Imogen let Olezhka and me out at the tree-portal to the Magnolia glade.

"I have to return the car." She told me. "It's only a rental. I'll come check on you when I get back?"

"Have fun explaining the scratch marks." I said, waving her off. "We'll see you soon."

Then, I headed through the magic tree with my talking tiger companion in tow. If I could go back in time and share a single fact about my current life with my past self--that one action would probably be it.

We ...