Not wanting to get too far ahead of himself, Horatio waits for Pud or other companions to join him. 

"Doors, library... Well, yes, you'll need to go down the hallway out of the kitchen, then up the circular stairs, through the Hall of Hatches, then through the Flooded Hall to get to her private library," says Thinnings to Ben, pointing back toward the kitchen. "The doors shouldn't give you any trouble. To get through the Crown Locks, you either need to get your name into Zybilna’s Black Book somehow, or I suppose you can fetch the crown out of the Maiden's Pond, but you don't need to go through any Crown Locks to get to her library upstairs."

"As to her true name," he adds, lowering his voice, "well, some say it's 'Iggwilv' but that's just hearsay."

"My eyes?" he adds with a smile to Titaani. "My mother's eyes, they say. No, I can't see in the dark with them, but they are pretty sharp!"

---

Meanwhile, Matilda shimmies up to join Horatio on the balcony.

Ben:

”You have been so helpful!” says Ben thankfully, “but pray tell, where is the Maiden’s Pond?”  As he speaks, Ben commits the suggested true name to memory—just in case.

”Elkhorn, do you know the true names of your companions in Valor’s Call?  We would do well to free them as soon as possible,” he adds.

"If you came in through the Garden, you passed Maiden's Pond. Encircled by willow trees, covered with lily pads," answers Thinnings.

"Huh?" asks Elkhorn. "Sorry, I was just examining the vines. Did you see the piece of tower atop it? Quite a spectacle! Our true names? Uh... Mercion, Molliver, Ringlerun, Strongheart – them's their names, as far as I know..."

Ben:

”What do the rest of you think?  Shall we backtrack and check that room we skipped, try our luck up the vine, or move towards the library?  Or we could also go back and fish out the crown so we can more easily travel through the doors,” he adds.

Pud watches as Matilda joins Horatio on the balcony. 

"Lemme get the others. Hang on a sec."

Before leaving to inform the others, Pud sends Rizzo to up to stand watch over Horatio and Matilda. He tells her to come get him if they get in trouble.

Pud runs over to Ben and Titaani and listens in on their conversation with Thinings. He waits for a lull in the conversation, trying not to be rude, before interjecting.

"Uh, hello, you must be Thinnings. My name is Pud."

He then turns to Ben and Titaani. "Guess what. Remember that balcony above the dinning room? Well, Horatio and Matilda are up there. Wanna see whats up there? Theres a couple of doors and some weird instrument up there." 

"I'd rather the balcony than the pond!" Titaani says to Ben and Pud. "Lead the way, Pud!"

Before she leaves, though, she gives Thinnings a hug. "Thank you so much! You've been very helpful!"

Ben:

”Indeed, many thanks,” adds Ben simply as he follows the others.

“I'll be here if you need me," replies Thinnings. "Just don’t expect me to come to your rescue. I didn’t get this far by being brave or foolhardy. And mind the harpsichord up there. It just tuned itself.”

~~~~~~

The party takes turns climbing the rope. Elkhorn is last, huffing and puffing. "I thought the thin guy said something about stairs!" he grumbles.

You are now on a thirty-foot-high balcony overlooking the banquet hall. A harpsichord decorated with painted panels is situated at one end of the balcony near two sets of double doors, one bearing the image of a crowned lion.

"Ooh, I've never seen one of these before!" Titaani exclaims excitedly, and recklessly presses some of the keys of the harpsichord. 

Twing! Twang!  Titaani presses a couple of keys on the double-keyboarded instrument. It produces a few delicate, nasal-sounding notes. You can imagine a musician up here playing to a large banquet below. Looking over the rail now, you just see the huge mess the giant made before her demise.

Matilda headed up trying both sets of doors...

Matilda finds the first set to be firmly locked. The second set opens easily. Within, she gets a glimpse of several glass statues arranged about a marble floor polished to a mirror-like finish. Another glass statue stands atop a dais straight ahead, her arms outstretched. There was a flash of movement when Matilda first opened the doors, but now everything within seems frozen. 

" Uh, guys!  I need big light!", Matilda faux-whispered back.

"Oh! Ok!" Titaani summons the flickering purple flames of create bonfire in her hands. "Just tell me where to put it!"

Pud whistles, calling Rizzo to his side. He makes sure his club is fastened securely to his side and readies his magical multi-tool wand. He follows the girls through the door.

Ben:

Casting Light on a silver coin, Ben moves over and slides it into the room to illuminate it.

The party finds themselves in a polished marble hall. The exterior walls are lined with stained-glass windows depicting fairies and butterflies in flight. A glass statue of a long-haired woman in robes stands atop a dais, her arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture. A tiny, incandescent blue sphere is suspended in the air next to the statue’s head. Dozens of other statues made of sparkling glass are arranged about the room, all perfectly still.

Each statue is lifelike and unique. Nearby, for instance, a glass scullery maid is depicted dancing with a glass princess, while a glass farmer carries a glass pot filled with glass coins.

"Zybilna!" Inexplicably, Titaani runs up and hugs the statue in the center. 

The sparkling glass statue on the dias does indeed seem to represent Zybilna, with arms outstretched. Titaani climbs the low dais and gives the statue a hug. Everything remains still and quiet.