Walking out into the darkening sky, Harry and Kathy saw that, just as Richard had said, someone was waiting.
It was a tall, thin old man in a black robe, his face covered in wrinkles and utterly unsmiling. He glanced at Harry and Kathy without saying anything, merely beckoning for them to come closer.
Then the tall, thin old man turned and led them out of the Lord's estate.
It was already night. Outside the Lord's estate, a prepared carriage stood waiting.
The tall, thin old man led Harry and Kathy aboard. Under the coachman's control, the carriage wound through the streets of Atlantis City, traveling farther and farther away.
Kathy was full of curiosity, wondering where they were going. But after looking at the black-robed old man, she knew it would be difficult to get an answer from him, so she looked toward her brother, Harry, with questioning eyes.
Harry was equally puzzled, but he was somewhat calmer. Sitting inside the carriage, he first shook his head, then pressed one hand lightly downward, signaling for Kathy to relax. Afterward, Harry lowered his eyes, watching his nose, his nose watching his heart. Like an ascetic monk, he blended into the silence of the carriage and patiently waited for them to reach their destination.
Kathy had no choice but to wait along with him.
The carriage traveled through the deepening night for quite some time before finally stopping.
They got out.
As her feet left the swaying carriage and touched the solid flagstone ground again, Kathy curiously looked around. Harry's gaze, meanwhile, fell on the gate of an estate directly ahead.
Judging from the estate's walls, Harry could tell that it covered an enormous area and was more of a complex of buildings. There was no one else around besides them,