It was late in the town of Syko, in the city of Fig.

The only sound to be heard in the square was the gentle rustling of leaves and the footsteps of a small but unexpected band of travellers.

“Madam Prostasia. Are you awake?”

The old heavy door to the Madam’s bedroom opened just a crack.

“I’m sorry to intrude Madam…” Mathitev, the Madam’s assistant continued – admitting herself to the room “…but there are some children and a very agitated woman here to see you.”

A long moment passed as the Madam’s larynx and jaw received the blood and synovial fluids they needed to operate.

“At this late hour?” The Madam responded instinctively. “I hardly think so my dear.”

The Madam’s vocal chords creaked like the springs in an old desiccated mattress and gave Mathitev the urge to swallow.

The Madam was in the same place she had been the last time Mathitev had checked on her, some 20 years earlier. Her large body, was propped up in the seated position on an old couch at the foot of an even larger bed. She was motionless but for her mouth, which opened and closed slowly, warming up for a conversation.

“The woman insists on seeing you Madam. She says she will not leave until she does.”

Another long moment passed.

It was perhaps a shorter moment than the last.

Mathitev persisted.

“What did she say her name was? Eldereeki, or… Eldeneeki. Yes that’s it. She says she’s a teacher from that old School of Magical Stuff for delinquents, in the High Country.”

Eldeneeki. The Madam thought. Her mind stirred like too little milk in strong coffee.

Eldeneeki. She lingered on the name. The blood pooling in her feet started to flow upwards. Her skin went from a grey-green to a blue, to a more natural pink shade. Her eyes began to brighten into their natural green. The chattering in her jaw was replaced by the sounds of teeth clenched and grinding.

“She said her name is Eldeneeki? Is that what you said?”

“Yes, that’s what she said. I’m just recounting a message.”

Madam sprung to her feet suddenly, testing the limits of her ample frame and the ancient floorboards. A shower of dust fell away from her, like an old couch left too long in the attic.

“Whoa-there Madam. Watch yourself please. I have neither the time nor the inclination to put you together again. And I’m running out of thread!”

Madam Stumbled over to Mathitev, threatening to bring the house down around her. She grabbed her assistant by the shoulders and shook her with unexpected strength.

“What was her last name you silly girl? Did she give it?”

“She didn’t give me a last name,” Mathitev said, struggling to maintain balance. “Why Madam? Do you know her?”

“Maybe. Maybe yes. I think I knew her when she had a different name. But perhaps this was one of them and I’ve simply forgotten it. But yes it must be her.”

She eased her grip on her assistant but didn’t let go.

“Is there a boy with this woman of yours?” The Madam asked, remembering something important.

“She’s not my woman. She’s a visitor. And yes… there are two boys. A small thin one, and a big tall one. There’s a girl too, and a couple of Matches and like I said, a very annoying woman. ”

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“Bring them to me right away. Hurry Mathitev,” she said, finally letting go.

With that Mathitev fled the room to fetch the guests.

Madam Prostasia went to her vanity, one cautious step after the next.

The person standing in front of her in the mirror, behind the layers of dust and grime, was an unfamiliar sight. An old woman, fattened by many years of hibernation.

She needed to look her best, she thought. She had guests.

She adjusted her thick nest of indigo hair and smoothed the bodice of her dress, which was crumpled by more than a decade of sitting. She beat the dust from herself as best she could, and shook herself like a wet bear until most of it was gone. She grabbed at lipstick, and blush, and some root of the Madonna lily. She applied them thickly until the face looking back at her was somewhere between presentable and insane. Her thick arms and plump fingers trembled from the exertion. The years were catching up with her. But she would outrun them yet.

“Exa,” she called to her long expired Match, a frighteningly large scorpion, as big as a dinner plate, with two pincers and stinger that would frighten a dragon (when it had been alive to brandish them).

“You know since I died Madam, you do expect me to keep such unfashionable hours.”

“We have guests coming.”

“Should I care?”

“You really are a nasty little shade sometimes aren’t you?”

“I was much nastier when I was alive. Don’t you remember?” It replied dryly. “I’ve softened. Just like you have by the look of things. You’re absolutely…”

Before the Scorpion could finish his insult Ms Togami pushed through the bedroom door. The Scorpion disappeared into the Madam’s shadow.

Behind Ms Togami, Mathitev, the children and their Matches followed.

Before the Madam could say a word Ms Togami had lunged at her, catching her in a full embrace. In the swiftness of the embrace, Ms Togami accidentally knocked shadow Exa off the Madam’s shadow shoulder into the shadow corner like a wet sack; knocking over a shadow chair in the process.

Ms Togami began to weep as she held her old friend.

“Nou Nou. My dear - it’s been so long.” Madam Prostasia said, throwing her chalky arms around the thin woman.

“It has Madam.”

The pair embraced for a time as the others watched, not knowing what to say. \

Mul’s match purred. Dibs smacked his little lips.

Madam Prostasia held Ms Togami by the shoulders, at arm’s length, examining her face.

“Oh my dear you’ve changed. You’ve grown older – more anxious. You must tell me everything.”

Mul coughed.

“Oh…” she said looking at him. “Nou Nou. It seems you’ve done your duty well.”

“I was so scared Madam. And this…” she said pointing back to the children, “…was purely by chance or fate or both.”

“If the boy is here,” the Madam said looking at no one in particular, “it means we’ve failed to keep Her from marching.”

“Wasn’t she cast into the singularity?” Ms Togami asked.

“Hmm,” she chuckled. “It was only a matter of time before her followers found her. Nothing in heaven or hell can stop Her when she has her heart set.”

“The Harbinger came. A cloud the colour of clotted blood that sent something to kill us.” Mul said, breaking the silence he’d kept since they exited the Perasma.

“Oh yes. Her old dog is off the leash.”

“Madam,” Mul continued quietly. “I’m sorry Madam, but who are you?”

“Mul,” that’s very rude, Milk said.

Flim laughed at this sensing tension.

“What he means is…” Milk said, suddenly unsure what to add. “Why are we here and how can you help?”

“Oh my gorgeous little children. I am Madam Prostasia. The caretaker!”

Her shadow suddenly danced in the candlelight, taking on a life of its own.

“What are you the caretaker of?” Mul asked.

“Well these days, I’m the caretaker of that couch, and those old books, and this small ancient home. These days I need an assistant to read the small print on my letters, and help me remember to get up every couple of decades to shake off the dust, and stretch.”

She let go of Ms Togami and sat on the corner of her large bed.

“Before… a long time ago…the whole world was my couch, and the moon, and planets and so many of the stars. And I was the caretaker of them all and of all the children of the worlds. But now I’m just ash, grime, cinder and shadows.”

“Why are we here?” Mul asked again “If you don’t have your power anymore? We can’t fight what’s coming for us with dust.”

He turned to Ms Togami. “How is this old lady supposed to help us when we have a Sku...whatever you called it after us.”

“The Sku-Zo is the least of your concerns my handsome little duck. You are trying to outrun the end of everything and She has more support than you can ever know,” Madam finished.

This is when Exa emerged into the light.

At first no one saw him, because he was just a shadow on the wall, but a Match can sense a Match (even a dead one) and Mul’s Match ran to the wall barking at the Scorpion in delight.

“Get your little pet off me boy, before I give it a sting it won’t soon forget.”

They all turned from the Madam to the talking shadow on the wall, being licked at that moment by Mul’s Match.

“I’d like to introduce you to my dear Exa,” the Madam said. “He’s not quite what he used to be.”

“No thanks to you Madam.”

“Oh shush you old curmudgeon.”

“May I speak? This is something of an emergency.”

“Say what you must and quickly,” Madam said.

“Something’s wrong. The shadows are gathering in the square.”