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Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to Sleepy Stories. I'm your host, Lucy,

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and my friends and I will be reading you a

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sleepy bedtime story every week to relax you and to

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help you to drift off into a RESTful sleep. From

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time to time, we will also read you a relaxing,

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peaceful meditation that will take you somewhere beautiful and calming.

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Once we have read the stories, we will then read

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them a second time, but this time they will be

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read read even slower. This will help you to relax

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even more. Before we begin, I would like you to

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close your eyes and breathe in and out nice and deeply.

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Take a few seconds to inhale, and then.

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Speaker 2: Hold your breath for a few.

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Speaker 1: Seconds more, and then release and breathe out. Do this

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a few times if you need to. While you listen

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to the music and you listen to my voice, give

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yourself time to let your body relax and your mind settle.

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It's important that we allow time for us to feel safe, cozy,

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and completely at ease. And now it's time for this

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week's story.

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Speaker 2: The House that moved Every Tuesday. At precisely four minutes

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past midnight every Tuesday, the house disappeared not exploded, not crumbled,

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not folded politely away like camping furniture. It simply vanished

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from wherever it had been the week before and appeared

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somewhere entirely new. One Tuesday, it stood beside the sea,

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the next in the middle of a sunflower field. Once,

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rather inconveniently, it appeared in the center of a tiny

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village market and caused three wheelbarrows, a magician, and an

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extremely emotional goat to faint simultaneously. Nobody knew why the

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house moved, nobody knew how, and nobody, under any circumstances

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was allowed to enter the attic. This final rule was

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repeated often by the house's owner, a tall, sharp eyed

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woman named Beatrice Vale, who wore dark green coats and

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had the unsettling habit of appearing silently behind people when

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they lied. You may explore the library, she would say.

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You may explain or the observatory. You may even explore

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the pantry if you survive the marmalade shelf, but never

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the attic. Naturally, this made the attic the most interesting

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thing in the world. Now Living in the moving house

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was thirteen year old Juniper Read. Juniper had arrived six

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months earlier, carrying a suitcase, a violin case, and absolutely

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no intention of staying. She preferred certainty, predictable roads, predictable weather,

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predictable breakfasts. The moving house offered none of these things.

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The staircase changed direction occasionally, the kettle whistled different songs

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depending on the temperature, and every Tuesday morning, Juniper woke

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up somewhere in possible. This, she declared one rainy morning,

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while staring out at a desert full of purple sand.

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Is not normal, Beatrice sip tea calmly. Normal is often overrated.

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We were beside a lighthouse yesterday, and today we are not.

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That is the problem, Beatrice smiled into her cup. Outside,

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enormous birds drifted over the dunes like living kites. Juniper groaned.

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Even the wildlife refused to behave sensibly. The moving house

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itself was enormous, larger inside than outside. Naturally, its hallways

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curved strangely. Some doors opened into entirely different seasons. The

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library contained books, books that occasionally rewrote themselves overnight, depending

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on who had read them. There was also a cat

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named Archbishop. Archbishop was white, enormous, and deeply judgmental. Juniper

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disliked him immediately. Archbishop disliked everyone immediately. This created balance.

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On Wednesday afternoon, Juniper discovered the house had moved again,

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not across the world, this time just slightly. She entered

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the kitchen and noticed the window now overlooked snowy mountains

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instead of purple dunes. Beatrice, Yes, the house shifted. Oh good,

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said Beatrice. From somewhere upstairs. It was leaning emotionally. Juniper

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pressed her forehead against the glass. I don't understand how

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you live like this, Beatrice appeared, carrying a stack of maps.

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You assume houses should stay still? Yes, why? Juniper opened

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her mouth, then paused. Nobody had ever asked her that before.

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Because they're houses, mm, said Beatrice thoughtfully. And clouds are clouds,

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yet they travel constantly. Houses aren't clouds. Most houses aren't,

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Beatrice agreed, which was not remotely helpful. That evening, Juniper

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wandered the halls restlessly. The moving house always became quieter

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after sunset. The floorboards creaked softly like sleepy old bones.

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Lamps glowed amber along the corridors. Somewhere far away, pipes

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hummed mysterious tunes. Juniper passed the attic staircase. She stopped

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at the top, sat the attic door, black dusty, locked

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with three silver bolts. A sign hung from the handle.

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Absolutely not. Juniper stared upward. Archbishop sat halfway up the stairs,

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grooming himself. You know, she whispered, That sign makes me

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want to open it more. Archbishop blinked slowly, which felt encouraging.

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Juniper climbed three steps. The house groaned, she froze, The

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floorboards shifted beneath her feet. Then from somewhere deep inside

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the walls came a low sound, not angry, not threatening. Warning.

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Juniper backed away slowly. Archbishop yawned smugly. Oh, don't look

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so pleased with yourself, she muttered. The cat looked delighted anyway.

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The next Tuesday, Juniper awoke to gulls screaming outside her

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bedroom window. She opened the curtains. The house stood balanced

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atop enormous cliffs, overlooking a roaring green sea. Far below,

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waves crashed against black rocks, and in the distance, floating

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above the ocean hung a city made an entirely of glass.

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Juniper rubbed her eyes. No, the city remained there. Transparent

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towers shimmered in the sunlight bridges curved through the clouds,

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Airships drifted lazily between crystal spires. Beatrice knocked lightly on

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the door. Breakfast. There's a floating city outside, Yes, said Beatrice,

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try the jam before it hardens. At breakfast, Juniper could

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barely sit still. What is that place, mirror glass? You

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say that like its ordinary? It's moderately ordinary. Can we

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go there? Beatrice buttered toast carefully. Possibly. Juniper narrowed her

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eyes suspiciously. What's the catch? There is no catch? That

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means there's definitely a catch, Beatrice smiled slightly. The city

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only allows visitors carrying something lost. Juniper frowned. That's strange

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all worthwhile? Places are They traveled to the floating city

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that afternoon, a board a rattling cable lift suspended over

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the sea. Juniper tried not to look down, failed, looked down,

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regretted it instantly. The city of mirror Glass was breath

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taking everything, reflected everything else. Glass streets, beneath glass towers,

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beneath glass bridges, suspended over open sky. Even the people

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wore shimmering coats threaded with silver. At the city gates

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stood two guards holding crystal lanterns, halt, said one purpose.

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A visit asked the other. Tea and mild curiosity, said Beatrice.

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The guards nodded thoughtfully acceptable, Juniper blinked. That worked, confidence,

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whispered Beatrice. Most rules surrender to confidence. Inside the city,

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strange things happened constantly. A violinist played music that turned

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into birds. A shop sold bottled echoes, children chased glowing

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paper fish through the streets, and everywhere Juniper looked, she

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saw reflections, not always accurate ones. Sometimes mirrors showed people

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older or younger, or smiling when they weren't. This place

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is unsettling, Junipa whispered. That's because it shows truth sideways,

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said Beatrice, which sounded deeply suspicious. As sunset painted the

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glass tower's gold, Beatrice stopped beside a narrow alley. At

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its end stood a tiny, crooked shop. Its sign read

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lost Things returned, no receipts. Inside sat an old man

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polishing spectacles. He looked up as they entered, Ah, he said,

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the moving house. Beatrice inclined her head politely. The old

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man peered at Juniper, and what have you lost? Nothing?

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The old man laughed softly. Everyone loses something Juniper folded

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her arms. I haven't, But even as she said it,

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something twisted painfully inside her chest. The old man seemed

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to notice, hm, he murmured without another word. He climbed

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a ladder, disappearing high into the shop's shadows. Moments later

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he returned, carrying a small wooden box for you, he said,

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Juniper hesitated, what is it? Open? It inside lay a compass,

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old brass, scratched glass. Its needle spun wildly first, then

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slowly settled, not north, toward Juniper herself. She frowned. It's broken, No,

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said the old man gently, it's honest. Juniper stared at

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the compass. Something about it made her suddenly uneasy. What

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does it do? It points toward what's missing? The shop

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fell silent. Outside, Distant bells rang across the city. Juniper swallowed,

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I don't understand. You will. Beatrice thanked the old man quietly,

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and together they left the shop. The journey home felt

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different somehow. Juniper kept glancing at the compass. The needle

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still pointed stuff toward her chest. That night, the house

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was restless. The walls creaked, doors clicked softly open and shut.

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Juniper lay awake, listening. Then she heard it footsteps above

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her ceiling in the attic, Slow, careful walking, Juniper sat

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bolt upright. The footsteps stopped. Then came a faint sound,

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like music, winding backward. Curiosity burned inside her. Before common

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sense could intervene, she grabbed the compass and crept upstairs.

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The attic staircase seemed longer at night. Archbishop watched silently

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from below. Juniper reached the black back attic door. The

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silver bolts were gone. Slowly, the door creaked open. Dust

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swirled in the darkness. Beyond, and inside the attic was

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the sky. Juniper froze. The attic was impossibly vast. Stars

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stretched endlessly overhead, Clouds drifted through enormous wooden beams. Lanterns

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floated gently in the darkness, and in the center of

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the attic stood hundreds of doors, thousands, perhaps different colours,

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different sizes, some ancient, some knew, some glowing faintly. Juniper

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stepped inside carefully. What is this place? The heart of

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the house. Beatrice stood beside one of the lanterns, hands

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folded behind her back. Juniper jumped. You nearly killed me.

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I've been told I arrived dramatically. Juniper looked around in wonder.

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The attic is alive. In a manner of speaking, the

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compass trembled in Juniper's hand. Its needle pointed toward a

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small blue door near the far wall. Beatrice noticed. Ah,

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she said, quietly, so that's what you lost. Juniper approached

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the door slowly. It looked ordinary, simple brass, handle, faded paint,

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nothing frightening about it. And yet her chest heightened painfully.

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What's behind it? Beatrice's expression softened. Only you can know that.

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Juniper placed her hand on the handle. The moment she

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touched it, the door swung inward. Warm sunlight spilled through.

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She stepped inside and found herself standing in her old home,

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not exactly a memory of it. The kitchen smelled of

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soup and raincoats drying by the fire. Music drifted softly

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from another room. Her father sat by the window, laughing

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as he repaired her violin string. Juniper's breath caught. He

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looked up and smiled. Not truly there, not alive again.

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Just remember perfectly you stopped playing, he said gently. Juniper

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felt tears sting her eyes. After he'd died the year before,

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she had packed away the violin completely. She hadn't touched it,

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since it hurt too much. I couldn't, she whispered. Her

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father nodded kindly, as though he already understood. You thought

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stopping would hurt less. Juniper wiped her eyes angrily. Outside

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the memory window, snow fell softly. I didn't want to

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forget you. You won't. The room began fading gently around her.

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Her father smiled one last time. Some things move, he said,

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that doesn't mean they disappear. Then the memory redissolved into light.

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Junipus stood once more in the attic beneath the endless stars.

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Silent tears slid down her cheeks. Beatrice said nothing for

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a while. Finally, she asked, softly, do you understand now

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why the house moves? Juniper looked around the vast attic

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of doors. It carries people in a way. Beatrice touched

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one floating lantern lightly. The house finds those who are stuck,

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those who stop living because they're frightened of losing more.

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Junipus stared at the compass in her hands. The needle

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had finally gone Still, what happens now, Beatrice smiled faintly.

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Now the house waits to see whether you're ready to

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keep climbing forward. Far below, Somewhere deep within the moving house,

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a clock chimed midnight, The walls shivered gently. Tuesday had begun.

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Outside the attic windows, the stars shifted. The entire house

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moved once more through the sleeping world. But this time

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Juniper didn't feel afraid, only curious and perhaps just perhaps

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a little hopeful too. The next morning, sunlight streamed through

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the dining room windows. Beyond them stretched rolling green hills

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filled with wildflowers. Juniper entered, carrying something under her arm,

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her violin. Beatrice glanced up from breakfast. Oh, Juniper shrugged awkwardly.

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I thought the house might like music. At once, the

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floorboards hummed happily. Somewhere upstairs, a door applauded, archbishops sneezed,

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Beatrice smiled into her tea, and, for the very first

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time since arriving at the impossible Wandering House, Juniper smiled too. Outside,

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the world rolled endlessly onward beneath the traveling House, and

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at precisely four minutes past midnight every Tuesday, somewhere between mountains, oceans, forests,

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and forgotten places, the house continued moving gently through the world,

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always searching for those who still needed help finding their

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way forward. The end the house that moved every Tuesday,

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at precisely four minutes past midnight. Every Tuesday, the house disappeared,

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not exploded, not crumbled, not folded politely away like camping furniture.

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It simply vanished from wherever it had been the week

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before and appeared somewhere entirely new. One Tuesday, it stood

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beside the sea, the next in the middle of a

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sunflower field. Once, rather inconveniently, it appeared in the center

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of a tiny village market and caused three wheelbarrows, a magician,

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and an extremely emotional goat to faint simultaneously. Nobody knew

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why the house moved, nobody knew how, and nobody, under

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any circumstances was allowed to enter the attic. This final

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rule was repeated often by the house's owner, a tall,

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sharp eyed woman named Beatrice Vale, who wore dark green

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coats and had the unsettling habit of appearing silently behind

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people when they lied. You may explore the library, she

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would say. You may explore the observatory. You may even

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explore the pantry. If you survived the marmalade shelf, but

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never the attic. Naturally, this made the attic the most

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interesting thing in the world. Now living in the moving

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house was thirteen year old Juniper read. Juniper had arrived

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six months earlier carrying a suitcase, a violin case, an

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absolutely no intention of staying. She preferred certainty, predictable roads,

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predictable weather, predictable breakfasts. The moving house offered none of

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these things. The staircase changed direction occasionally, the kettle whistled

237
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different songs depending on the temperature, and every Tuesday morning

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Juniper woke up somewhere impossible. This, she declared one rainy morning,

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while staring out at a desert full of purple sand,

240
00:26:42,799 --> 00:26:50,119
is not normal, Beatrice sip tea calmly. Normal is often overrated.

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00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:56,119
We were beside a lighthouse yesterday, and today we are not.

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That is the problem, Viatrists smiled into her cup. Outside,

243
00:27:04,599 --> 00:27:10,720
enormous birds drifted over the dunes like living kites. Juniper groaned.

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Even the wildlife refused to behave Sensibly, the moving house

245
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:26,200
itself was enormous, larger inside than outside. Naturally, its hallways

246
00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:32,960
curved strangely. Some doors opened into entirely different seasons. The

247
00:27:33,079 --> 00:27:39,079
library contained books that occasionally rewrote themselves overnight, depending on

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who had read them. There was also a cat named Archbishop.

249
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Archbishop was white, enormous, and deeply judgmental. Juniper disliked him immediately.

250
00:27:55,079 --> 00:28:03,039
Archbishop disliked everyone immediately. This created balance. On Wednesday afternoon,

251
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Juniper discovered the house had moved again, not across the world,

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this time just slightly. She entered the kitchen and noticed

253
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the window now overlooked snowy mountains instead of purple dunes. Beatrice, Yes,

254
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the house shifted. Oh good, said Beatrice from somewhere upstairs.

255
00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:37,319
It was leaning emotionally. Juniper pressed her forehead against the glass.

256
00:28:38,559 --> 00:28:43,480
I don't understand how you live like this, Beatrice appeared,

257
00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:52,440
carrying a stack of maps. You assume houses should stay still? Yes? Why?

258
00:28:53,759 --> 00:28:59,839
Juniper opened her mouth, then paused. Nobody had ever asked

259
00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:07,440
her that before. Because they're houses, mmm, said Beatrice thoughtfully.

260
00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:14,200
And clouds are clouds, yet they travel constantly. Houses aren't clouds.

261
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Most houses aren't, Beatrice agreed, which was not remotely helpful.

262
00:29:22,319 --> 00:29:28,720
That evening, Juniper wandered the halls restlessly. The moving house

263
00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:35,240
always became quieter after sunset. The floorboards creaked softly, like

264
00:29:35,359 --> 00:29:41,240
sleepy old bones. Lamps glowed amber along the corridors. Somewhere

265
00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:49,480
far away, pipes hummed mysterious tunes. Juniper passed the attic staircase.

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She stopped at the top. Sat the attic door, black dusty,

267
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locked with three silver bolts. A sign hung from the handle.

268
00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:13,359
Absolutely not. Juniper stared upward. Archbishop sat halfway up the stairs,

269
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grooming himself. You know, she whispered. That sign makes me

270
00:30:19,519 --> 00:30:26,359
want to open it more. Archbishop blinked slowly, which felt encouraging.

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Juniper climbed three steps. The house groaned, she froze, The

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00:30:35,319 --> 00:30:41,799
floorboards shifted beneath her feet. Then, from somewhere deep inside

273
00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:50,160
the walls, came a low sound, not angry, not threatening. Warning.

274
00:30:51,359 --> 00:30:59,119
Juniper backed away slowly. Archbishop yawned smugly. Oh, don't look

275
00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:04,759
so pleased with yourself, she muttered. The cat looked delighted anyway.

276
00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:11,599
The next Tuesday, Juniper awoke to gulls screaming outside her

277
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:18,119
bedroom window. She opened the curtains. The house stood balanced

278
00:31:18,519 --> 00:31:24,759
atop enormous cliffs, overlooking a roaring green sea. Far below,

279
00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:30,799
waves crashed against black rocks and in the distance. Floating

280
00:31:30,799 --> 00:31:35,839
above the ocean hung a city made entirely of glass.

281
00:31:37,079 --> 00:31:45,519
Juniper rubbed her eyes. No, the city remained there. Transparent

282
00:31:45,759 --> 00:31:50,839
towers shimmered in the sunlight. Bridges curved through the clouds,

283
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:57,920
Airships drifted lazily between crystal spires. Beatrice knocked lightly on

284
00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:06,200
the door. Breakfasts. There's a floating city outside, yes, said Beatrice,

285
00:32:06,759 --> 00:32:12,480
Try the jam before it hardens. At breakfast, Juniper could

286
00:32:12,559 --> 00:32:19,160
barely sit still. What is that place, mirror glass? You

287
00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:25,039
say that like it's ordinary. It's moderately ordinary. Can we

288
00:32:25,119 --> 00:32:33,319
go there? Beatrice buttered toast carefully. Possibly. Juniper narrowed her

289
00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:40,440
eyes suspiciously. What's the catch? There is no catch. That

290
00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:47,039
means there's definitely a catch, Beatrice smiled slightly. The city

291
00:32:47,559 --> 00:32:56,200
only allows visitors carrying something lost. Juniper frowned. That's strange

292
00:32:56,440 --> 00:33:02,519
all worthwhile? Places are they? To the floating city? That afternoon,

293
00:33:03,039 --> 00:33:08,720
aboard a rattling cable lift suspended over the sea, Juniper

294
00:33:08,839 --> 00:33:16,440
tried not to look down. Failed, looked down, regretted it instantly.

295
00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:23,519
The city of mirror glass was breath taking, everything reflected

296
00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:30,200
everything else, glass streets beneath glass towers, beneath glass bridges

297
00:33:30,279 --> 00:33:36,039
suspended over open sky. Even the people wore shimmering coats

298
00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:41,880
threaded with silver. At the city gates stood two guards

299
00:33:42,319 --> 00:33:49,440
holding crystal lanterns. Halt, said one purpose a visit asked

300
00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:56,319
the other. Tea and mild curiosity, said Beatrice. The guards

301
00:33:56,359 --> 00:34:06,839
nodded thoughtfully acceptable, Juniper blinked. That worked, confidence, whispered Beatrice.

302
00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:13,480
Most rules surrender to confidence. Inside the city, strange things

303
00:34:13,519 --> 00:34:19,320
happened constantly. A violinist played music that turned into birds.

304
00:34:20,519 --> 00:34:26,760
A shop sold bottled echoes, children chased glowing paper fish

305
00:34:27,119 --> 00:34:34,159
through the streets, and everywhere Juniper looked, she saw reflections,

306
00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:42,280
not always accurate ones. Sometimes mirrors showed people older or younger,

307
00:34:43,559 --> 00:34:50,559
or smiling when they weren't. This place is unsettling, Juniper whispered.

308
00:34:51,679 --> 00:34:57,280
That's because it shows truth sideways, said Beatrice, which sounded

309
00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:02,960
deeply suspicious. A As sunset painted the glass tower's gold,

310
00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:08,239
Beatrice stopped beside a narrow alley. At its end stood

311
00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:14,519
a tiny, crooked shop. Its sign read lost Things returned,

312
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:22,199
no receipts. Inside sat an old man polishing spectacles. He

313
00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:28,480
looked up as they entered Ah, he said, the moving house.

314
00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:35,440
Beatrice inclined her head politely. The old man peered at Juniper,

315
00:35:36,559 --> 00:35:42,760
and what have you lost? Nothing? The old man laughed softly.

316
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:51,920
Everyone loses something. Juniper folded her arms. I haven't. But

317
00:35:52,039 --> 00:35:56,880
even as she said it, something twisted painfully inside her chest.

318
00:35:58,119 --> 00:36:02,840
The old man seemed to notice. Yes, hm, he murmured

319
00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:08,880
without another word. He climbed a ladder, disappearing high into

320
00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:14,559
the shop's shadows. Moments later he returned, carrying a small

321
00:36:14,599 --> 00:36:23,559
wooden box for you, he said, Juniper hesitated, what is it? Open?

322
00:36:23,639 --> 00:36:23,719
Speaker 3: It?

323
00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:33,280
Speaker 2: Inside lay a compass, old brass, scratched glass. Its needle

324
00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:41,159
spun wildly at first, then slowly settled, not north, toward

325
00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:48,719
Juniper herself. She frowned. It's broken, No, said the old

326
00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:55,880
man gently, it's honest. Juniper stared at the compass. Something

327
00:36:55,920 --> 00:37:00,119
about it made her suddenly uneasy. What does it do?

328
00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:08,159
It points toward what's missing? The shop fell silent outside,

329
00:37:08,639 --> 00:37:16,079
Distant bells rang across the city. Juniper swallowed. I don't understand.

330
00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:22,440
You will. Beatrice thanked the old man quietly, and together

331
00:37:22,559 --> 00:37:27,480
they left the shop. The journey home felt different somehow.

332
00:37:28,559 --> 00:37:34,119
Juniper kept glancing at the compass the needle still pointed

333
00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:40,159
stubbornly toward her chest. That night, the house was restless.

334
00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:48,719
The walls creaked, doors clicked softly open and shut. Juniper

335
00:37:49,079 --> 00:37:55,079
lay awake, listening. Then she heard it, footsteps above her

336
00:37:55,119 --> 00:38:05,800
ceiling in the attic, slow, careful walking. Juniper sat bolt upright.

337
00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:12,159
The footsteps stopped. Then came a faint sound, like music

338
00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:20,079
winding backward. Curiosity burned inside her. Before common sense could intervene,

339
00:38:20,599 --> 00:38:25,880
she grabbed the compass and crept upstairs. The attic staircase

340
00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:33,559
seemed longer at night. Archbishop watched silently from below. Juniper

341
00:38:33,679 --> 00:38:40,480
reached the black attic door. The silver bolts were gone. Slowly,

342
00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:46,400
the door creaked open. Dust swirled in the darkness. Beyond

343
00:38:47,599 --> 00:38:54,840
and inside the attic was the sky. Juniper froze. The

344
00:38:54,880 --> 00:39:03,639
attic was impossibly vast. Stars stretched endlessly overhead, Clouds drifted

345
00:39:03,679 --> 00:39:09,440
through enormous wooden beams. Lanterns floated gently in the darkness.

346
00:39:10,599 --> 00:39:16,559
And in the center of the attic stood hundreds of doors, thousands,

347
00:39:16,599 --> 00:39:27,199
perhaps different colors, different sizes, some ancient, some knew, some

348
00:39:27,639 --> 00:39:34,599
glowing faintly. Junipu stepped inside carefully. What is this place?

349
00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:40,280
The heart of the house. Beatrice stood beside one of

350
00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:47,079
the lanterns, hands folded behind her back. Juniper jumped, you

351
00:39:47,199 --> 00:39:53,079
nearly killed me. I've been told I arrived dramatically. Juniper

352
00:39:53,159 --> 00:39:59,360
looked around in wonder. The attic is alive in a

353
00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:04,079
manner of space speaking, The compass trembled in Juniper's hand.

354
00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:09,320
Its needle pointed toward a small blue door near the

355
00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:17,199
far wall. Beatrice noticed. Ah, She said, quietly, so that's

356
00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:24,039
what you lost. Juniper approached the door slowly. It looked ordinary,

357
00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:33,320
simple brass, handle, faded paint, nothing frightening about it, and

358
00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:41,280
yet her chest tightened painfully. What's behind it? Beatrice's expression softened.

359
00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:46,519
Only you can know that. Juniper placed her hand on

360
00:40:46,599 --> 00:40:51,840
the handle. The moment she touched it, the door swung inward.

361
00:40:53,039 --> 00:40:59,599
Warm sunlight spilled through. She stepped inside and found herself

362
00:40:59,639 --> 00:41:05,360
standing in her old home, not exactly a memory of it.

363
00:41:06,639 --> 00:41:11,519
The kitchen smelled of soup and raincoats drying by the fire.

364
00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:18,239
Music drifted softly from another room. Her father sat by

365
00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:24,320
the window, laughing as he repaired her violin string. Juniper's

366
00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:30,280
breath caught. He looked up and smiled, not truly there,

367
00:41:31,519 --> 00:41:38,519
not alive again, just remembered perfectly. You stopped playing, he

368
00:41:38,599 --> 00:41:45,000
said gently. Juniper felt tears sting her eyes. After he'd

369
00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:49,360
died the year before, she had packed away the violin completely.

370
00:41:50,599 --> 00:41:56,320
She hadn't touched it since it hurt too much. I couldn't,

371
00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:02,280
she whispered. Her father nodded kindly, as though he already understood.

372
00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:08,559
You thought stopping would hurt less. Juniper wiped her eyes angrily.

373
00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:15,960
Outside the memory window, snow fell softly. I didn't want

374
00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:21,519
to forget you. You won't. The room began fading gently

375
00:42:21,599 --> 00:42:28,800
around her. Her father smiled one last time. Some things move,

376
00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:34,679
he said, that doesn't mean they disappear. Then the memory

377
00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:40,280
dissolved into light. Juniper stood once more in the attic,

378
00:42:40,519 --> 00:42:46,039
beneath the endless stars. Silent tears slid down her cheeks.

379
00:42:47,119 --> 00:42:51,920
Beatrice said nothing for a while. Finally, she asked, softly,

380
00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:57,480
do you understand now why the house moves? Juniper looked

381
00:42:57,480 --> 00:43:03,760
around the vast attic of doors. It carries people in

382
00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:10,360
a way. Beatrice touched one floating lantern lightly. The house

383
00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:14,840
finds those who are stuck, those who stop living because

384
00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:19,480
they're frightened of losing more, Junipus stared at the compass

385
00:43:19,519 --> 00:43:25,320
in her hands. The needle had finally gone Still, what

386
00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:32,559
happens now, Beatrice smiled faintly. Now the house waits to

387
00:43:32,639 --> 00:43:37,280
see whether you're ready to keep climbing forward. Far below,

388
00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:42,639
somewhere deep within the moving house, a clock chimed. Midnight,

389
00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:50,719
the walls shivered gently. Tuesday had begun. Outside the attic windows,

390
00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:56,920
the stars shifted. The entire house moved once more through

391
00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:02,000
the sleeping world. But this time Juniper didn't feel afraid,

392
00:44:03,199 --> 00:44:08,440
only curious, and perhaps just perhaps a little hopeful too.

393
00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:15,000
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the dining room windows.

394
00:44:15,639 --> 00:44:21,920
Beyond them stretched rolling green hills filled with wild flowers.

395
00:44:22,039 --> 00:44:29,280
Juniper entered, carrying something under her arm, her violin. Beatrice

396
00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:37,199
glanced up from breakfast. Oh, Juniper shrugged awkwardly. I thought

397
00:44:37,239 --> 00:44:42,760
the house might like music at once. The floorboards hummed happily.

398
00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:52,480
Somewhere upstairs, a door applauded, Archbishop sneezed. Beatrice smiled into

399
00:44:52,519 --> 00:44:57,639
her tea, and for the very first time since arriving

400
00:44:57,719 --> 00:45:04,840
at the impossible wandering House, Juniper smiled too. Outside the

401
00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:11,039
world rolled endlessly onward beneath the traveling house, and at

402
00:45:11,079 --> 00:45:19,880
precisely four minutes past midnight every Tuesday, somewhere between mountains, oceans, forests,

403
00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:25,880
and forgotten places. The house continued moving gently through the world,

404
00:45:27,079 --> 00:45:31,599
always searching for those who still needed help finding their

405
00:45:31,639 --> 00:45:40,719
way forward. The end the house that moved every Tuesday.

406
00:45:41,480 --> 00:45:48,360
At precisely four minutes past midnight every Tuesday, the house disappeared.

407
00:45:49,559 --> 00:45:57,559
Not exploded, not crumbled, not folded politely away like camping furniture.

408
00:45:58,679 --> 00:46:01,800
It simply vanished from wherever it had been the week

409
00:46:01,880 --> 00:46:08,480
before and appeared somewhere entirely new. One Tuesday, it stood

410
00:46:08,559 --> 00:46:12,519
beside the sea, the next in the middle of a

411
00:46:12,599 --> 00:46:19,800
sunflower field. Once, rather inconveniently, it appeared in the center

412
00:46:19,960 --> 00:46:25,320
of a tiny village market and caused three wheelbarrows, a magician,

413
00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:32,440
and an extremely emotional goat to faint simultaneously. Nobody knew

414
00:46:32,559 --> 00:46:39,280
why the house moved, nobody knew how, and nobody, under

415
00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:45,119
any circumstances was allowed to enter the attic. This final

416
00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:49,840
rule was repeated often by the house's owner, a tall,

417
00:46:50,440 --> 00:46:55,519
sharp eyed woman named Beatrice Vale, who wore dark green

418
00:46:55,599 --> 00:47:00,800
coats and had the unsettling habit of appearing silently behind

419
00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:06,239
people when they lied. You may explore the library, she

420
00:47:06,320 --> 00:47:12,280
would say. You may explore the observatory. You may even

421
00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:17,159
explore the pantry if you survive the marmalade shelf, but

422
00:47:17,239 --> 00:47:22,360
never the attic. Naturally, this made the attic the most

423
00:47:22,559 --> 00:47:26,840
interesting thing in the world. Now, living in the moving

424
00:47:26,920 --> 00:47:32,519
house was thirteen year old Juniper Read. Juniper had arrived

425
00:47:32,880 --> 00:47:37,960
six months earlier carrying a suitcase, a violin case, and

426
00:47:38,119 --> 00:47:46,599
absolutely no intention of staying. She preferred certainty, predictable roads,

427
00:47:47,199 --> 00:47:54,480
predictable weather, predictable breakfasts. The moving house offered none of

428
00:47:54,519 --> 00:48:01,920
these things. The staircase changed direction occasionally, the kettle whistled

429
00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:06,719
different songs depending on the temperature, and every Tuesday morning,

430
00:48:07,119 --> 00:48:13,480
Juniper woke up somewhere impossible. This, she declared one rainy morning,

431
00:48:13,840 --> 00:48:16,679
while staring out at a desert full of purple sand.

432
00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:24,639
Is not normal, Beatrice sip tea calmly. Normal is often overrated.

433
00:48:25,719 --> 00:48:30,639
We were beside a lighthouse yesterday, and today we are not.

434
00:48:32,039 --> 00:48:38,400
That is the problem, Beatrice smiled into her cup. Outside,

435
00:48:39,119 --> 00:48:45,239
enormous birds drifted over the dunes like living kites, Juniper groaned.

436
00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:52,440
Even the wildlife refused to behave sensibly. The moving house

437
00:48:52,480 --> 00:49:00,760
itself was enormous, larger inside than outside. Naturally, it's hallways

438
00:49:00,880 --> 00:49:07,559
curved strangely. Some doors opened into entirely different seasons. The

439
00:49:07,599 --> 00:49:13,599
library contained books that occasionally rewrote themselves overnight, depending on

440
00:49:13,679 --> 00:49:19,599
who had read them. There was also a cat named Archbishop.

441
00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:28,280
Archbishop was white, enormous, and deeply judgmental. Juniper disliked him immediately.

442
00:49:29,599 --> 00:49:37,559
Archbishop disliked everyone immediately. This created balance. On Wednesday afternoon,

443
00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:43,039
Juniper discovered the house had moved again, not across the world,

444
00:49:43,119 --> 00:49:49,480
this time just slightly. She entered the kitchen and noticed

445
00:49:49,559 --> 00:49:57,960
the window now overlooked snowy mountains instead of purple dunes. Beatrice, Yes,

446
00:49:59,239 --> 00:50:06,320
the house, Oh good, said Beatrice from somewhere upstairs. It

447
00:50:06,440 --> 00:50:11,880
was leaning emotionally. Juniper pressed her forehead against the glass.

448
00:50:13,119 --> 00:50:17,960
I don't understand how you live like this. Beatrice appeared,

449
00:50:18,440 --> 00:50:27,000
carrying a stack of maps. You assume houses should stay still? Yes? Why?

450
00:50:28,280 --> 00:50:34,480
Juniper opened her mouth, then paused. Nobody had ever asked

451
00:50:34,480 --> 00:50:41,960
her that before. Because they're houses, mm, said Beatrice thoughtfully.

452
00:50:42,519 --> 00:50:48,719
And clouds are clouds, yet they travel constantly. Houses aren't clouds.

453
00:50:49,960 --> 00:50:55,719
Most houses aren't Beatrice agreed, which was not remotely helpful.

454
00:50:56,840 --> 00:51:03,239
That evening, Juniper wandered the hall restlessly. The moving house

455
00:51:03,480 --> 00:51:09,760
always became quieter after sunset. The floorboards creaked softly, like

456
00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:15,800
sleepy old bones. Lamps glowed amber along the corridors. Somewhere

457
00:51:16,199 --> 00:51:24,039
far away, pipes hummed mysterious tunes. Juniper passed the attic staircase.

458
00:51:25,239 --> 00:51:33,000
She stopped at the top. Sat the attic door, black dusty,

459
00:51:33,639 --> 00:51:39,039
locked with three silver bolts. A sign hung from the handle.

460
00:51:40,239 --> 00:51:47,880
Absolutely not, Juniper stared upward. Archbishop sat halfway up the stairs,

461
00:51:48,320 --> 00:51:53,920
grooming himself. You know, she whispered. That sign makes me

462
00:51:54,039 --> 00:52:00,880
want to open it more. Archbishop blinked slowly, which felt encouraging.

463
00:52:02,119 --> 00:52:09,800
Juniper climbed three steps. The house groaned, she froze, The

464
00:52:09,880 --> 00:52:16,400
floorboards shifted beneath her feet. Then, from somewhere deep inside

465
00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:25,320
the walls came a low sound, not angry, not threatening. Warning.

466
00:52:25,880 --> 00:52:33,679
Juniper backed away slowly. Archbishop yawned smugly. Oh, don't look

467
00:52:33,760 --> 00:52:39,280
so pleased with yourself, she muttered. The cat looked delighted anyway.

468
00:52:40,440 --> 00:52:46,159
The next Tuesday, Juniper awoke to gulls screaming outside her

469
00:52:46,159 --> 00:52:52,599
bedroom window. She opened the curtains. The house stood balanced

470
00:52:53,039 --> 00:52:59,400
atop enormous cliffs, overlooking a roaring green sea. Far below,

471
00:52:59,679 --> 00:53:04,320
way leaves crashed against black rocks, and in the distance,

472
00:53:04,840 --> 00:53:10,360
floating above the ocean hung a city made entirely of glass.

473
00:53:11,599 --> 00:53:20,039
Juniper rubbed her eyes. No, the city remained there. Transparent

474
00:53:20,280 --> 00:53:25,360
towers shimmered in the sunlight. Bridges curved through the clouds,

475
00:53:26,199 --> 00:53:32,440
Airships drifted lazily between crystal spires. Beatrice knocked lightly on

476
00:53:32,519 --> 00:53:40,719
the door. Breakfast. There's a floating city outside, Yes, said Beatrice,

477
00:53:41,280 --> 00:53:47,000
Try the jam before it hardens. At breakfast, Juniper could

478
00:53:47,079 --> 00:53:53,679
barely sit still. What is that place, mirror glass? You

479
00:53:53,760 --> 00:53:59,599
say that like its ordinary? It's moderately ordinary. Can we

480
00:53:59,639 --> 00:54:07,840
go there? Beatrice buttered toast carefully. Possibly, Juniper narrowed her

481
00:54:07,920 --> 00:54:14,960
eyes suspiciously. What's the catch? There is no catch. That

482
00:54:15,239 --> 00:54:21,559
means there's definitely a catch, Beatrice smiled slightly. The city

483
00:54:22,079 --> 00:54:30,760
only allows visitors carrying something lost. Juniper frowned. That's strange,

484
00:54:30,960 --> 00:54:36,159
all worthwhile? Places are They traveled to the floating city

485
00:54:36,199 --> 00:54:42,199
that afternoon, aboard a rattling cable lift suspended over the sea.

486
00:54:42,760 --> 00:54:50,039
Juniper tried not to look down, failed, looked down, regretted

487
00:54:50,079 --> 00:54:55,400
it instantly. The city of mirror glass was breath taking

488
00:54:56,599 --> 00:55:03,639
everything reflected everything else. Glass streets, beneath glass towers, beneath

489
00:55:03,719 --> 00:55:09,480
glass bridges, suspended over open sky. Even the people wore

490
00:55:09,519 --> 00:55:15,440
shimmering coats threaded with silver. At the city gates stood

491
00:55:15,440 --> 00:55:22,760
two guards holding crystal lanterns. Halt, said one purpose a

492
00:55:22,920 --> 00:55:29,119
visit asked the other. Tea and mild, curiosity, said Beatrice.

493
00:55:30,239 --> 00:55:39,800
The guards nodded, thoughtfully acceptable, Juniper blinked. That worked, confidence,

494
00:55:40,360 --> 00:55:46,360
whispered Beatrice. Most rules surrender to confidence. Inside the city,

495
00:55:47,079 --> 00:55:53,039
strange things happened constantly. A violinist played music that turned

496
00:55:53,039 --> 00:55:59,960
into birds. A shop sold bottled echoes, children chased glo

497
00:56:00,079 --> 00:56:05,559
lowing paper fish through the streets, and everywhere Juniper looked,

498
00:56:05,800 --> 00:56:14,039
she saw reflections, not always accurate ones. Sometimes mirrors showed

499
00:56:14,079 --> 00:56:21,039
people older or younger, or smiling when they weren't. This

500
00:56:21,400 --> 00:56:28,920
place is unsettling, Junipa whispered. That's because it shows truth sideways,

501
00:56:29,199 --> 00:56:36,079
said Beatrice, which sounded deeply suspicious. As sunset painted the

502
00:56:36,119 --> 00:56:41,840
glass tower's gold, Beatrice stopped beside a narrow alley at

503
00:56:41,880 --> 00:56:46,559
its end stood a tiny crooked shop. Its sign read

504
00:56:47,760 --> 00:56:53,840
lost things returned, no receipts. Inside sat an old man

505
00:56:53,920 --> 00:57:01,320
polishing spectacles. He looked up as they entered. Ah, he said,

506
00:57:01,840 --> 00:57:08,400
the moving house. Beatrice inclined her head politely. The old

507
00:57:08,480 --> 00:57:13,960
man peered at Juniper, and what have you lost? Nothing?

508
00:57:15,239 --> 00:57:22,559
The old man laughed softly. Everyone loses something. Juniper folded

509
00:57:22,599 --> 00:57:27,599
her arms. I haven't. But even as she said it,

510
00:57:28,159 --> 00:57:34,000
something twisted painfully inside her chest. The old man seemed

511
00:57:34,039 --> 00:57:40,960
to notice. Hm. He murmured without another word. He climbed

512
00:57:40,960 --> 00:57:46,519
a ladder, disappearing high into the shop's shadows. Moments later

513
00:57:46,639 --> 00:57:52,480
he returned, carrying a small wooden box for you, he said,

514
00:57:53,599 --> 00:58:00,760
Juniper hesitated, what is it? Open it? In sight lay

515
00:58:00,800 --> 00:58:08,920
a compass, old brass, scratched glass. Its needle spun wildly

516
00:58:09,039 --> 00:58:16,960
at first, then slowly settled, not north, toward Juniper herself.

517
00:58:18,079 --> 00:58:23,960
She frowned. It's broken, No, said the old man gently,

518
00:58:24,480 --> 00:58:31,079
it's honest. Juniper stared at the compass. Something about it

519
00:58:31,239 --> 00:58:36,599
made her suddenly uneasy. What does it do? It points

520
00:58:36,639 --> 00:58:44,199
toward what's missing? The shop fell silent outside. Distant bells

521
00:58:44,400 --> 00:58:52,360
rang across the city, Juniper swallowed, I don't understand, you will.

522
00:58:53,559 --> 00:58:57,599
Beatrice thanked the old man quietly, and together they left

523
00:58:57,639 --> 00:59:03,920
the shop. The journey high felt different somehow. Juniper kept

524
00:59:03,960 --> 00:59:10,039
glancing at the compass. The needle still pointed stubbornly toward

525
00:59:10,079 --> 00:59:18,119
her chest. That night, the house was restless. The walls creaked,

526
00:59:18,480 --> 00:59:25,079
doors clicked softly open and shut. Juniper lay awake, listening.

527
00:59:26,239 --> 00:59:33,559
Then she heard it. Footsteps above her ceiling in the attic, slow,

528
00:59:34,880 --> 00:59:44,119
careful walking. Juniper sat bolt upright. The footsteps stopped, Then

529
00:59:44,320 --> 00:59:50,440
came a faint sound, like music, winding backward. Curiosity burned

530
00:59:50,480 --> 00:59:55,840
inside her. Before common sense could intervene, she grabbed the

531
00:59:55,880 --> 01:00:01,360
compass and crept upstairs. The attic stair case seemed longer

532
01:00:01,480 --> 01:00:08,920
at night. Archbishop watched silently from below. Juniper reached the

533
01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:15,440
black attic door. The silver bolts were gone slowly. The

534
01:00:15,599 --> 01:00:22,360
door creaked open, dust swirled in the darkness. Beyond, and

535
01:00:22,559 --> 01:00:29,840
inside the attic was the sky. Juniper froze. The attic

536
01:00:30,159 --> 01:00:38,440
was impossibly vast. Stars stretched endlessly overhead, Clouds drifted through

537
01:00:38,599 --> 01:00:45,199
enormous wooden beams. Lanterns floated gently in the darkness, and

538
01:00:45,320 --> 01:00:51,639
in the center of the attic stood hundreds of doors, thousands, perhaps,

539
01:00:52,840 --> 01:01:03,159
different colours, different sizes, some ancient knew, some glowing faintly.

540
01:01:04,360 --> 01:01:11,039
Juniper stepped inside carefully. What is this place? The heart

541
01:01:11,199 --> 01:01:15,559
of the house. Beatrice stood beside one of the lanterns,

542
01:01:16,239 --> 01:01:22,559
hands folded behind her back. Juniper jumped, You nearly killed me.

543
01:01:23,760 --> 01:01:29,079
I've been told I arrived dramatically. Juniper looked around in wonder.

544
01:01:30,199 --> 01:01:36,199
The attic is alive. In a manner of speaking, the

545
01:01:36,280 --> 01:01:41,719
compass trembled in Juniper's hand. Its needle pointed toward a

546
01:01:41,840 --> 01:01:48,599
small blue door near the far wall. Beatrice noticed, Ah,

547
01:01:48,679 --> 01:01:54,960
She said, quietly, so that's what you lost. Juniper approached

548
01:01:54,960 --> 01:02:03,840
the door slowly. It looked ordinary, simple brass, handle, faded paint,

549
01:02:05,079 --> 01:02:10,320
nothing frightening about it, And yet her chest tightened painfully.

550
01:02:11,480 --> 01:02:18,199
What's behind it? Beatrice's expression softened. Only you can know that.

551
01:02:19,480 --> 01:02:23,519
Juniper placed her hand on the handle. The moment she

552
01:02:23,679 --> 01:02:29,480
touched it, the door swung inward. Warm sunlight spilled through.

553
01:02:30,679 --> 01:02:35,840
She stepped inside and found herself standing in her old home,

554
01:02:37,039 --> 01:02:42,679
not exactly a memory of it. The kitchen smelled of

555
01:02:42,760 --> 01:02:49,079
soup and raincoats drying by the fire. Music drifted softly

556
01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:54,400
from another room. Her father sat by the window, laughing

557
01:02:54,800 --> 01:03:00,840
as he repaired her violin string. Juniper's breath caught. He

558
01:03:00,880 --> 01:03:07,159
looked up and smiled. Not truly there, not alive again,

559
01:03:08,480 --> 01:03:15,440
just remembered perfectly. You stopped playing, he said gently. Juniper

560
01:03:15,559 --> 01:03:20,800
felt tears sting her eyes. After he'd died the year before,

561
01:03:21,440 --> 01:03:26,039
she had packed away the violin completely. She hadn't touched

562
01:03:26,039 --> 01:03:31,960
it since it hurt too much. I couldn't, she whispered.

563
01:03:33,000 --> 01:03:38,000
Her father nodded kindly, as though he already understood. You

564
01:03:38,119 --> 01:03:43,119
thought stopping would hurt less. Juniper wiped her eyes angrily.

565
01:03:44,320 --> 01:03:50,480
Outside the memory window, snow fell softly. I didn't want

566
01:03:50,480 --> 01:03:56,079
to forget you. You won't. The room began fading gently

567
01:03:56,119 --> 01:04:02,199
around her. Her father smiled one laugh. Us time some

568
01:04:02,440 --> 01:04:08,480
things move, he said, that doesn't mean they disappear. Then

569
01:04:08,599 --> 01:04:14,119
the memory dissolved into light. Junipus stood once more in

570
01:04:14,199 --> 01:04:19,840
the attic, beneath the endless stars. Silent tears slid down

571
01:04:19,880 --> 01:04:26,440
her cheeks. Beatrice said nothing for a while. Finally, she asked, softly,

572
01:04:27,360 --> 01:04:32,000
do you understand now why the house moves? Juniper looked

573
01:04:32,039 --> 01:04:38,280
around the vast attic of doors. It carries people in

574
01:04:38,320 --> 01:04:44,920
a way. Beatrice touched one floating lantern lightly. The house

575
01:04:44,960 --> 01:04:49,360
finds those who are stuck, those who stop living because

576
01:04:49,360 --> 01:04:54,000
they're frightened of losing more. Junipus stared at the compass

577
01:04:54,039 --> 01:04:59,840
in her hands. The needle had finally gone Still. What

578
01:05:00,079 --> 01:05:07,079
happens now, Beatrice smiled faintly. Now the house waits to

579
01:05:07,159 --> 01:05:11,880
see whether you're ready to keep climbing forward. Far below,

580
01:05:12,519 --> 01:05:17,159
somewhere deep within the moving house, a clock chimed. Midnight.

581
01:05:18,360 --> 01:05:25,239
The walls shivered gently. Tuesday had begun. Outside the attic windows,

582
01:05:25,800 --> 01:05:31,440
the stars shifted. The entire house moved once more through

583
01:05:31,519 --> 01:05:36,519
the sleeping world. But this time Juniper didn't feel afraid,

584
01:05:37,719 --> 01:05:44,119
only curious, and perhaps just perhaps a little hopeful too.

585
01:05:44,280 --> 01:05:49,039
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the dining room windows.

586
01:05:50,199 --> 01:05:57,719
Beyond them stretched rolling green hills filled with wildflowers. Juniper entered,

587
01:05:58,119 --> 01:06:04,559
carrying something under her arm, her violin. Beatrice glanced up

588
01:06:04,599 --> 01:06:12,280
from breakfast. Oh, Juniper shrugged awkwardly. I thought the house

589
01:06:12,400 --> 01:06:19,920
might like music at once. The floorboards hummed happily. Somewhere upstairs,

590
01:06:20,480 --> 01:06:27,480
a door applauded. Archbishop sneezed. Beatrice smiled into her tea,

591
01:06:28,639 --> 01:06:32,440
and for the very first time since arriving at the

592
01:06:32,519 --> 01:06:40,480
impossible Wandering House, Juniper smiled too. Outside the world rolled

593
01:06:40,639 --> 01:06:46,719
endlessly onward beneath the Traveling House, and at precisely four

594
01:06:46,800 --> 01:06:54,400
minutes past midnight every Tuesday, somewhere between mountains, oceans, forests,

595
01:06:54,760 --> 01:07:00,360
and forgotten places, the House continued moving gently through the world,

596
01:07:01,599 --> 01:07:06,159
always searching for those who still needed help finding their

597
01:07:06,159 --> 01:11:14,520
way forward. The end.

598
01:08:06,000 --> 01:12:48,640
Speaker 4: Start start in sc scutt in this infect infect infect

599
01:12:54,359 --> 01:14:06,960
start start.

600
01:13:56,680 --> 01:15:07,000
Speaker 3: Infect start.

601
01:15:30,359 --> 01:17:24,640
Speaker 4: Start Start Start start

