Oxford, 1973
By the time they are in their early twenties most people have forgotten the magical otherworld they knew as children, or have at least convinced themselves that it was wholly imaginary. But for James Hastings the memories of his first adolescence in that other place are as vivid as his recent years in England, and a good deal more agreeable. He misses his former life, and having his fellow students at the college of St Godfrey theorise about parallel universes and the nature of time doesn't really help.
James's sister Alison doesn't mind being back in England at all, especially not when she meets one of the theorising fellows students. But she, too, has to deal with having a double past. At the annual fancy dress ball in the Master's garden their two worlds briefly run together again, and both James and Alison have to choose a single future…
The Ruins of Cair Nynian is a story for everyone who has ever wondered what becomes of the children in fantasy adventures once they grow up. It is part of the Tales of the Boundaries, a series of novellas exploring what happens when this and the otherworld meet. They can be read in any order.
