Their collective efforts, a symphony of taps, scrapes, and hushed consultations, continued for what felt like an eternity, though in reality, it was probably closer to ten minutes.
"Seriously, though," Theo said, leaning back and rubbing his hands together. "This is harder than it looks. I'm starting to think this fireplace is just… a fireplace. A very old, slightly dusty fireplace."
"Don't give up yet!" Aurora urged, crawling on her hands and knees to get a better look at the base. "There has to be something. It wouldn't be this elaborate otherwise, right?"
They'd tapped every stone that seemed remotely tap-able, peered into every crevice that a mouse might find cozy, and even considered a rather aggressive approach involving Kin's backpack and a well-aimed toss.
