"Hmm?" The Timeless One opened her eyes. "Oh, yes, yes, of course, my dear! Try to puzzle it out however you like. Only remember that you must solve it on your own, and no help from the fairy!

"What is:
The beginning of eternity
The end of time and space
The beginning of every end
And the end of every place?

"One guess, dear, that's all you get. So answer carefully!"

Her eyes closed once more.

Raman crossed his arms.

"Well, take your time," he told Dawn in a tone of voice that clearly said, 'You're going to need it.'

Settling himself on the wall that trapped them in with the Timeless One, he folded his thin, membranous wings and looked down at the human girl. A test of wits, this was. From what he had seen of her so far, he had a pretty clear indication of how she would fare.

---

"She's at the first test," he murmured to himself as he gazed into the crystal ball he held in his hand. "But the last time I saw her, she was still stuck outside the Labyrinth. How could she have gotten in this far so quickly...?"

He straightened up in his chair. "What is THAT?" He glared at the crystal. "A fairy? Well then, that explains something... Javitha." He shook his head. "That petty little fairy queen thought to spite me by helping the girl?"

He began to rise, then settled back down, his face contemplative. "No, no. No need to act so hastily. After all, it's only the first test, and she must face it alone. The fairy can not help her. The fairy can be dealt with... later."