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In winter, the air is cold and the days are short. All too soon, darkness falls on the US, but it will be another few hours before it is light again in the UK.

As the Washington sun began to drift behind the mountains, Alice woke with a start, grasping in the air for something to hold onto. Breathing raggedly, she stilled and ordered her thoughts, calming herself as she realized her bed was cloth, not stone, and that the past was the past. Taking more time than necessary to steady herself and change into some spare clothing she kept around, she moved to the door. She carefully pushed her way into the main room, fully expecting everyone to be gathered and waiting for her. She had no idea exactly how long she had been asleep, but she felt more rested than she had in days so it must have been a while.