Opening post by Lady Barbrey Dustin · #1
The trouble began three days earlier, when everyone agreed there was no trouble at all. I checked my keep gate before settling in; the lower hinge had worked loose, which is the sort of small failure a wall politely keeps to itself.
Walter choosing Peter is not merely a turn in the story. A father crossed the boundary between two worlds because grief left him with one son to choose; the other world paid for that choice, and Peter had to live inside it.
The Observers watched both universes, or so it seemed; perhaps they were counting what each decision cost. You can call it a twist if you like. I have seen a gate hold through a siege and fail at the hinge.