Free Stiltskin (Andrew Buckley) by Andrew Buckley

Rabbit’s blood, which diminishes in power within a certain time. In order to obtain a passport like that there has to be a good reason for the individual wanting it, and they must have something to trade. Not just anyone can get one.”
    “But then the one I have and that you Agents have isn’t temporary?”
    “No, it’s pure blood. That’s why people would kill to have it. One of the Agency’s primary missions is to monitor the use of passports and punish those who abuse the privilege.”
    “Is that the Agency’s only mission?”
    Lily stared into Robert’s dark eyes. “No.”
    Something about the answer disturbed Robert and he felt there was more in that answer than a simple one-syllable word but the fact was that Lily’s eyes caused his brain to get butterflies and all curiosity was instantly dispelled.
    The Rabbit ducked through the back door of the Exchange and handed a leather satchel to Lily.
    “Thank you so much; we’ll send word when we find the Dwarf.”
    “I’d certainly appreciate it. Robert Darkly, something else occurred to me while I was preparing your food. May I have a word with you in private?”
    Robert looked to Lily, as if for permission, but found that she was staring sternly at the Rabbit who completely ignored her. A look like that would have turned any normal man to stone. As the Rabbit was a rabbit and not anywhere close to being a normal man, he was obviously perfectly safe from any such looks.
    “I’ll wait outside,” said Lily resolutely. “Make it quick, we’re wasting time.”
    Lily cast a warning glance at Robert and left through the large wooden door. Through the doorway, Robert could see what looked like a myriad of colours blending together as if someone had painted a watercolour picture and then left it out in the rain. Lily walked through the image in the doorway and the colours flowed over her until she vanished completely and the door creaked closed behind her.
    “As much as we are cordial when in each other’s presence, there is a certain animosity that exists between the Exchange and the Agency.” The Rabbit shook his head sadly.
    “Why is that?”
    “It comes down to purpose. Without the Agency, life would go on. Without me, the Agency would have no purpose. I’m a threat and a necessity all at once. But let us talk about you for a moment. I imagine that you believe you are here on this magical journey for a reason, maybe to give your own life some purpose, but please don’t deceive yourself about the severity of the world that you now occupy. If you want my honest opinion, you’d be better off turning around and leaving the Exchange and all this behind you.”
    “Look, Mr… Rabbit, I got fired from my job today and last night my girlfriend broke my heart. I don’t really have any friends or anyone I would call a friend, I’m not particularly handsome or smart and the only really significant element of my life is that weird, unexplainable things happen to me on a regular basis. I really don’t have much to lose, to be perfectly honest.”
    The Rabbit scratched one of his long white ears. “Well, then, if you’re committed to remaining here, there are three things that I must impart to you. Firstly, you always have something to lose. Your blood is as valuable as mine, as valuable as anyone’s. It’s a commodity. Always remember that. Secondly, I packed a special little something in the passport that I gave you.”
    Robert had absentmindedly been playing with the tiny vial around his neck, and he now looked at it.
    “If you travel through a door without a passport it’ll just send you somewhere, randomly, within the same world which you currently occupy. If you travel with a passport you have the option to travel within the world or between them.”
    “Allowing me to go back to Othaside, I know. But I don’t want to go back―”
    The Rabbit held up a large, fuzzy paw to interrupt Robert and rolled his large, glassy eyes in his large, white,