"Permission to come aboard, captain?"

"Permission granted."

Robert grasped the rope that ran along the top of the house boat, and stepped in the direction of the captain's cabin. Once inside he saw the original wooden wheel in a cosy space with a magnificent view of the Amsterdam harbor in all directions. He followed Trylyan down the stairs into a warm kitchen with a wood burning stove. Candles on the dining table and the smell of good food cooking made him feel welcome. Sarayu was pouring some Chimay Belgian beer into a large round glass.

"Did you find us all right?"

"No sweat. Your directions made it easy."

"We were lucky to find this boat. Perfect location, and a lot cheaper than the hotel."

"The view is amazing."

"The VOC ship is a replica. The original sank in the English Channel on its maiden voyage. Would you like a beer?"

"Cheers. Did you manage to find some office space?"

"Not yet. We are using 3G mobile to get online here. No land line. Rather minimalist but it works."

Sarayu placed a cast iron pot of pumpkin soup on the dining table. There was organic Italian bread and a selection of Dutch cheeses.

"This is delicious."

"Thanks. Did you find the Hermetic library?"

"Yes. It's in the Bloemgracht. It contains over 20 000 books on Rosicrucianism, alchemy, mysticism and western esotericism."

"As above so below?"

"Quite."

"As characters in fiction, we always say as inside the book so outside the book. I used to travel around the galaxy with a guide book. Sarayu used to be the Holy Spirit in her book. We are also trying to find a way out of the drama."

"We are all just fictional characters?"

"Until we create ourselves with our own imagination, yes."

"NASA just found water on the moon." said Sarayu, looking at her iPhone. "It is a water goddess!"

"Awesome! There is far more to this universe than we can ever imagine."

Robert was trying to process the idea that he was just a character in fiction.

"Are we able to influence the plot?"

"Within limits if we focus our minds together. Your last lost symbol story was a bit manic. Loads of adrenalin. Time for a break perhaps?"

"I would rather be in a European novel with lots of quiet bits."

"Sarayu had a quiet tale to tell, but I was also rushing around a lot. Those hitchhiker guys loved action movies. Me, I like dinner by candlelight better."

"Me too, although I'm not so sure we would sell so well without all the adrenalin."

"Adrenalin is one thing. Quantum entanglement another. Somehow we are all interconnected with an unfolding wormhole timeline, a sort of mini black hole. In a parallel universe we are still in Washington DC. Alphonse is on his way back from Moscow. He says that he found out that the key was here in Amsterdam."

"Key to what?"

"The ancient mysteries, as well as the wormhole. Somehow events in your last book spilled over into reality. It could provide us with a way out of this Flatland of fiction."