The girl nods eagerly, waving at Mahalia to follow her, and heads for the door to the stairs. It's quite a climb, but thankfully she's fit as well as accustomed to it, having taken this route at least three times a week.

The higher they go, the louder the sounds of the great clock echo around them. The click-thunk of gears is a comforting sound to her, so she barely hears it.