The Mirror (3)

"Where does the portal lead to?" I asked her once, just before Christmas. She had asked me to join her for a sherry and we had a merry chat about all sorts of things.

"You haven't touched the mirror?" she said anxiously, at one point. "I would hate anything to happen to you."

"No I've been careful," I assured her. "But, on the subject, you mentioned that somebody might try to come through from the other side. What should I do if they do?"

"Call me. Fetch me. Shout, ring me, wherever I am, whatever I'm doing." She paused, pondering my question further. "Try not to engage them in conversation. Travelers can be quite confused and weary from the transfer from realm to realm. So I'm told," she added hastily.

"Where does it lead to?"

"Another world."

"But which other world?" I asked. The sherry had given me confidence.

"Ah. There you have me. In fact it leads to a labyrinth of worlds, all interconnected, in many different parts of the universe. It may be possible to predict which world is behind the mirror at a particular time, but it's beyond my abilities."

"Which is why you can't go in after him," I said.

Her silence confirmed my theory.