After reading a part of a prophecy in the Tovernboak, Velma comes to one of the most important realizations here. It's actually one that will change the course of the entire book. Of course, I'm not telling you what it is. You'll just have to find out when the book is finished.
Note the staircase from Velma's office. It made a guest appearance in a blog entry last spring:
Velma dragged me down the right passageway behind the choir and stopped abruptly at at a black iron gate. It was the gilded entrance to a dark spiral staircase. Velma swung open the gate and darted down into the shadows.
"How do you not kill yourself going down these things?" I was cautiously placing my left foot onto the first stair.
"I count them. You know how many years I've been doing this? Close the gate behind you."
I did as I was told. "No flashlight? Nothing?" I had never been to her office before and I was brimming with anticipation for the opportunity. I just knew it would be a treasure trove of historical artifacts.
"Quit the whining, fancy pants. Just count! There are 28 steps." She was already at the bottom jingling keys.
"Well I don't know which step I'm on now." I honestly didn't get very far. "Now I have to go back up and start all over."
"By the sounds of it, you're on 8." I heard a key click into the lock and then a slow turn was made. It sounded like she was unlocking a massive bank vault.
In my mind I counted from 8 and once I labored to 27 I took one more step and cautiously felt for another, but there was only floor. She was spot-on. The very second my foot made contact she flung open the door and light quickly spilled out onto the staircase. "You couldn't have done that sooner?"
"I wanted you to know how right I was," Velma said smugly.
