The Book of Doors
by Gareth Brown
Contents
The Book of Doors Discovered
Overview
John Webber’s rare-book network produces a promising lead on the Book of Doors, and Cassie rushes into a meeting with the collector Morgenstern hoping it will finally send her home—and let her save Izzy before Hugo Barbary can strike. The book proves to be an ordinary foreign-language volume, crushing Cassie’s fragile hope and underscoring how trapped she still is. In response, Cassie pivots from chasing the book to preparing for the coming confrontation, tracking down a key person and securing a deal that sets up her next move.
Summary
On a dark, blustery autumn day, Cassie returns from a walk to find John Webber elated: after seeing Cassie’s younger self, he started truly believing Cassie’s story and emailed his rare-book contacts for help locating the Book of Doors. A collector friend in Toronto named Morgenstern responded with photographs of a book he thought matched Webber’s description. Cassie recognizes the look of the cover and scribbled pages and dares to hope it might be real.
Webber quickly arranges for Morgenstern to fly to Manhattan that evening, paying for his trip and hotel. While Webber handles the logistics, Cassie paces, thinking ahead: if she gets the Book of Doors and can return to an earlier point, she might be able to rescue Izzy before Hugo Barbary ever arrives. The excitement is tempered when Webber admits he will miss Cassie deeply if she leaves; Cassie reassures him and promises they will meet again.
That night, Cassie and Webber meet Morgenstern in the Champagne Bar at the Plaza Hotel. Morgenstern enjoys the luxury and acts evasive and condescending toward Cassie, stalling while hinting he expects a large reward. Cassie fixates on the brown-paper-wrapped package on the table and struggles to contain her urgency as Webber presses Morgenstern to produce the book.
When Morgenstern finally slides the package across, Cassie tears off the wrapping and opens the book, briefly convinced by the leather cover and the messy ink. The illusion collapses as Cassie realizes the writing is in a recognizable European alphabet and language, not the strange, indecipherable markings and sketches she expects. After frantic page-flipping confirms it is not the Book of Doors, Cassie’s hope crashes into crushing disappointment.
Days later, Cassie tells Webber he has nothing to apologize for: the false lead still clarified how badly she wants to go home and reminded her she must be ready for the dangers waiting when she catches up to her present. Recalling something Drummond Fox once said, Cassie shifts from searching for a book to searching for a specific person. Over months she carefully makes contact, negotiates, and—nearly five years after arriving in the past—travels alone to finalize a deal, returning to Webber’s apartment with one conclusion: it is done, and now they must wait.
Who Appears
- Cassie AndrewsStranded in the past; chases a false lead, then secures a deal to prepare.
- John WebberCassie’s protector; uses rare-book contacts, arranges meeting, admits he’ll miss her.
- MorgensternToronto collector; brings supposed Book of Doors, behaves arrogantly; book is not genuine.
- IzzyMentioned as Cassie’s priority to rescue if time travel becomes possible.
- Hugo BarbaryMentioned threat; Cassie hopes to prevent his attack by returning earlier.
- Drummond FoxReferenced in Cassie’s memory; inspires her new plan to seek a person, not a book.