The next morning, Salome was awakened by a faint, unusual scent that floated up the stairs. It smelled of spices and… fried meat? How strange. In fact, no one besides her was supposed to be in the house. Had her father returned this morning? But then, he’d hardly cook—he never did, actually. Maybe it was her mother? That would be unusual, she rarely came home from the city. Did her mother have something to do in the village? But Salome would have noticed if her mother had come home yesterday! Or maybe her sister was cooking down there…? No. That was completely impossible.

Frowning, Salome crawled out of bed and opened her door. Now, she could clearly smell it. She slipped into one of the skirts she’d carelessly tossed on the floor, tucked her shirt in, and tiptoed out of the room. As she set one foot on the first step of the stairs, she distinctly heard the unmistakable sound of a ladle striking the edge of a frying pan. Confused, she hurried down the stairs. Who, by the pillars, was cooking down there?

She walked slowly through the living room. The kitchen lay beyond, separated by a simple, doorless passage. She could already hear the crackle of the stove fire. A few more steps, and there he was—Van. The lunatic. With a ladle in one hand and a fork in the other.

“Ah, good morning, Salome,” he said in a chatty tone as he noticed her. “Nice to see you!”

Startled, Salome froze. “Wh-what…” she stuttered.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said innocently, “I would have had to spend the night outside, and the rain just wouldn’t stop. Who likes sleeping in the rain?”

He smiled confidently, as if he just gave her a completely justified reason for being in her kitchen.

“How did you get in here?” Salome whispered.

“Well, through the door, what else?” he replied. He set the fork aside and turned to the spices neatly arranged in small cans on a wall shelf beside the stove. He selected one, unscrewed the lid, and sniffed its contents as a test before, with a satisfied hum, sprinkling a pinch over the meat that was quietly sizzling in a pan. “I made enough for both of us. You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

Salome looked at him, then at the pan, and then back at him in astonishment. To avoid fainting on the spot, she slowly sat down at the kitchen table.

“Through the door…?” she murmured, more to herself than to Van. “But I locked it…” Had she? She always took extra care with that, otherwise her father would lose his temper.

“It wasn’t easy finding you,” Van explained. “The people here are strange. No one looked me in the eyes, everyone acted as if they had something important to do. Is it considered impolite to ask for directions around here?”

In her mind, Salome saw him running all over the village with that open, idiotic grin, questioning everyone about her. She slowly put her hands on her head and pressed her forehead against the table.

“Is everything all right?” Van asked, concerned.

“Nothing is all right!” Salome cried out in despair without looking up. It was a catastrophe! “Why did you look for me? What do you want from me?” Her voice nearly failed her as she spoke. She braced herself internally—maybe he was, in truth, a criminal trying to blackmail her? He couldn’t possibly be sincere with all that cheerful, friendly fuss he made! It must be some kind of show to pursue a higher goal…

Van didn’t reply immediately, instead, he scooped some of the spiced meat onto two plates and set them on the table.

“You were suddenly gone yesterday, so I thought maybe I offended you,” he finally said. “That’s why… I wanted to apologize. Just in case.”

Salome peered up at him. He looked oddly embarrassed.

“And that’s it…?” Had he broken into her house just to apologize? That was absurd.

“Well…” said Van, avoiding her gaze, “I had maybe hoped that you could help me with a certain matter.”

Aha. Salome tried to school her features as she waited for him to continue.

“It might be a bit more complicated than you think.” He sat down across from her at the table. “First, I have to tell you something, a little thing you probably won’t believe. The people I spoke to about it yesterday had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, everyone looked at me like I was nuts and avoided me. Maybe you’ll do the same, but I ask you to listen to me first.”

He took a deep breath. Suddenly, the carefree expression he always wore vanished, replaced by utter seriousness.

“I want you to help me get back home. But I come from a place that is… well, as far from here as possible.” He raised a finger and pointed toward the ceiling. “My home lies above the clouds.”

He looked her squarely in the eyes. Not a muscle moved, not a corner of his mouth twitched. He was completely serious.

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“You’re crazy,” Salome said. “Completely crazy.”

She sprang up so quickly that her chair toppled over with a loud crash. Then she stomped toward the front door in large strides.

“Salome… Salome! Wait!” Van called after her, but she didn’t consider stopping for a moment. Furious, she pulled on her boots and left the house. She’d had enough. At that moment, she didn’t care who saw her nor did she give a damn about the light drizzle that was falling from the sky and that would soon drench her. She just wanted to get away—to someplace where no one could make fun of her. What was he thinking? Above the clouds? How was that supposed to work! She was a fool for expecting a sensible answer from a lunatic!

“Salome! Listen to me!” Van called after her.

“Leave me alone! Get lost!” she shouted without looking back. She noticed an old man ambling along with his cane up the street, casting a disapproving glance at her. Ashamed, she lowered her head. How must this look to others! This day was even worse than yesterday!

“Why won’t you listen to me?” Van ran after her. He would soon catch up. She turned into a side street bordered by bare walls.

“Wait. Please.” Van put his hand on her shoulder from behind, forcing her to stop. “Surely you’ve heard of a place above the clouds at least once, haven’t you?”

Brushing his hand aside with a brusque gesture, Salome glared up at him. “Don’t make a fool of me. If you want to tell fairy tales, find someone else. Or are you just here to make fun of me?”

Van, taken aback by her sudden intensity, stepped back in astonishment, but quickly regained his composure.

“I’m not telling fairy tales!” he said emphatically. “I really do come from there!”

“Of course,” Salome scoffed, rolling her eyes. She turned to leave, but Van quickly stepped in her way.

“Why should I lie to you?”

“Because you’re crazy!”

“Do I look crazy to you?”

Salome looked him up and down with a meaningful stare.

“I may seem strange to you, but have you ever thought about why? Maybe because I’m not from here? Because your customs, your world, your way of life are completely foreign to me? Honestly, from my point of view, you’re the crazy ones!”

“There can be no place above the clouds! That’s impossible!” Salome exclaimed, agitated.

“Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Van.

“I just know it,” said Salome, clenching her fists. “Everyone knows it. There is nothing above us but clouds.”

“But that’s nonsense!” Van said bewildered.

Salome tried to stride past him, but he wouldn’t let her.

“And what about the world pillars?” he asked. “Do you think they just stop when they touch the clouds?”

“The pillars are infinite. They are the guardians that protect our world from the great emptiness,” Salome stated simply. “Besides, one does not talk about them,” she added with a sidelong glance at the street. “Neither the pillars nor the clouds. I can’t believe I still have to explain that to someone your age!” The pillars—and the clouds themselves—were taboo subjects, not to be mentioned lightly. It was frowned upon if someone kept staring at the sky. Having their head in the clouds it was called, and it was associated with rudeness and poor table manners.

“The pillars are… what?” Van asked incredulously. “You can’t be serious…”

“I’ve had enough of this!” Salome snapped irritably. “If you—”

Van slowly let his hands drop and turned his back to her. He stood there with his head bowed, and Salome noticed his shoulders trembling. She was sure he would start yelling at her in anger any moment, like a child whose tall tales no one believed. Cautiously, she took a step back, but he didn’t move or speak.

“Van…?” she asked softly.

“What happened to this world?” Van murmured, casting a brief look her way. His face was half obscured by his long, wet black hair from the drizzle. “Everything is so desolate, and people have even forgotten the sky…” He trudged to the edge of the alley with his shoulders slumped and sat on the steps of a staircase leading to an inconspicuous back entrance.

Salome didn’t know what to say. Her anger had evaporated the moment she saw his eyes. She regarded him thoughtfully, as he sat there with a fixed gaze reflecting a deep, warm pain. She knew no one who revealed their innermost self as freely and honestly as him, like an innocent child with no fear of the world and its people. It was almost as if he came from an entirely different world—but that couldn’t be.

Her gaze fell on a world pillar jutting out between the gables of two roofs. What was that supposed to mean? How could something exist above the clouds? Clouds were the edge of the great emptiness, the beginning of the end. They were all that remained of the world after it was touched by decay. She had never heard of a place above, let alone considered the possibility. The notion seemed completely absurd—it would call every doctrine into question, everything she knew. It was simply impossible.

Salome shook her head vigorously. No, that was merely the wild fantasy of a poor, crazy boy. But it didn’t change the fact that she had to do something about Van. He had already done her enough harm, and if she didn’t find a way to get rid of him, he would keep coming back. He clearly had no idea how decent people behaved. If they were seen together, it could completely ruin her already bad reputation in the village. And yet… something about his words intrigued her. She felt her mind racing towards ideas she clearly shouldn’t have, formulating questions she never would have dared to ask, not after everything she had to endure in the past because she just couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

On a sudden impulse, remembering why Van had come to her, she stepped forward and crouched down. “Van, you… said I should help you get back home. Maybe I can do that.”

His sad gaze met hers. “I thought you didn’t believe me?”

“That doesn’t matter right now. You can’t stay here forever, and wherever you came from, I guess I… will help you as best as I can. I’ll try, at least.”

His expression brightened. “Really? You would do that?” He leapt up, his eyes shining as if transformed. “I knew I could count on you from the moment I fell on you!”

Salome pressed her lips together and tried to force a smile. She absolutely needed to make sure Van kept his distance. If she pretended to agree to his request, maybe he would leave her alone. At least, that’s what she told herself she was doing. “And how exactly am I supposed to help you?” she asked cautiously.

“We’ll meet again here tomorrow at first light. Prepare yourself—we might be on the road for a while!”

He stood up. “I have to take care of something first. See you!” With that, he hurried out of the side street and disappeared from Salome’s view before she could stop him. What could he possibly be planning? But whatever it was, she would find out soon enough. If she wanted to get rid of him, she’d have to play along, one way or another.