29 Book One, Chapter Twenty-Four

Published: Dec. 21, 2007, 2:45 p.m.

"Assam & Darjeeling" is the story of two children who set out to rescue their dead mother from the Underworld -- a nightmare place where the mythological desperately tries to keep pace with the world above. The children encounter cell-phone carrying demons, forgotten deities from defunct pantheons waiting tables, and one nasty character called Juniper who takes a particular, personal interest in their quest. In the twenty-fourth chapter of our story, the children finally reach the Winter Palace and get invited to tea.