“Should we follow her?” Jon asked Madeleine as the door closed behind Karyn.
“Non, give 'er some time on 'er own to process what she 'as learned. Right now we need to work out when ze next Pause is because I believe we, or rather you, 'ave a very big decision to make,” Madeleine replied.
“What do you mean?” Jon asked, looking confused, an expression that seemed to have become his default one this evening.
“I will explain when she returns,” was the only answer Madeleine gave him.
Down the corridor, Karyn found herself standing at the very same exit door that Simone had found herself standing beside when everything in the theatre had stopped. Not that Karyn had known it then, as she had been frozen on the stage with the rest of the chorus.
She looked up at the clock on the wall, just as Simone had done earlier.
9:35.
Had she really only walked off the stage half an hour ago? It somehow felt much longer. Maybe that was another effect of this Pause thing that Jon and Madeleine had been talking about.
How the hell did this happen?
She smiled automatically at one of the stagehands as they passed, receiving a warm smile in return.
They really seem to think I belong here somehow. How can I belong here? My mum hasn't even been born yet. If I remember rightly, Gran is still a teenager. I think she's only a couple of years younger than I am. This is completely mad.
I thought all of this sort of thing would stop happening once Jon got rid of the stone. Obviously not. What do I do if we miss the next time the door appears? Do I make a living dancing here? Can I even leave this place? Madeleine wasn't sure.
If I can't... I'd better get practising my tap dancing.
The thought brought the briefest smile to her face before she turned and headed back towards the office to find out what had happened during the few minutes she had been away.
