79 Book Four, Chapter Twelve

Published: July 26, 2008, 8 a.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 twelfth chapter of Book Four, the children delve into their mother's nightmare . . . only to find that they've trapped themselves along with her.