57 Book Three, Chapter Seven

Published: March 25, 2008, 6:45 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. The seventh chapter of Book Three, in which Assam spends an uncomfortable night.