

’ ‘What?’ asked Arthur

‘The House is the Epicentre of All Creation,’ said a deep voice in the darkness, scaring the life out of Arthur

‘Tarnation!’ exclaiot out I , or whatever you are,’ Arthur asked nervously, ‘what do you mean, the Epicentre of All Creation?’

‘You may call me the Will, of which I ados’

‘Okaywhat does that actuallyby the Great Architect of All and was populated with servants to do Her work Then She made the Secondary Realms, which you would call the Universe The House and its servants were dedicated to recording and observing this great work, and did so faithfully for uncounted aeons Then the Great Architect went away, leaving a Will to ensure that Her work, and the work of the House, would continue as it should’

‘Right –’

‘BUT IT DID NOT!’ thundered the voice

‘Ow! It’s my throat, you know,’ complained Suzy

‘It did not,’ said the voice, quieter this time ‘The Will was not executed, but broken into seven parts, and the parts scattered across the Secondary Realh space and time The seven Trustees broke their faith and set out to rule the House, and not to just observe and record, but to interfere with the Secondary Realuess,’ volunteered Arthur ‘Is Mister Monday one of those guys?’

‘He is indeed, though that is not his real na thieves, but enough that the seven Trustees agreed to divide power in both the House and the Secondary Realms Monday rules the Lower House Outside of it, he holds doiven Monday’

‘This really isn’t the place to talk about this stuff,’ said Suzy nervously ‘How about aiteerg –’

Her voice was drowned in a gurgle

‘Tih it be malleable outside,’ the Will continued ‘Even now Mister Monday seeks to retrieve what he has lost Half of one of the Seven Keys to the Kingdom, the Seven Keys of the House, the Seven Keys of Creation!’

‘Half of one of seven Keys don’t sound likethat’s –’

‘Fro Suzy off ‘Half of one Key is better than nothing Soon the Rightful Heir will have the other half too, and the first part of the Will shall be done!’

‘Hang on!’ exclaimed Arthur ‘YouI just want to get a cure for the plague and go hohtful Heir!’ bellowed the Will Then a little more quietly it added, ‘You are the only one on hand, that is, whether you like it or not We shall prevail!’

‘Bit overconfident, aren’t you?’ Suzy coughed In the direen frog, one ainst Mister Monday and the whole apparatus of the Lower House’

‘The what?’ asked Arthur

‘Soood The apparatus of the House Which oons, the Elevator Drivers, the Commissionaires in the Atrium, and the Stampers and Sealers Not to mention Monday’s Dawn and her Corps of Inspectors, and Monday’s Dusk and whatever special thinguht,’ said the Will ‘And Midnight Visitors Nothe Winged Servants fall under the aegis of Sir Thursday and his Dusk I think’

‘Now it’s not even sure about aBosses,’ said Suzy ‘We’re about to come out in the street, Will, so be quiet!’

‘I ae is incomplete’

‘I said be quiet!’ hissed Suzy She stopped and lifted a trapdoor above her head a fraction, poked her head up, and looked around

‘Right Looks clear We’ll co office, behind a crate that’s lost its label Been here for a couple of centuries We’ll wait there for a second, then when the bell rings, we run for the goods elevator Understand?’

‘No,’ said Arthur ‘I oods elevator at the bell It’s everything else I’et even worse,’ said Suzy gloomily as they climbed out and crouched down behind the crate ‘I knew I never should have picked up that cursed frog Though I suppose anything beats filling up inkwells all day for the next ten thousand years And I ht miss the next time they try to wash between my ears’