They wouldn't be allowed to come. Meche seized on that; it was a good sign. They couldn't come if they weren't here to begin with. And maybe Landel really wouldn't (or couldn't?) pull them here the same way he took her or Domino. Why would he have been so careful to mention that if they were somewhere nearby?

"I understand," she replied, feeling a little heartened. "This is a pretty scary place for anyone, let alone children. It's probably better if they don't see me until I come home."

But how long was that going to be, she wondered. Even if they--if she, since Manny was down for the count right now--could get everyone out of here, that was still no guarantee that they'd have an easy way back to the Ninth Underworld. Would they just have to live out their lives on Earth until they died naturally? If they worked hard (fortunately, Meche knew the formula), they could get tickets on the Number Nine, but fifty years would be too long for those poor kids to wait; they'd give up hope.

"I wanted to ask what I have to do to be released eventually," she continued. "I feel better, but it's important that we're all sure, of course. Normally I'd guess if I keep behaving well and proving that I'm not going to have any more outbursts...but it sounds like it's not really your decision, is it? Sometimes the releases feel a little arbitrary, to be honest."