O K A Y

Aya sits, although she does crane her neck so she can continue to see if Piper has anything else to say. "I assume if you've been okay in an attic for a really long time you don't have much biology left, if any, but do you sleep?"

S O M E T I M E S I D R E A M

"I bet that helps."

I T D O E S

"How did you fall into a magic, anyway? Or did you jump?"

"Did you not know it was there?"

I W A S R U N N I N G A W A Y F R O M S O M E O N E (pause) I F E L L (pause) D O W N A H I L L (pause) I N T O A R I V E R (pause) T H E M A G I C C A M E A F T E R

"That doesn't sound fun."

"It really doesn't. Do you have anybody who might still be alive that you'd like - I don't know, sent a letter?"

N O

"Okay. Long time ago, huh? What year was it?"

W E U S E D A D I F F E R E N T C A L E N D A R T H E N

"So, a very long time ago. Wow. Do you have an estimate?"

A S F A R A S I C A N T E L L (pause) I T H A S B E E N B E T W E E N (pause) O N E A N D T H R E E T H O U S A N D Y E A R S (pause) B U T I T C O U L D H A V E B E E N M O R E

Y O U R A L P H A B E T H A S N O T C H A N G E D I N A W H I L E (pause) I P I C K T H I N G S U P H E R E A N D T H E R E

"I guess if someone left a page close enough for you to read it, for long enough, you could join up the letters to sounds if you were bored - and you've probably often been very bored."

F R E Q U E N T L Y

(Giggle.)

"How often do you let somebody know that you're a sleeved person?"

I H A V E N O T D O N E I T I N A W H I L E (pause) S O M E T I M E S L O N E L I N E S S I S S E L F P E R P E T U A T I N G

"I'm not sure I understand."

T A L K I N G T O P E O P L E I S (pause) D I F F I C U L T (pause) A N D I T C A N F E E L E A S I E R N O T T O