Jacob’s Ladder

“All of us will have to take the ladder - it’s the only way open to us right now.”

Jacob’s Ladder was a thoroughfare, an older route for travelling into the Globe - usually avoided because the trip itself wasn’t at all speedy, and too often it could become very unreliable these days … the connection was still there between the heavenly spaces and the Earthly realm, however, the outcome could be random, and the landing a very bumpy one. Also it could only carry just a few at a time.

“We’ll just have to take our chances, it worked perfectly fine for me and Needles earlier” said Puck - and then: “Goober, how did you find it?”

“The ladder was more of a staircase with banisters of solid light forming a foaming water slide half way down, I didn’t mind it at all.” he replied thoughtfully.

It was really a marvel, with mother-of-pearl swirls of pooling pastel vapours that shone both sides - in the mortal landscape its end appears simply as a rainbow touching the ground.

“Stuff Hogwarts” said Eve out loud, a little surprised at herself after saying it. This came from her realising in an instant that real magic was way more impressive than anything she had ever read of in books. Real magic was powerfully beautiful. Her hopefulness had returned - and she felt so good, it was almost like being in love.

She was also relieved at the thought of leaving the subdued heavens, as the stench seemed to be getting thicker and the strange purple light had darkened to a muddy ominous puce. It looked like the horizon was bleeding.

Needles stood waiting behind her.

Jupiter faltered, leaving the others to go before him …

Looking up and back to Jupiter the group could see the scenery behind him was curdling into darkness. Tu gently tapped Eve on the shoulder, the goat nudged her forward and she quickly slipped and slid onto the pearly stairs with Needles following fast behind.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses- Azlander Series