Chapter 9
Questions and Answers
The stairway was warmer than the cold, open air of the courtyard.
Each step was made of flat, broad flagstones, which made the climb relatively easy. The passage turned a number of times, sometimes going up, sometimes going down, and sometimes leveling off for several paces. Every so often, he would pass an alcove in the stone walls. Within each alcove stood a statue, all of which appeared to be close to identical. Each statue—all images of lean old men, covered almost entirely in robes with long, vertical folds—towered over Nicolas, standing at least seven feet tall. Each figure was hooded, but when Nicolas paused to take a closer look at the first one he came across, he could see an exquisitely carved face set deep within the stone hood. The face was wr
