The Crystal Shoes landed on the soft carpet. Shade recognized that he had appeared in the living room of Room One on the Third Floor of his own home. This was also Luvia's Divination room, where her astrolabe and other equipment had always been kept.
The night outside in Tobesk was still peaceful and tranquil, and the familiar feeling of home put Shade especially at ease. But he knew this was not the time to rest. After picking up the Crystal Shoes, he closed his eyes, intending to locate himself and head directly to the basement, but he immediately showed a surprised expression:
"What?"
He sensed that an extra door had appeared in the kitchen on the first floor of his home.
The sound of footsteps descending the stairs brought the maids who looked after the house to the stairwell. Since Galina's trip to Fatumonst Island had not been a public outing, she had only brought Tifa with her. The main force of her Followers remained in Tobesk.
Martha McLaff was acting as the Head Maid tonight, responsible for managing the maids. She greeted Shade at the second-floor stairwell, and Shade asked:
"Did any of you use the kitchen on the first floor tonight?"
"Yes, we used it at dinner."
The second floor was the living area for the masters. The maids prepared their own meals on the first floor.
"Did anything unusual happen in the first-floor kitchen at that time?"
The maids carefully searched their memories, but all shook their heads:
"No."
"Very well. Until Galina and I have dealt with the matter on Fatumonst Island, no one is to enter the first-floor kitchen again. If you need a kitchen, you can use the ones on the second and third floors."
As he spoke, he continued down toward the