Liana's daytime life was so different from her dreaming life, it was sometimes difficult to believe that either of them was real. While she was awake, she thought about her dream-time meetings with Herago, telling herself that it was there that reality lay. While she was asleep, dreaming and rehearsing the new showing with Herago, she kept wondering if what she thought was happening, really was. Or was this just something her mind had created so that she would be better able to cope with the awfulness of life under the Bartys?
The work in the factory had changed. The discs into which Liana had to stick spikes were gone. Now, to Liana's left were piles of crescent shaped papers. On the belt, ovals made of a pink substance moved along the belt, which sped along faster than before. Liana had to place a paper crescent on each of them, in a particular way and at a particular point. As with the discs and spikes, the work was just one repeated movement, over and over. It was deadly boring. After a while the movement caused Liana to feel sharp pains in the bit of her back that turned from side to side. Liana looked around, and saw that other people along the moving belt were doing similar tasks, and were finding it hard to keep up with the new speed.
Silmoa was still walking around, but now she had a bigger version of the shocking stick. If anyone seemed to be slowing down, she would poke them and they would jump in pain. However, this didn't make them work any faster, so the stick would be used over and over again on the same few people, who would then have to be taken away. Liana had no idea what happened to them after they went, but she was sure it was not pleasant.
At least now it wasn't difficult to get to sleep. Liana was so tired after a day at the fast moving belt, that as soon as she got back to the dormitory and lay down on her bed, she fell into a deep, deep sleep.
Soon Liana was dreaming again. For a while, the dream was something that she drifted through, unaware even that she was dreaming. She was walking around the city built by the Bartys. Everything was harsh and ugly. Guardians wearing 'aerial bracelets' flew in straight lines above her head, and she knew that she was on her way to work on the moving belt. Silmoa appeared with an enormous stick, with which she poked Liana. There was a sharp pain in her back, and Liana woke up suddenly. A hard lump in the bed was poking into the bit of her sore back.
Liana moved around to avoid the lump, and tried to settle to sleep again. Time was disappearing, and she needed to sleep some proper sleep, with proper control dreaming, so that she could meet up with Herago. They didn't have much time.
The pain in Liana's back subsided, and tiredness took over. She could feel that she was headed towards a proper control dream. At first she saw images of the Barty version of her world, but she was awake enough to change them, and put herself back in the old world of Seren-ila. Even the air became clearer, as once again she found herself outside the House of the Green Jewel.
Suddenly, she remembered what had happened last time she had been here. People in the back room of the building. She hadn't told Herago about what had happened, but now she thought perhaps she should.
But Herago wasn't here. At least he wasn't outside the House of the Green Jewel, where they had been meeting in these dreams. Could he have gone inside? There was no need, it was warm enough out here. Suddenly Liana wondered whether Herago felt the same things she did in these dreams. Was he also warm when she was? Or did it depend on the conditions where he was sleeping? She would have to ask when she saw him. But where was he?
Reluctantly, Liana walked into the House. It was as it had been last time she was there. There in the corner was the red door, leading to the other room where she had seen the strange figures last time. Quietly, Liana walked over to the red door. She put her ear to the door. She waited a few seconds, and as her ear got used to the feel of the door, she began to hear noises. Not talking, but some sort of movement. There was somebody or something in there. A person? An animal?
Quickly, Liana opened the door. There was a shape in the darkness. Liana screamed. The shape jumped.
Liana's eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she saw that the shape was a boy. It was Herago.
'What were you shouting about?' Herago said, calmly.
'I was frightened,' Liana said.
'What were you frightened of?'
'I don't know,' Liana replied.
'If you're not careful you'll wake us both up,' said Herago.
'Could I do that?' said Liana.
'Hard to say,' said Herago, 'but best not to risk it.'
'Why did you come in here?' Liana asked, looking round at the room with its dark maroon walls, its shelves covered with books. Suddenly she felt cold.
'I wanted to remember what it was like. You remember all those times we sat in here with Piacho, talking about history? About what the world was like before there was Seren-ila.'
'I remember. Nobody really knew what it was like. We just knew it had been bad. Well we know what a bad world is like now.'
'Yes,' said Herago, 'but maybe we can change it.'
They started talking about what was to go into the show. Would they tear up a picture of Greblara and put it back together again. It was a very strong and surprising Impossible, but people wouldn't know what it was about. Only Seren-ilians knew about Greblara – how important it was, what had happened to it, what it meant to the people. They wouldn't get much time, so they would have to do things that would have a big effect. They narrowed it down to three Impossibles to show The Bartyronians what 'Grabblers' could do.
They started practising the first of them, Herago doing the actions and Liana doing the words. After a while, Liana just stopped.
'Herago, why are we doing this?' Liana said.
'You know why. To show the Barty's that Grabblers are cleverer than they think.'
'But we can't. This is just a dream.'
'It's a dream, but we're real. You know that. We've proved it.'
'Yes, maybe I am talking to the real Herago, and you are talking to the real Liana. But even so, it's still a dream. Like it would be if we were talking about this while we were awake. The truth is we can never get to the Festival in Bartyronis.'
'But we can. We've got the wrist-flyers.'
'OK. The wrist-flyers might get us to Bartyronis, but what's going to happen when we get there? As far as we know, Piacho and Selentaya are already there. They haven't managed to stop the Bartys. And what about Trentaya, and the others who set out on the expedition to talk to the Bartys about getting Selentaya and Piacho back? If they managed to cross the mountain, they should be in Bartyronis by now.' Liana stopped for a moment, thinking about what might have happened if they hadn't crossed. She shook herself. Herago looked at her red, red hair, waving above her. Did she wear her hair like that in the factory, he wondered?
Liana continued. 'The climbing party don't seem to have stopped the Bartys either. So how are we going to do anything? We're just a couple of Grabblers. Why would the Bartys allow us to take part in the Festival? There's no point, Herago. The whole thing, really, is impossible.'
Herago's eyes grew small behind his glasses. He looked hard at Liana.
'Maybe you're right,' he said, quietly, 'but look, we have, at least, managed to spend a little more time in Seren-ila, even if it's only in our dreams.'
'Yes,' Liana said, looking round at the old, familiar room. And then she stopped dead still, looking straight ahead of her.
'What are you doing here?' Liana asked,suddenly.
'What are you talking about?' said Herago.
'I mean, are you just a bit of fantasy, or am I really talking to you?' Liana said.
'We've been through this, Liana. We're sharing this dream. I'm me and you're you, and we are dreaming together. You know that.' Then Herago realised that Liana wasn't looking at him.
Liana was looking past Herago, at a spot in front of the bookcase. She started to speak again, pausing every now and then as though she was listening to another person:
'But how can I know that? And why have you got a Barty Himester with you? ... All right, a Barty Ormester. ... What do you mean, "friend"? ... But do you know what has happened here?'
'Liana,' Herago said, 'who are you talking to? Are you having another dream at the same time as this one?'
Liana looked at Herago. 'I'm talking to them,' she said. Then she looked back at the spot by the bookcase. 'I'm talking to Herago,' Liana said to the air, 'Can't you see him? .... Oh!' She looked back at Herago. 'Selentaya and Piacho say hello,' Liana said. 'Oh, and so does ... who? ... So does Pritch.'