Stay for a spell
“Better knock first.” Hal was in no hurry to enter the wizard’s castle, which was understandable, considering what happened the last time he’d entered a sorcerer’s castle unannounced.
Emily laughed. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a test.”
Hal said, “Mmm?”
“You know the sort of thing. The door looks impossible to open, so no one even tries. I’ll bet we just have to give it a push and it will come right open.” She leaned on it with the palm of her hand, and sure enough, it swung back silently on massive but perfectly balanced hinges.
Emily stepped inside and turned around. “You see, magicians love tests like these. They want to know if you’re the type who can be fooled by appearances, or if you’re persistent enough to seek out the truth. Or something like that. Kind of silly, I think. If they—”
The door slammed shut, instantly cutting off her words. No matter how hard Hal pushed, it stubbornly remained closed.