"I think you must be the only outsider," a soft voice whispered beside his ear.
"Why?" Shard asked.
"The appearance of an outsider is luck within luck, a miracle to find even one. A second is simply impossible," the voice explained.
"Then why does 'The Little Match Girl'..."
"In this world, there are no coincidences, only the inevitable built upon the inevitable. Besides, haven't you already guessed the reason?"
Shard smiled. If there was no second outsider, the answer was indeed clear.
Today was Wednesday, after midnight, exactly one week since he last used the Time Key:
"It seems I, as an outsider, am not without possessions," he remarked.
Again, the pleasing laughter of a woman filled his ears.
"Shard, did you hear that?"
Realizing that Miss Luisa was talking to him, Shard looked up, embarrassed, and said,
"Sorry, I was lost in thought. What did you say?"
"I said, if you don't take care of your cat, it's going to jump out of its basket soon,"
