The stairs above floor forty-one were there.
Lexel stepped onto them first.
The others followed — Anthierin, Flinn, Cresty, the natural order of a party that had climbed forty-one floors together without discussion about who went where. The staircase was identical to every staircase below it. Same stone, same sourceless light, same absolute indifference to being used.
Except the moment each of them stepped onto the first stair behind Lexel, the tower made a decision.
