Home from home

"And this will be your room. You're honoured - I'm pretty sure this is one of the ones that has good natural daylight in it. In you go, and dump your bag."

Adam just stood there, unsure what to say.

"Oh, I keep forgetting," continued Alice. "This always surprises people when they first see it. You're thinking how much bigger it is upstairs than down, am I right?"

Adam nodded. He was thinking of Doctor Who and how you were never really fooled by the idea of the TARDIS being bigger on the inside; the outside and inside always seemed unconnected in his mind. Now he discovered how unbelievable the effect was in real life. Where had all these rooms come from, when the cottage looked so tiny?

"You'll have noticed, as we arrived here, that the end of this cottage backs onto a hill? Good. Well, over the years, many of the houses built on that hill have, inexplicably, ceased to have cellars and basements. Meanwhile - and some might say this is a remarkable coincidence - the number of rooms in this cottage has grown."

Adam felt unsure whether this was some test of his gullibility - but resisted the urge to ask if she was joking. He sensed she wasn't someone who joked very often. Instead he said, "you mean this corridor goes under the street?"

"Yes, exactly. Which is why you should be pleased to have a room with a window. Now, do you want to find out more about us, or not? If you do, then I suggest you stop standing there, and put your bag in your room ... as I suggested earlier. Hmmmm?"

Adam felt there was no need for Margaret to snigger. At least, not so obviously.



Story starts here.