# The Staircase That Climbed the Sky

An episode of [Sleepy Stories: To help you sleep](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1553772490), 22 Jun 2026, 1 h 19 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/s.gum.fm/s-661ffdc3defef17c8671ea7e/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72634200/the_staircase_that_climbed_the_sky.mp3

Hello everyone, Today’s episode is called 'The Staircase That Climbed the Sky ' A gentle and enchanting fairytale written by Judith. This calming bedtime story is designed to help you relax, unwind, and drift into a peaceful sleep. If you enjoy cosy storytelling, soothing narration, or sleep stories to fall asleep to, this one is for you. If you enjoy listening, please do leave an Apple review or rate us on Spotify — it really helps the podcast grow and allows more people to find our sleep stories. You can now listen on our YouTube channel as well: Sleepy Stories ☁️ - YouTube Sweet Dreams, Lucy ❤ #SleepStories #BedtimeStories #GuidedMeditation #Relaxation #Calm #Mindfulness #MeditationPodcast #SleepPodcast #Folktales #FairyTales #Storytelling #SoothingVoices #SleepAid #RelaxingStories #Tranquility #DriftOffToSleep

## Transcript

[0:12] Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to Sleepy Stories. I'm your host, Lucy,
[0:21] Speaker 1: and my friends and I will be reading you a
[0:24] Speaker 1: sleepy bedtime story every week to relax you and to
[0:31] Speaker 1: help you to drift off into a RESTful sleep. From
[0:37] Speaker 1: time to time, we will also read you a relaxing,
[0:42] Speaker 1: peaceful meditation that will take you somewhere beautiful and calming.
[0:50] Speaker 1: Once we have read the stories, we will then read
[0:54] Speaker 1: them a second time, but this time they will be
[1:00] Speaker 1: read even slower. This will help you to relax even more.
[1:08] Speaker 1: Before we begin, I would like you to close your
[1:13] Speaker 1: eyes and breathe in and out nice and deeply. Take
[1:21] Speaker 1: a few seconds to inhale, and then hold your breath
[1:28] Speaker 1: for a few seconds more and then release and breathe out.
[1:36] Speaker 1: Do this a few times if you need to. While
[1:41] Speaker 1: you listen to the music and you listen to my voice,
[1:47] Speaker 1: give yourself time to let your body relax and your
[1:53] Speaker 1: mind settle. It's important that we allow time for us
[2:01] Speaker 1: to feel safe, cozy, and completely at ease. And now
[2:11] Speaker 1: it's time for this week's story, The staircase that climbed
[2:32] Speaker 1: the sky. Nobody knew where the staircase came from. On
[2:39] Speaker 1: Monday evening, The square in the middle of Bellweather Town
[2:43] Speaker 1: contained only the usual things, a sleepy fountain, a crooked
[2:48] Speaker 1: clock tower, three pigeons with criminal intentions, and mister Pindle
[2:54] Speaker 1: selling chestnuts. No one entirely trusted. But on Tuesday morning,
[3:01] Speaker 1: stretching up from the cobblestones and vanishing into the clouds,
[3:05] Speaker 1: stood a staircase. Not an ordinary staircase. This staircase twisted
[3:12] Speaker 1: like a ribbon through the sky. Its steps shimmered silver
[3:17] Speaker 1: blue in the dawn light, and tiny lanterns floated beside it,
[3:22] Speaker 1: glowing softly despite the morning sun. At the bottom stood
[3:28] Speaker 1: a sign. It read one person at a time, no running, absolutely,
[3:36] Speaker 1: no bananas.
[3:38] Speaker 2: Naturally. The entire town gathered immediately. Magic whispered the baker.
[3:46] Speaker 2: Nonsense muttered the mayor, though he took three nervous steps backwards.
[3:52] Speaker 2: Tourist opportunity, said mister Pindle. Children pointed upward, dogs bark
[4:00] Speaker 2: at the clouds. Old missus Wren claimed she'd seen a
[4:05] Speaker 2: staircase exactly like it once before, though everyone ignored her
[4:10] Speaker 2: because she also claimed her brother had married a ghost.
[4:14] Speaker 2: Only one person said nothing. Twelve year old Eli O
[4:19] Speaker 2: Bell stood at the edge of the crowd, with his
[4:22] Speaker 2: hands in his coat pockets, staring upward. Eleio loved impossible things.
[4:29] Speaker 2: He collected unusual keys, read books with missing pages, and
[4:34] Speaker 2: once spent an entire summer trying to teach his goldfish
[4:38] Speaker 2: to recognize poetry. The goldfish had not cooperated, Elio said
[4:46] Speaker 2: his older sister, Clara, grabbing his sleeve. Don't even think
[4:50] Speaker 2: about it. I wasn't you get that look when you're
[4:56] Speaker 2: about to do something ridiculous? I always looked like this.
[5:02] Speaker 2: That's the problem. A bell rang from somewhere high above
[5:07] Speaker 2: the clouds. Not loud, not frightening, just curious, as though
[5:15] Speaker 2: the staircase itself was wondering who might climb it first.
[5:20] Speaker 2: The crowd shuffled nervously, nobody moved. The mare cleared his throat.
[5:29] Speaker 2: As acting leader of Bellwether Town, I strongly advise against
[5:34] Speaker 2: climbing mysterious sky staircases. Very sensible, said mister Pindall. Quite right, agreed,
[5:44] Speaker 2: the baker, absolutely, said Clara. Elio took one step forward.
[5:52] Speaker 2: Clara groaned, oh no, you heard the bell, Yes, it
[6:00] Speaker 2: sounded lonely. That is not a reason to climb into
[6:05] Speaker 2: the heavens. But Elio was already moving. The crowd parted
[6:11] Speaker 2: as he approached the first step. The staircase glowed faintly
[6:17] Speaker 2: beneath his shoes. Above him, the clouds shifted. The lanterns
[6:24] Speaker 2: bobbed gently, as if pleased. Clara folded her arms. If
[6:31] Speaker 2: you fall out of the sky, I'm telling mother, it
[6:35] Speaker 2: was your fault. Eleo grinned. Then he climbed. The staircase
[6:43] Speaker 2: was strangely warm beneath his feet. Higher and higher he
[6:48] Speaker 2: went until bell Weather Town shrank below him like a
[6:52] Speaker 2: toy village. Chimneys puffed smoke no bigger than threads. The
[6:58] Speaker 2: people became dog The wind smelled different up there, like
[7:05] Speaker 2: rain and fireworks. After perhaps two hundred steps, or maybe
[7:10] Speaker 2: two thousand, because sky staircases are difficult to measure, Eleo
[7:15] Speaker 2: noticed something odd. The staircase was humming, not loudly, just
[7:24] Speaker 2: softly beneath the wind oo it sounded suspiciously cheerful. Hello,
[7:33] Speaker 2: said Elio. The staircase hummed louder. You can hear me.
[7:41] Speaker 2: The staircase gave a please little wobble, Well, said Elyo.
[7:46] Speaker 3: That's new.
[7:48] Speaker 2: A voice spoke behind him. It doesn't talk much. Mostly
[7:54] Speaker 2: it sings leoh, spun around. Sitting on the railer was
[8:00] Speaker 2: a girl about his age, wearing a coat stitched entirely
[8:05] Speaker 2: from patches of different colors. She had dark curls, muddy boots,
[8:11] Speaker 2: and an umbrella hanging across her back like a sword.
[8:16] Speaker 2: You nearly gave me a heart attack, said Elio. You
[8:20] Speaker 2: climbed a staircase into the clouds. She replied, I think
[8:26] Speaker 2: your heart accepted danger some time ago. She hopped down
[8:32] Speaker 2: and offered a hand. I'm Lyra. There was another, only one,
[8:39] Speaker 2: terrible whistler. Before Elio could ask more, the staircase suddenly
[8:46] Speaker 2: lurched sideways. Whoa, The cloud split apart. The staircase curved
[8:54] Speaker 2: sharply upward, carrying them toward a floating island. Hanging in
[8:59] Speaker 2: the sky. It was enormous, gardens spilled over its edges,
[9:07] Speaker 2: windmills turned lazily in the breeze, tiny houses balanced atop
[9:13] Speaker 2: giant tree roots, and circling above it. All were whales,
[9:20] Speaker 2: Not ordinary whales, sky whales, massive silver creatures drifting through
[9:27] Speaker 2: the air as gently as balloons. Elio stopped dead. There
[9:34] Speaker 2: are flying whales, yes, said Lyra. Try not to stare.
[9:41] Speaker 2: They find it rude. One whale floated close enough for
[9:46] Speaker 2: Elio to see glowing patterns across its skin. It sneezed.
[9:52] Speaker 2: The resulting gust nearly threw him off the staircase. Bless you,
[9:58] Speaker 2: said Lyra. The wail honked proudly and drifted away. The
[10:05] Speaker 2: staircase delivered them onto the floating island with a soft clink.
[10:11] Speaker 2: At once, a tiny man in a purple waistcoat marched
[10:15] Speaker 2: toward them, carrying a clipboard. Names. He barked, elioh Lyra,
[10:25] Speaker 2: purpose of visit? Elio hesitated curiosity. The man scribbled furiously,
[10:35] Speaker 2: very dangerous. Reason, most common type of traveler. Any forbidden items?
[10:42] Speaker 2: I have a sandwich? What filling cheese? Acceptable? He leaned closer.
[10:52] Speaker 2: No bananas? Why does everyone keep mentioning bananas? The man shuddered.
[10:59] Speaker 3: Violence.
[11:01] Speaker 2: We don't discuss the banana incident. He hurried away. Elio
[11:07] Speaker 2: turned to Lyra. What is this place? The aisles above?
[11:13] Speaker 2: She said, Bits of the world that forgot to stay
[11:17] Speaker 2: on the ground. That can happen, Oh, yes, usually after
[11:24] Speaker 2: too much magic or poor planning. They wandered through winding
[11:29] Speaker 2: streets lined with crooked shops. One sold bottled thunder, another
[11:36] Speaker 2: repaired broken shadows, a third specialized entirely in left handed teacups.
[11:43] Speaker 2: Outside a bakery, a sign read today's special cloud pie
[11:51] Speaker 2: warning may float away. Everything felt impossible and yet oddly normal.
[11:59] Speaker 2: As though so impossible, things happened here every day. Who
[12:04] Speaker 2: built the staircase, Eleo asked. Lyra's expression changed slightly. No
[12:11] Speaker 2: one knows. That's not true. It's the truest answer there is.
[12:19] Speaker 2: They stopped beside a fountain where water flowed upward into
[12:23] Speaker 2: the sky instead of down. At its center stood a
[12:27] Speaker 2: statue of an old woman holding a lantern. Written beneath
[12:33] Speaker 2: were the words for those who climb when others fear
[12:37] Speaker 2: to Eleo stared at it. Do you live here? Lyra
[12:43] Speaker 2: shook her head. I climb. That's not an answer, it's
[12:50] Speaker 2: the only one I've got. Before Eleo could reply, bells
[12:55] Speaker 2: rang across the island. The cheerful noise suddenly shifted. People
[13:02] Speaker 2: froze the sky, Whales changed direction. Far above them, dark
[13:09] Speaker 2: clouds rolled across the blue sky. Lyra swore under her breath,
[13:16] Speaker 2: that's early. What is the storm? The wind howled? A
[13:24] Speaker 2: voice boomed from somewhere unseen. All climbers report to the
[13:29] Speaker 2: clock harbor. Everyone began running. Eloh followed Lyra through twisting
[13:36] Speaker 2: streets until they reached the edge of the island. There,
[13:41] Speaker 2: hanging over open sky, was the strangest harbor Elleo had
[13:46] Speaker 2: ever seen. Boats floated in the air, tied to silver docks.
[13:53] Speaker 2: Some had sails stitched from starlight. Others had propellers that
[14:00] Speaker 2: fun without touching anything. And at the center stood an
[14:06] Speaker 2: enormous clock, taller than a house. Its hands moved wildly backwards.
[14:13] Speaker 2: A tall woman in a long navy coat stood beneath it,
[14:18] Speaker 2: shouting orders. Tighten the moorings, secure the lanterns. Someone find
[14:25] Speaker 2: Captain Brindle before he accidentally declares war on the weather again.
[14:31] Speaker 2: She spotted Elyo, new climber, Yes, said Elio. Can he
[14:39] Speaker 2: tie knots?
[14:41] Speaker 3: No?
[14:41] Speaker 2: Said Lyra? Can he panic quietly? Probably good enough? She
[14:49] Speaker 2: thrust a rope into his hands. Storms coming. Elio looked upward.
[14:57] Speaker 2: The clouds were wrong. They moved too fast. Shapes flickered
[15:03] Speaker 2: inside them, faces, buildings, entire streets, as though the storm
[15:12] Speaker 2: carried fragments of lost places within it. The tempest whispered Lyra,
[15:19] Speaker 2: what is it a storm that steals things? Lightning flashed
[15:26] Speaker 2: for one terrible moment, Elio saw another staircase inside the
[15:32] Speaker 2: clouds broken, falling. The great clock at the harbor began
[15:39] Speaker 2: striking wildly. Dong dong, dong. The wind screamed. Then the
[15:49] Speaker 2: storm arrived. Chaos exploded across the harbor. Skyboats slammed against
[15:56] Speaker 2: their ropes, lanterns burst, rain fell upward and sideways. At
[16:03] Speaker 2: the same time, Eleo clung to the dock. A sky
[16:08] Speaker 2: whale cried out somewhere in the darkness. Then came a
[16:13] Speaker 2: horrible cracking sound. The giant clock tower split down the middle,
[16:20] Speaker 2: its top half tilted toward the edge of the island.
[16:25] Speaker 2: People screamed. If the clock falls, shouted Lyra, the harbor
[16:32] Speaker 2: loses time. That sentence makes no sense. Nothing up here does.
[16:40] Speaker 2: The tower leaned farther. Without thinking, Eleo ran elee oh
[16:47] Speaker 2: Lyra shouted. He grabbed one of the swinging support ropes
[16:52] Speaker 2: and climbed the collapsing clock tower as rain lashed his
[16:56] Speaker 2: face below him. The barber spun dizzyingly far beneath the clouds. This,
[17:05] Speaker 2: yelled Eleo to nobody in particular, was a terrible plan.
[17:10] Speaker 2: The tower groaned at the top, enormous gears spun wildly.
[17:18] Speaker 2: One had broken loose. Eleo scrambled across the frame, boots
[17:24] Speaker 2: slipping on wet metal. The gear shifted again. If it fell,
[17:31] Speaker 2: the entire clock would collapse, And somehow Eleo knew new,
[17:37] Speaker 2: in the strange, deep way impossible places tell you things,
[17:42] Speaker 2: that the staircase itself depended on this clock. Without it,
[17:48] Speaker 2: nobody would find their way home. The storm roared louder.
[17:54] Speaker 2: Eleo braced himself against the gear with all his strength,
[18:00] Speaker 2: which unfortunately was not very much strength. Oh brilliant, he muttered.
[18:08] Speaker 2: Then another pair of hands grabbed the gear beside him. Lyra,
[18:14] Speaker 2: you came back. You look like you were about to
[18:18] Speaker 2: die in an extremely annoying way. Together they shoved the
[18:25] Speaker 2: gear creaked back into place below them. The clock hands
[18:30] Speaker 2: steadied slightly, but not enough. It still won't hold, shouted Lyra.
[18:39] Speaker 2: The tower lurched again. Then something enormous emerged from the
[18:44] Speaker 2: storm clouds. The silver sky whil, the same one from before.
[18:53] Speaker 2: It floated beside the tower, close enough for Elio to touch.
[18:58] Speaker 2: The wail lowered its head. Lyra stared, I think, she said, carefully,
[19:06] Speaker 2: it wants help. Wrapped around one of its fins was
[19:10] Speaker 2: a snapped chain attached to a massive bronze anchor. The
[19:16] Speaker 2: anchor swung dangerously through the storm. Elio understood instantly the anchor.
[19:25] Speaker 2: Together they pulled the chain free and looped it through
[19:29] Speaker 2: the broken clock supports. The whil gave a mighty cry
[19:34] Speaker 2: and pulled upward with impossible strength. The clock tower steadied.
[19:41] Speaker 2: The harbor. Lights flared back to life, and across the
[19:46] Speaker 2: floating island, every bell began ringing at once. The storm
[19:52] Speaker 2: screamed one final angry howl. Then it broke apart. Clouds
[19:59] Speaker 2: scat uttered, rain vanished. Silence fell across the harbor. Slowly
[20:08] Speaker 2: people emerged from hiding. The tall woman in the navy
[20:13] Speaker 2: coat looked up at Elio and Lyra standing atop the
[20:17] Speaker 2: tower beside the whale.
[20:20] Speaker 3: Well.
[20:21] Speaker 2: She called, that was either very brave or very stupid?
[20:26] Speaker 2: Can it be both? Shouted Elio. Usually. The crowd burst
[20:33] Speaker 2: into cheers. The whale gave a proud honk. Then one
[20:40] Speaker 2: by one, the lanterns around the harbor began glowing gold.
[20:46] Speaker 2: The staircase far below shimmered in answer. Lyra smiled softly.
[20:53] Speaker 2: It likes you, the staircase. It only appears for people
[20:59] Speaker 2: who stop ill believe climbing is worth it. Eleo looked
[21:04] Speaker 2: down through the clouds toward Bellweather Town, tiny and distant below.
[21:11] Speaker 2: For what it's worth, he said, I almost turned around
[21:15] Speaker 2: at the first hundred steps. That's normal. You weren't scared.
[21:22] Speaker 2: Lyra laughed. I'm terrified constantly, Eleo blinked. But you seem fearless.
[21:32] Speaker 2: That's because fearless people are idiots. The great clock rang midnight.
[21:39] Speaker 2: The staircase hummed again softly, warmly, as if proud. The
[21:48] Speaker 2: tall woman approached them, carrying two small silver pins shaped
[21:53] Speaker 2: like staircases for climbers, she said. Lyra accepted her as
[21:59] Speaker 2: caly Eleo held his carefully. What happens now, the woman smiled,
[22:09] Speaker 2: Now you go home, Elyo hesitated. Part of him wanted
[22:16] Speaker 2: to stay forever, to sail skyboats and feed cloud Pie
[22:22] Speaker 2: to whales, and wander impossible islands above the world. But
[22:27] Speaker 2: another part remembered warm kitchens, Clara shouting his name from downstairs,
[22:33] Speaker 2: and belwether Town beneath the evening lamps. Lyra seemed to understand.
[22:40] Speaker 2: They always think adventure means leaving home forever. She said, quietly,
[22:46] Speaker 2: What does it really mean coming back different. The staircase
[22:53] Speaker 2: glowed brighter far below. Dawn was beginning. Elio took a breath. Well,
[23:02] Speaker 2: he said, I suppose I should climb down before my
[23:07] Speaker 2: sister murders me. Wise, They walked together to the staircase entrance.
[23:16] Speaker 2: Eleo paused, will I see you again? Lyra shrugged, depends
[23:24] Speaker 2: on what whether the staircase thinks you still need climbing,
[23:30] Speaker 2: And before Eleo could answer, she stepped backward into the
[23:34] Speaker 2: morning mist and vanished. The staircase carried Eleo gently downward
[23:41] Speaker 2: through the clouds, lower and lower until bellwether Town returned
[23:48] Speaker 2: beneath him. People filled the square, waiting anxiously. When Eleo
[23:55] Speaker 2: reached the final step, the crowd irrupted. Clara sprinted forward
[24:01] Speaker 2: first and hugged him so hard his ribs squeaked you
[24:07] Speaker 2: absolute disaster, she shouted, You vanished for an entire night.
[24:14] Speaker 2: I brought back a staircase pin. She stared at him.
[24:19] Speaker 2: I'm still angry, but that is rather impressive. The mayor
[24:25] Speaker 2: hurried over, what's up there? Elio looked skyward. The staircase
[24:33] Speaker 2: was already fading into the dawn light. He thought of
[24:38] Speaker 2: sky whales, storm clocks, impossible, harbors, a girl with an umbrella, sword,
[24:47] Speaker 2: and a staircase that hummed like it new secrets. Finally,
[24:53] Speaker 2: he smiled everything he said, the staircase vanished. Only the
[25:01] Speaker 2: sign remained behind. Someone picked it up and read aloud,
[25:07] Speaker 2: thank you for climbing. The sky appreciates the company. And
[25:13] Speaker 2: far above the waking town, hidden somewhere beyond the clouds,
[25:18] Speaker 2: a staircase quietly continued climbing forever. The staircase not an
[25:39] Speaker 2: ordinary staircase. This staircase twisted like a ribbon through the sky.
[25:46] Speaker 2: Its steps shimmered silver blue in the dawn light, and
[25:50] Speaker 2: tiny lanterns floated beside it, glowing softly despite the morning sun.
[25:57] Speaker 2: At the bottom stood a sign. It read one person
[26:03] Speaker 2: at a time, no running, absolutely no bananas. Naturally. The
[26:10] Speaker 2: entire town gathered immediately. Magic whispered the baker. Nonsense muttered
[26:18] Speaker 2: the mayor, though he took three nervous steps backwards. Tourist opportunity,
[26:25] Speaker 2: said mister Pindall. Children pointed upward, dogs barked at the clouds.
[26:32] Speaker 2: Old missus Wren claimed she'd seen a staircase exactly like
[26:37] Speaker 2: it once before, though everyone ignored her because she also
[26:42] Speaker 2: claimed her brother had married a ghost. Only one person
[26:47] Speaker 2: said nothing. Twelve year old Elio Bell stood at the
[26:51] Speaker 2: edge of the crowd, with his hands in his coat pockets,
[26:55] Speaker 2: staring upward. Elio loved impossible things. He collected unusual keys,
[27:03] Speaker 2: read books with missing pages, and once spent an entire
[27:07] Speaker 2: summer trying to teach his goldfish to recognize poetry. The
[27:12] Speaker 2: goldfish had not cooperated. Elioh said his older sister Clara,
[27:18] Speaker 2: grabbing his sleeve. Don't even think about it. I wasn't
[27:25] Speaker 2: you get that look when you're about to do something ridiculous.
[27:30] Speaker 2: I always look like this. That's the problem. A bell
[27:35] Speaker 2: rang from somewhere high above the clouds. Not loud, not frightening,
[27:44] Speaker 2: just curious, as though the staircase itself was wondering who
[27:49] Speaker 2: might climb it first. The crowd shuffled nervously. Nobody moved.
[27:57] Speaker 2: The mare cleared his throat. As acting leader of bellwether Town,
[28:03] Speaker 2: I strongly advise against climbing mysterious sky staircases. Very sensible,
[28:11] Speaker 2: said mister Pindall. Quite right, agreed, the baker, absolutely, said Clara.
[28:20] Speaker 2: Eleio took one step forward. Clara groaned, oh no, you
[28:28] Speaker 2: heard the bell. Yes, it sounded lonely. That is not
[28:34] Speaker 2: a reason to climb into the heavens. But Eleio was
[28:39] Speaker 2: already moving. The crowd parted as he approached the first step.
[28:46] Speaker 2: The staircase glowed faintly beneath his shoes. Above him, the
[28:52] Speaker 2: clouds shifted. The lanterns bobbed gently, as if pleased. Clara
[29:00] Speaker 2: folded her arms. If you fall out of the sky,
[29:04] Speaker 2: I'm telling mother, it was your fault. Eleo grinned. Then
[29:11] Speaker 2: he climbed. The staircase was strangely warm beneath his feet.
[29:18] Speaker 2: Higher and higher he went until bell Weather Town shrank
[29:22] Speaker 2: below him like a toy village. Chimneys puffed smoke no
[29:27] Speaker 2: bigger than threads. The people became dots. The wind smelled
[29:33] Speaker 2: different up there, like rain and fireworks. After perhaps two
[29:39] Speaker 2: hundred steps, or maybe two thousand, because sky staircases are
[29:44] Speaker 2: difficult to measure, Eleo noticed something odd. The staircase was humming,
[29:52] Speaker 2: not loudly, just softly beneath the wind oo It sounded
[30:01] Speaker 2: suspiciously cheerful. Hello, said Elyo. The staircase hummed louder, you
[30:10] Speaker 2: can hear me. The staircase gave a pleased. Little wobble, well,
[30:16] Speaker 2: said Elio. That's new. A voice spoke behind him. It
[30:22] Speaker 2: doesn't talk much. Mostly it sings. Elio spun around. Sitting
[30:30] Speaker 2: on the railing was a girl about his age, wearing
[30:34] Speaker 2: a coat stitched entirely from patches of different colors.
[30:39] Speaker 3: She had dark.
[30:40] Speaker 2: Curls, muddy boots, and an umbrella hanging across her back
[30:45] Speaker 2: like a sword. You nearly gave me a heart attack,
[30:49] Speaker 2: said Elyo. You climbed a staircase into the clouds, She replied,
[30:56] Speaker 2: I think your heart accepted danger summed time ago. She
[31:02] Speaker 2: hopped down and offered a hand. I'm Lyra. There was another,
[31:08] Speaker 2: only one terrible whistler. Before Elio could ask more, the
[31:15] Speaker 2: staircase suddenly lurched sideways. Whoa, The clouds split apart. The
[31:24] Speaker 2: staircase curved sharply upward, carrying them toward a floating island.
[31:30] Speaker 2: Hanging in the sky. It was enormous, gardens spilled over
[31:36] Speaker 2: its edges, windmills turned lazily in the breeze, tiny houses
[31:42] Speaker 2: balanced atop giant tree roots, and circling above it. All
[31:49] Speaker 2: were whales, not ordinary whales, sky whales, massive silver creatures
[31:58] Speaker 2: drifting through the air as gently as balloons. Elio stopped dead.
[32:05] Speaker 2: There are flying whales, yes, said Lyra. Try not to stare.
[32:12] Speaker 2: They find it rude. One whale floated close enough for
[32:17] Speaker 2: Elio to see glowing patterns across its skin. It sneezed.
[32:24] Speaker 2: The resulting gust nearly threw him off the staircase. Bless you,
[32:29] Speaker 2: said Lyra. The whale honked proudly and drifted away. The
[32:36] Speaker 2: staircase delivered them onto the floating island with a soft clink.
[32:42] Speaker 2: At once, a tiny man in a purple waistcoat marched
[32:46] Speaker 2: toward them, carrying a clipboard. Names. He barked, Eleo, Lyra,
[32:56] Speaker 2: purpose a visit. Eleo has a curiosity, The man scribbled furiously,
[33:06] Speaker 2: very dangerous. Reason most common type of traveler. Any forbidden items?
[33:13] Speaker 2: I have a sandwich? What filling cheese? Acceptable? He leaned closer.
[33:23] Speaker 2: No bananas. Why does everyone keep mentioning bananas? The man
[33:30] Speaker 2: shuddered violently. We don't discuss the banana incident. He hurried away.
[33:38] Speaker 2: Elliot turned to Lyra. What is this place? The aisles above?
[33:44] Speaker 2: She said, Bits of the world that forgot to stay
[33:48] Speaker 2: on the ground, That can happen. Oh, yes, usually after
[33:55] Speaker 2: too much magic or poor planning. They wandered through wine
[34:00] Speaker 2: streets lined with crooked shops. One sold bottled thunder, another
[34:07] Speaker 2: repaired broken shadows. A third specialized entirely in left handed teacups.
[34:14] Speaker 2: Outside a bakery, a sign read today's special cloud pie,
[34:22] Speaker 2: warning may float away. Everything felt impossible and yet oddly normal,
[34:30] Speaker 2: as though impossible things happened here every day. Who built
[34:35] Speaker 2: the staircase, Elio asked. Lyra's expression changed slightly. No one knows.
[34:44] Speaker 2: That's not true. It's the truest answer there is. They
[34:50] Speaker 2: stopped beside a fountain where water flowed upward into the
[34:54] Speaker 2: sky instead of down. At its center stood a statue
[34:59] Speaker 2: of an an old woman holding a lantern. Written beneath
[35:04] Speaker 2: were the words for those who climb when others fear
[35:08] Speaker 2: to Eleo stared at it. Do you live here? Lyra
[35:14] Speaker 2: shook her head. I climb. That's not an answer, it's
[35:21] Speaker 2: the only one I've got. Before Elio could reply, bells
[35:26] Speaker 2: rang across the island. The cheerful noise suddenly shifted. People
[35:33] Speaker 2: froze the sky, Whales changed direction. Far above them, dark
[35:40] Speaker 2: clouds rolled across the blue sky. Lyra swore under her breath,
[35:47] Speaker 2: that's early. What is the storm? The wind?
[35:53] Speaker 3: Howled?
[35:55] Speaker 2: A voice boomed from somewhere unseen. All climbers port to
[36:00] Speaker 2: the clock harbor. Everyone began running. Elio followed Lyra through
[36:07] Speaker 2: twisting streets until they reached the edge of the island. There,
[36:13] Speaker 2: hanging over open sky, was the strangest harbor Elio had
[36:18] Speaker 2: ever seen. Boats floated in the air, tied to silver docks.
[36:24] Speaker 2: Some had sails stitched from starlight. Others had propellers that
[36:31] Speaker 2: spun without touching anything. And at the center stood an
[36:37] Speaker 2: enormous clock, taller than a house. Its hands moved wildly backwards.
[36:44] Speaker 2: A tall woman in a long navy coat stood beneath it,
[36:49] Speaker 2: shouting orders. Tighten the moorings, secure the lanterns. Someone find
[36:56] Speaker 2: Captain Brindle before he accidentally did Claire's War on the
[37:01] Speaker 2: weather again. She spotted Elyo, new climber, Yes, said Elyo.
[37:09] Speaker 2: Can he tie knots? No? Said Lyra? Can he panic quietly?
[37:17] Speaker 2: Probably good enough? She thrust a rope into his hands.
[37:23] Speaker 2: Storms coming. Elo looked upward. The clouds were wrong. They
[37:31] Speaker 2: moved too fast. Shapes flickered inside them, faces, buildings, entire streets,
[37:42] Speaker 2: as though the storm carried fragments of lost places within it.
[37:47] Speaker 2: The tempest whispered Lyra, what is it a storm that
[37:53] Speaker 2: steals things? Lightning flashed For one terrible moment, Elio saw
[38:01] Speaker 2: another staircase inside the clouds broken falling. The great clock
[38:09] Speaker 2: at the harbor began striking wildly. Dong dong dong. The
[38:17] Speaker 2: wind screamed. Then the storm arrived. Chaos exploded across the harbor.
[38:25] Speaker 2: Skyboats slammed against their ropes, lanterns burst, rain fell upward
[38:33] Speaker 2: and sidewise. At the same time, Elio clung.
[38:37] Speaker 3: To the dock.
[38:39] Speaker 2: A sky whil cried out somewhere in the darkness. Then
[38:44] Speaker 2: came a horrible cracking sound. The giant clock tower split
[38:49] Speaker 2: down the middle, its top half tilted toward the edge
[38:54] Speaker 2: of the island. People screamed. If the clock falls, shouted Lyra,
[39:02] Speaker 2: the harbor loses time. That sentence makes no sense. Nothing
[39:09] Speaker 2: up here does. The tower leaned farther. Without thinking, Eleo
[39:16] Speaker 2: ran elee oh, Lyra shouted. He grabbed one of the
[39:21] Speaker 2: swinging support ropes and climbed the collapsing clock tower as
[39:26] Speaker 2: rain lashed his face below him. The harbor spun dizzyingly
[39:32] Speaker 2: far beneath the clouds. This, yelled Eleo to nobody in particular,
[39:39] Speaker 2: was a terrible plan. The tower groaned at the top.
[39:45] Speaker 2: Enormous gears spun wildly. One had broken loose. Eleo scrambled
[39:53] Speaker 2: across the frame, boots slipping on wet metal. The gear
[39:58] Speaker 2: shifted again. If it fell, the entire clock would collapse.
[40:05] Speaker 2: And somehow Eleo knew new, in the strange, deep way
[40:11] Speaker 2: impossible places tell you things, that the staircase itself depended
[40:16] Speaker 2: on this clock. Without it, nobody would find their way home.
[40:23] Speaker 2: The storm roared louder. Eleo braced himself against the gear
[40:29] Speaker 2: with all his strength, which unfortunately was not very much strength.
[40:36] Speaker 2: Oh brilliant, he muttered. Then another pair of hands grabbed
[40:41] Speaker 2: the gear beside him. Lyra, you came back. You look
[40:48] Speaker 2: like you were about to die in an extremely annoying way.
[40:53] Speaker 2: Together they shoved the gear creaked back into place below them.
[41:00] Speaker 2: The clock hands steadied slightly, but not enough. It still
[41:07] Speaker 2: won't hold, shouted Lyra. The tower lurched again. Then something
[41:14] Speaker 2: enormous emerged from the storm clouds. The silver sky whale,
[41:21] Speaker 2: the same one from before it floated beside the tower,
[41:26] Speaker 2: close enough for Elio to touch. The whale lowered its head.
[41:32] Speaker 2: Lyra stared, I think, she said, carefully, it wants help.
[41:39] Speaker 2: Wrapped around one of its fins was a snapped chain
[41:43] Speaker 2: attached to a massive bronze anchor. The anchor swung dangerously
[41:49] Speaker 2: through the storm. Elio understood instantly the anchor. Together they
[41:57] Speaker 2: pulled the chain free and looped it through the broken
[42:01] Speaker 2: clock supports. The whale gave a mighty cry and pulled
[42:06] Speaker 2: upward with impossible strength. The clock tower steadied. The harbor.
[42:13] Speaker 2: Lights flared back to life, and across the floating island,
[42:18] Speaker 2: every bell began ringing at once. The storm screamed one
[42:24] Speaker 2: final angry howl. Then it broke apart. Clouds scattered, rain vanished.
[42:34] Speaker 2: Silence fell across the harbor. Slowly people emerged from hiding.
[42:42] Speaker 2: The tall woman in the navy coat looked up at
[42:46] Speaker 2: Elio and Lyra standing atop the tower beside the whale. Well,
[42:52] Speaker 2: she called, that was either very brave or very stupid?
[42:58] Speaker 2: Can it be both? Shouted Elyo.
[43:01] Speaker 3: Usually.
[43:03] Speaker 2: The crowd burst into cheers. The whale gave a proud honk, Then,
[43:11] Speaker 2: one by one, the lanterns around the harbor began glowing gold.
[43:17] Speaker 2: The staircase far below shimmered in answer. Lyra smiled softly.
[43:24] Speaker 2: It likes you, the staircase. It only appears for people
[43:30] Speaker 2: who still believe climbing is worth it. Eleo looked down
[43:36] Speaker 2: through the clouds toward bellwether Town, tiny and distant below.
[43:42] Speaker 2: For what it's worth, he said, I almost turned around
[43:46] Speaker 2: at the first hundred steps. That's normal. You weren't scared.
[43:53] Speaker 2: Lyra laughed, I'm terrified constantly. Eleo blinked. But you seem fearless.
[44:03] Speaker 2: That's because fearless people are idiots. The great clock rang midnight.
[44:10] Speaker 2: The staircase hummed again, softly, warmly, as if proud. The
[44:19] Speaker 2: tall woman approached them, carrying two small silver pins, shaped
[44:24] Speaker 2: like staircases for climbers, She said. Lyra accepted hers casually.
[44:32] Speaker 2: Eloh held his carefully. What happens now, the woman smiled,
[44:40] Speaker 2: Now you go home. Elio hesitated. Part of him wanted
[44:47] Speaker 2: to stay forever, to sail sky boats and feed cloud
[44:52] Speaker 2: Pie to whales, and wander impossible islands above the world.
[44:58] Speaker 2: But another part remembers warm kitchens, Clara shouting his name
[45:03] Speaker 2: from downstairs, and belwether Town beneath the evening lamps. Lyra
[45:09] Speaker 2: seemed to understand. They always think adventure means leaving home forever.
[45:15] Speaker 2: She said, quietly, what does it really mean? Coming back? Different?
[45:22] Speaker 2: The staircase glowed brighter far below, dawn was beginning. Elio
[45:30] Speaker 2: took a deep breath. Well, he said, I suppose I
[45:36] Speaker 2: should climb down before my sister murders me. Whyse They
[45:43] Speaker 2: walked together to the staircase entrance. Eleo paused, will I
[45:50] Speaker 2: see you again? Lyra shrugged, depends on what whether the
[45:58] Speaker 2: staircase thinks you still needed climbing, And before Eleo could answer,
[46:04] Speaker 2: she stepped backward into the morning mist and vanished. The
[46:08] Speaker 2: staircase carried Eleo gently downward through the clouds, lower and lower,
[46:16] Speaker 2: until bellweather Town returned beneath him. People filled the square,
[46:23] Speaker 2: waiting anxiously. When Elio reached the final step, the crowd irrupted.
[46:31] Speaker 2: Clara sprinted forward first and hugged him so hard his
[46:35] Speaker 2: ribs squeaked you absolute disaster, she shouted, You've vanished for
[46:42] Speaker 2: an entire night. I brought back a staircase pin. She
[46:48] Speaker 2: stared at him. I'm still angry, but that is rather impressive.
[46:55] Speaker 2: The mayor hurried over, what's up there? Elio looked skyward.
[47:03] Speaker 2: The staircase was already fading into the dawn light. He
[47:08] Speaker 2: thought of sky, whales, storm clocks, impossible harbors, a girl
[47:16] Speaker 2: with an umbrella, sword, and a staircase that hummed like
[47:21] Speaker 2: it new secrets. Finally, he smiled. Everything he said, the
[47:29] Speaker 2: staircase vanished. Only the sign remained behind. Someone picked it
[47:36] Speaker 2: up and read aloud, thank you for climbing. The sky
[47:41] Speaker 2: appreciates the company. And far above the waking town, hidden
[47:47] Speaker 2: somewhere beyond the clouds, a staircase quietly continued climbing forever.
[48:04] Speaker 2: The staircase not an ordinary staircase. This staircase twisted like
[48:11] Speaker 2: a ribbon through the sky. Its steps shimmered silver blue
[48:16] Speaker 2: in the dawn light, and tiny lanterns floated beside it,
[48:21] Speaker 2: glowing softly despite the morning sun. At the bottom stood
[48:27] Speaker 2: a sign. It read one person at a time, no running, absolutely,
[48:34] Speaker 2: no bananas. Naturally. The entire town gathered immediately. Magic whispered
[48:43] Speaker 2: the baker. Nonsense muttered the mayor, though he took three
[48:48] Speaker 2: nervous steps backwards. Tourist opportunity, said mister pindle. Children pointed upward.
[48:57] Speaker 2: Dogs barked at the clouds. Old missus Wren claimed she'd
[49:03] Speaker 2: seen a staircase exactly like it once before, though everyone
[49:08] Speaker 2: ignored her because she also claimed her brother had married
[49:11] Speaker 2: a ghost. Only one person said nothing. Twelve year old
[49:17] Speaker 2: eli O Bell stood at the edge of the crowd
[49:20] Speaker 2: with his hands in his coat pockets, staring upward. Eleo
[49:25] Speaker 2: loved impossible things. He collected unusual keys, read books with
[49:31] Speaker 2: missing pages, and once spent an entire summer trying to
[49:36] Speaker 2: teach his goldfish to recognize poetry. The goldfish had not
[49:41] Speaker 2: co operated, Eleioh, said his older sister Clara, grabbing his sleeve.
[49:48] Speaker 2: Don't even think about it.
[49:51] Speaker 3: I wasn't.
[49:53] Speaker 2: You get that look when you're about to do something ridiculous.
[49:57] Speaker 2: I always look like this. That's the problem. A bell
[50:03] Speaker 2: rang from somewhere high above the clouds. Not loud, not frightening,
[50:12] Speaker 2: just curious, as though the staircase itself was wondering who
[50:17] Speaker 2: might climb it first. The crowd shuffled nervously, nobody moved.
[50:24] Speaker 2: The mare cleared his throat. As acting leader of bell
[50:29] Speaker 2: Weather Town, I strongly advise against climbing mysterious sky staircases.
[50:37] Speaker 2: Very sensible, said mister Pindall. Quite right, agreed, the baker, absolutely,
[50:46] Speaker 2: said Clara. Elio took one step forward. Clara groaned, oh, no,
[50:55] Speaker 2: you heard the bell. Yes, it sounded lonely. That is
[51:02] Speaker 2: not a reason to climb into the heavens. But elioh
[51:06] Speaker 2: was already moving. The crowd parted as he approached the
[51:11] Speaker 2: first step. The staircase glowed faintly beneath his shoes. Above him,
[51:19] Speaker 2: the clouds shifted. The lanterns bobbed gently, as if pleased.
[51:27] Speaker 2: Clara folded her arms. If you fall out of the sky,
[51:32] Speaker 2: I'm telling mother, it was your fault. Eleo grinned. Then
[51:38] Speaker 2: he climbed. The staircase was strangely warm beneath his feet.
[51:45] Speaker 2: Higher and higher he went, until bell Weather Town shrank
[51:50] Speaker 2: below him like a toy village. Chimneys puffed smoke no
[51:55] Speaker 2: bigger than threads. The people became dots. The wind smelled
[52:01] Speaker 2: different up there, like rain and fireworks. After perhaps two
[52:07] Speaker 2: hundred steps, or maybe two thousand, because sky staircases are
[52:12] Speaker 2: difficult to measure, Eleo noticed something odd. The staircase was humming,
[52:20] Speaker 2: not loudly, just softly. Beneath the wind. Oo It sounded
[52:29] Speaker 2: suspiciously cheerful. Hello, said Elio. The staircase hummed louder. You
[52:37] Speaker 2: can hear me. The staircase gave a please little wobble, well,
[52:44] Speaker 2: said Eleo.
[52:45] Speaker 3: That's new.
[52:47] Speaker 2: A voice spoke behind him. It doesn't talk much. Mostly
[52:53] Speaker 2: it sings. Eleo spun around. Sitting on the railing was
[52:59] Speaker 2: a girl hull about his age, wearing a coat stitched
[53:03] Speaker 2: entirely from patches of different colors. She had dark curls,
[53:09] Speaker 2: muddy boots, and an umbrella hanging across her back like
[53:13] Speaker 2: a sword. You nearly gave me a heart attack, said Elio.
[53:19] Speaker 2: You climbed a staircase into the clouds, she replied, I
[53:24] Speaker 2: think your heart accepted danger some time ago. She hopped
[53:30] Speaker 2: down and offered a hand. I'm lyra. There was another,
[53:36] Speaker 2: only one, terrible whistler. Before Eleo could ask more, the
[53:43] Speaker 2: staircase suddenly lurched sideways. Whoa, The clouds split apart. The
[53:52] Speaker 2: staircase curved sharply upward, carrying them toward a floating island
[53:58] Speaker 2: hanging in the sky. It was enormous. Gardens spilled over
[54:04] Speaker 2: its edges, windmills turned lazily in the breeze, tiny houses
[54:10] Speaker 2: balanced atop giant tree roots, and circling above it. All
[54:16] Speaker 2: were whales, Not ordinary whales, sky whales, massive silver creatures,
[54:25] Speaker 2: drifting through the air as gently as balloons. Elio stopped dead.
[54:32] Speaker 2: There are flying whales, yes, said Lyra. Try not to stare.
[54:40] Speaker 2: They find it rude. One whale floated close enough for
[54:45] Speaker 2: Elio to see glowing patterns across its skin. It sneezed.
[54:51] Speaker 2: The resulting gust nearly threw him off the staircase. Bless you,
[54:57] Speaker 2: said Lyra. The whale honked proudly and drifted away. The
[55:03] Speaker 2: staircase delivered them onto the floating island with a soft clink.
[55:09] Speaker 2: At once, a tiny man in a purple waistcoat marched
[55:14] Speaker 2: toward them, carrying a clipboard. Names. He barked, elioh Lyra.
[55:24] Speaker 2: Purpose of visit Elio hesitated curiosity. The man scribbled furiously,
[55:34] Speaker 2: Very dangerous. Reason most common type of traveler. Any forbidden items?
[55:41] Speaker 2: I have a sandwich? What filling cheese? Acceptable? He leaned closer.
[55:51] Speaker 2: No bananas? Why does everyone keep mentioning bananas? The man
[55:57] Speaker 2: shuddered violently. We don't discuss the banana incident. He hurried away.
[56:05] Speaker 2: Eliot turned to Lyra, What is this place? The aisles above?
[56:11] Speaker 2: She said, bits of the world that forgot to stay
[56:15] Speaker 2: on the ground, that can happen. Oh, yes, usually after
[56:23] Speaker 2: too much magic or poor planning. They wandered through winding
[56:28] Speaker 2: streets lined with crooked shops. One sold bottled thunder, another
[56:34] Speaker 2: repaired broken shadows. A third specialized entirely in left handed teacups.
[56:42] Speaker 2: Outside a bakery, a sign read today's special cloud pie,
[56:49] Speaker 2: warning may float away. Everything felt impossible and yet oddly normal,
[56:58] Speaker 2: as though impossible things happened here every day. Who built
[57:03] Speaker 2: the staircase? Eleo asked. Lyra's expression changed slightly. No one knows.
[57:12] Speaker 2: That's not true. It's the truest answer there is. They
[57:18] Speaker 2: stopped beside a fountain where water flowed upward into the
[57:22] Speaker 2: sky instead of down. At its center stood a statue
[57:27] Speaker 2: of an old woman holding a lantern. Written beneath were
[57:32] Speaker 2: the words for those who climb when others fear to.
[57:37] Speaker 2: Eleo stared at it. Do you live here? Lyra shook
[57:42] Speaker 2: her head. I climb. That's not an answer, it's the
[57:49] Speaker 2: only one I've got. Before Eleo could reply, bells rang
[57:54] Speaker 2: across the island. The cheerful noise suddenly shifted. People froze
[58:02] Speaker 2: the sky, Whales changed direction. Far above them, dark clouds
[58:08] Speaker 2: rolled across the blue sky. Lyra swore under her breath,
[58:14] Speaker 2: that's early. What is the storm? The wind howled? A
[58:23] Speaker 2: voice boomed from somewhere unseen. All climbers, report to the
[58:28] Speaker 2: clock harbor. Everyone began running. Elio followed Lyra through twisting
[58:35] Speaker 2: streets until they reached the edge of the island. There,
[58:40] Speaker 2: hanging over open sky, was the strangest harbor Elio had
[58:45] Speaker 2: ever seen. Boats floated in the air, tied to silver docks.
[58:52] Speaker 2: Some had sails stitched from starlight. Others had propellers that
[58:58] Speaker 2: spun without touching anything. And at the center stood an
[59:05] Speaker 2: enormous clock, taller than a house. Its hands moved wildly backwards.
[59:12] Speaker 2: A tall woman in a long navy coat stood beneath it,
[59:17] Speaker 2: shouting orders. Tighten the moorings, secure the lanterns. Someone find
[59:24] Speaker 2: Captain Brindle before he accidentally declares war on the weather again.
[59:30] Speaker 2: She spotted Elyo, new climber, Yes, said Elio, Can he
[59:38] Speaker 2: tie knots?
[59:40] Speaker 3: No?
[59:40] Speaker 2: Said Lyra? Can he panic quietly? Probably good enough? She
[59:48] Speaker 2: thrust a rope into his hands. Storms coming. Elio looked upward.
[59:56] Speaker 2: The clouds were wrong, They moved too far. Last shapes
[1:00:02] Speaker 2: flickered inside them, faces, buildings, entire streets, as though the
[1:00:11] Speaker 2: storm carried fragments of lost places within it. The tempest
[1:00:16] Speaker 2: whispered Lyra, what is it a storm that steals things?
[1:00:23] Speaker 2: Lightning flashed. For one terrible moment, Elio saw another staircase inside.
[1:00:30] Speaker 2: The clouds broken, falling. The great clock at the harbor
[1:00:37] Speaker 2: began striking wildly. Dong dong, dong. The wind screamed. Then
[1:00:48] Speaker 2: the storm arrived. Chaos exploded across the harbor. Skyboats slammed
[1:00:55] Speaker 2: against their ropes, lanterns burst, rain fell well upward and sidewise.
[1:01:01] Speaker 2: At the same time, Eleo clung to the dock. A
[1:01:06] Speaker 2: sky whale cried out somewhere in the darkness. Then came
[1:01:12] Speaker 2: a horrible cracking sound. The giant clock tower split down
[1:01:17] Speaker 2: the middle, its top half tilted toward the edge of
[1:01:22] Speaker 2: the island. People screamed. If the clock falls, shouted Lyra,
[1:01:30] Speaker 2: the harbor loses time. That sentence makes no sense. Nothing
[1:01:37] Speaker 2: up here does. The tower leaned farther without thinking, Eleo
[1:01:43] Speaker 2: ran elle oh Lyra shouted he grabbed one of the
[1:01:49] Speaker 2: swinging support ropes and climbed the collapsing clock tower As
[1:01:54] Speaker 2: rain lashed his face. Below him, the harbor spun did
[1:02:00] Speaker 2: far beneath the clouds. This, yelled Eleo to nobody in particular,
[1:02:06] Speaker 2: was a terrible plan. The tower groaned at the top.
[1:02:13] Speaker 2: Enormous gears spun wildly. One had broken loose. Eleo scrambled
[1:02:21] Speaker 2: across the frame, boots slipping on wet metal. The gear
[1:02:26] Speaker 2: shifted again. If it fell, the entire clock would collapse,
[1:02:33] Speaker 2: And somehow Eleo knew new, in the strange deep way
[1:02:38] Speaker 2: impossible places tell you things, that the staircase itself depended
[1:02:44] Speaker 2: on this clock. Without it, nobody would find their way home.
[1:02:50] Speaker 2: The storm roared louder. Eleo braced himself against the gear
[1:02:56] Speaker 2: with all his strength, which unfortunately was not very much strength.
[1:03:03] Speaker 2: Oh brilliant, he muttered. Then another pair of hands grabbed
[1:03:09] Speaker 2: the gear beside him. Lyra, you came back. You looked
[1:03:16] Speaker 2: like you were about to die in an extremely annoying way.
[1:03:21] Speaker 2: Together they shoved the gear creaked back into place below them.
[1:03:28] Speaker 2: The clock hands steadied slightly, but not enough. It still
[1:03:35] Speaker 2: won't hold, shouted Lyra. The tower lurched again. Then something
[1:03:42] Speaker 2: enormous emerged from the storm clouds. The silver sky whale,
[1:03:49] Speaker 2: the same one from before. It floated beside the tower,
[1:03:54] Speaker 2: close enough for Elio to touch. The whale lowered its head.
[1:04:00] Speaker 2: Lyra stared, I think, she said, carefully, it wants help.
[1:04:07] Speaker 2: Wrapped around one of its fins was a snapped chain
[1:04:11] Speaker 2: attached to a massive bronze anchor. The anchor swung dangerously
[1:04:17] Speaker 2: through the storm. Elio understood instantly the anchor. Together they
[1:04:25] Speaker 2: pulled the chain free and looped it through the broken
[1:04:28] Speaker 2: clock supports. The wail gave a mighty cry and pulled
[1:04:34] Speaker 2: upward with impossible strength. The clock tower steadied. The harbor.
[1:04:41] Speaker 2: Lights flared back to life, and across the floating island,
[1:04:46] Speaker 2: every bell began ringing at once. The storm screamed one
[1:04:52] Speaker 2: final angry howl. Then it broke apart. Clouds scattered, rain vanished,
[1:05:02] Speaker 2: Silence fell across the harbor. Slowly people emerged from hiding.
[1:05:10] Speaker 2: The tall woman in the navy coat looked up at
[1:05:13] Speaker 2: Elio and Lyra standing atop the tower beside the whale. Well,
[1:05:20] Speaker 2: she called, that was either very brave or very stupid.
[1:05:25] Speaker 2: Can it be both? Shouted Elio. Usually, the crowd burst
[1:05:32] Speaker 2: into cheers. The whale gave a proud honk. Then one
[1:05:39] Speaker 2: by one, the lanterns around the harbor began glowing gold.
[1:05:45] Speaker 2: The staircase far below shimmered in answer. Lyra smiled softly.
[1:05:52] Speaker 2: It likes you, the staircase. It only appears for people
[1:05:58] Speaker 2: who still believe is worth it. Eleo looked down through
[1:06:04] Speaker 2: the clouds toward Bellweather Town, tiny and distant below. For
[1:06:10] Speaker 2: what it's worth, he said, I almost turned around at
[1:06:13] Speaker 2: the first hundred steps. That's normal. You weren't scared. Lyra laughed.
[1:06:23] Speaker 2: I'm terrified constantly. Eleo blinked. But you seem fearless. That's
[1:06:31] Speaker 2: because fearless people are idiots. The great clock rang midnight.
[1:06:38] Speaker 2: The staircase hummed again, softly, warmly, as if proud. The
[1:06:47] Speaker 2: tall woman approached them, carrying two small silver pins, shaped
[1:06:52] Speaker 2: like staircases for climbers. She said. Lyra accepted hers casually,
[1:07:00] Speaker 2: Elio held his carefully. What happens now, the woman smiled,
[1:07:07] Speaker 2: Now you go home. Elyo hesitated. Part of him wanted
[1:07:14] Speaker 2: to stay forever, to sail sky boats and feed cloud
[1:07:20] Speaker 2: pie to whales, and wander impossible islands above the world,
[1:07:26] Speaker 2: but another part remembered warm kitchens, Clara shouting his name
[1:07:31] Speaker 2: from downstairs, and Belwether Town beneath the evening lamps. Lyra
[1:07:36] Speaker 2: seemed to understand. They always think adventure means leaving home forever.
[1:07:43] Speaker 2: She said, quietly, what does it really mean coming back different?
[1:07:50] Speaker 2: The staircase glowed brighter far below, dawn was beginning. Elio
[1:07:58] Speaker 2: took a deep breath. Well, he said, I suppose I
[1:08:03] Speaker 2: should climb down before my sister murders me. Wise, They
[1:08:11] Speaker 2: walked together to the staircase entrance. Eleo paused, will I
[1:08:17] Speaker 2: see you again? Lyra shrugged, depends on what whether the
[1:08:25] Speaker 2: staircase thinks you still need climbing, And before Eleo could answer,
[1:08:31] Speaker 2: she stepped backward into the morning mist and vanished. The
[1:08:36] Speaker 2: staircase carried Eleo gently downward through the clouds, lower and lower,
[1:08:44] Speaker 2: until bellweather Town returned beneath him. People filled the square,
[1:08:51] Speaker 2: waiting anxiously. When Eleo reached the final step, the crowd irrupted.
[1:08:58] Speaker 2: Clara sprinted forward first and hugged him so hard his
[1:09:03] Speaker 2: ribs squeaked you absolute disaster, she shouted. You vanished for
[1:09:10] Speaker 2: an entire night. I brought back a staircase pin. She
[1:09:16] Speaker 2: stared at him. I'm still angry, but that is rather impressive.
[1:09:23] Speaker 2: The mayor hurried over, what's up there? Elio looked skyward.
[1:09:31] Speaker 2: The staircase was already fading into the dawn light. He
[1:09:36] Speaker 2: thought of sky whales, storm clocks, impossible harbors, a girl
[1:09:44] Speaker 2: with an umbrella, sword, and a staircase that hummed like
[1:09:48] Speaker 2: it new secrets. Finally, he smiled. Everything he said, the
[1:09:56] Speaker 2: staircase vanished. Only the s remained behind. Someone picked it
[1:10:03] Speaker 2: up and read aloud, thank you for climbing. The sky
[1:10:09] Speaker 2: appreciates the company, And far above the waking town, hidden
[1:10:14] Speaker 2: somewhere beyond the clouds, a staircase quietly continued climbing.
[1:10:20] Speaker 3: Forever Think a

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