Free Lady Friday by Garth & Corduner Nix

pursed her lips in distaste.
    “Poor penmanship,” she said. “Those pointy things are not proper writing instruments!”
    “Will it do as a receipt?” asked Harrison.
    “I suppose so,” said Milka. She folded the paper very precisely into a square one-eighth of its original size and put it in her pocket. “Feorin! Come on.”
    The two Denizens stalked out, leaving Leaf standing in front of the desk. Harrison rubbed his eyes again and leaned forward, propping his chin on his hands for a moment, with his eyes closed as if he were asleep. Then he shook himself awake again, pushed the chair back, and stood up.
    “I’m sorry,” he said. “You’d better sit down. This is going to be a shock.”
    Leaf took the chair.
    Harrison paced in front of the desk, scratching his head. Finally he stopped and turned to face Leaf.
    “Look, I don’t know how to tell you this. Uh, let’s see ... how can I put it? The two ... ah ... people who brought you here. Well, they’re not human. They’re like kind of aliens, called Denizens, and normally they live in a place ... a world I guess ... called the House. Only this isn’t there, it’s another planet somewhere in maybe the Lesser Magellanic Cloud, I think, or maybe ... oh ... I’m too tired to even think, let alone explain. Anyway, most of the real people here are asleep and they’ll stay asleep until ... but there are a few normal humans like me who are awake ... but we’re prisoners too .... Ah, I bet none of this is making sense ....”
    “You say you’re a prisoner here?” asked Leaf. She wanted to be sure he wasn’t a willing servant of Lady Friday.
    “Yeah,” said Harrison. “I was dumb enough to take a job in ‘Dr. Friday’s’ hospital back on Earth. Next thing I know ... here I am, and here I’ve stayed. What year is it back home?”
    Leaf told him. Harrison asked her again and she repeated it. He stood completely still the second time, the muscles working in his throat as if he were holding back a sob.
    “Then I’ve been here for fourteen years .... I thought it was longer. Weird stuff happens when you go through the House between Earth and here.”
    “We got here via this House place?” asked Leaf.
    “According to Axilrad,” said Harrison. “One of the Denizens. She talks to me sometimes. Ah, what does it matter .... I’m stuck here, you’re stuck here, we’re better off than the sleepers ....”
    “What happens to the sleepers?” Leaf felt her whole body tense up with that question, because she really meant “What’s going to happen to my aunt?”
    “You don’t want to know,” muttered Harrison. He kept pacing. “Really, you don’t. You’re bound to be in shock already; I don’t want to make it worse.”
    “I do want to know,” said Leaf. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever she might be about to hear. “And I already know about the House and the Denizens and Lady Friday being a Trustee of the Will and all.”
    Harrison stopped pacing and stared at her.
    “How? I mean, you are a human?”
    “Yes,” said Leaf. “But I’ve been in the House before. I’m a friend of Arthur, the Rightful Heir to the Architect.”
    “You mean Arthur’s real?” Harrison sat down on the edge of the desk and looked directly at Leaf for the first time, his eyes suddenly lively, the weariness gone. “The Denizens talk about him sometimes. Axilrad said he doesn’t exist, that there are always rumors about a Rightful Heir ... but if he can defeat Lady Friday ... maybe ... there is a chance I can get home after all ....”
    “He’s real enough,” said Leaf. “He’s already beaten Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday, and Drowned Wednesday ... and probably Sir Thursday too, only I don’t know for sure. Now, tell me ... what happens to the sleepers?”
    Harrison looked away again and clicked his fingernails in agitation.
    “She only used to bring across a dozen or so a month,”
    he said. “I don’t know why there’s been this