The dragon came back in the midst of it all. Everything got darker underneath him. When I looked up through the driving, winding snow, I could faintly see the vast gray shape of him hovering above the weather. His huge voice boomed down to me.

“GIVE ME THE END OF IT.”

I knew what he meant. I got up and tottered through the streams of transparent people, and among the horses’ legs that went past without touching me, to Japheth’s smoking bucket. Grundo and Toby were there, trying to shelter behind it—not that they could, because the snow was blinding in from all directions. I was really glad to see them. I was shaky all over, and I kept jerking with the salamander magic. I knew I couldn’t manage on my own.

“Help me,” I said. “We’ve got to get the end of this vortex up to the dragon.”

They looked pretty scared, but they put out their arms and helped me try to lift it. It was surprisingly easy, Toby said, “It’s quite loose!” It was, and it wasn’t heavy either, just awkward. I had to lift it by myself the last foot or so, because I was so much taller than they were, and it hummed and slithered and wobbled in my arms, but I managed to hang on to it until a great shiny claw reached down through the storm and hooked it off me.

“NOW FOR CHANGES,” the dragon said.

- The Merlin Conspiracy, (2003)

How long is the road to Babylon?
Three score years and ten.
Many have gone to Babylon
But few come back again.
If your feet are nimble and light
You can get there by candle-light.

- Deep Secret (1997)