The music begins.............

'Hold steady' said Hector as he saw his sister Eleanora's look of shock at the sight of the humans entering the Sacred Clearing, 'Nothing we can't handle with a bit of adjustment'. 'Adjustment!' thought Eleanora, 'they're huge and so very different and in our most special of special places. Still, I have come a long way for this meeting and agreed to be here'. So she wiggled her toes to get over the shock and tried to find a welcoming smile.

Baby Harriet was waving at Harold from her Mother's arms as Hortensia walked forward and greeted the two humans with the traditional gnome greeting of, ' Peace in your heart, peace in your home and peace all the days of your life'. The Old Lady smiled warmly and following Archibold's directions to their prepared seating area, perched gently on one of the larger hummocks of moss covered by a vibrant collection of the gnomes best tablecloths.

Baby Harriet was determined not to let Harold sit down without her, and held out her arms for him to pick her up and hold her, as he sat down too. The other gnomes looked on in amazement. It has to be said that some of them had hidden behind tree trunks and bushes at first sight of the humans. But as they saw Harriet crawling up the arm of Harold's jacket and gazing out at them from her soft nest in Harold's breast pocket handkerchief, most of their anxiety began to evaporate. Harold himself had a rather silly and soppy expression on his face and kept looking down at her and smiling too.

Archimedes stepped forward,' Welcome Honoured Guests, we are much delighted by your presence here today. We have a question that we must ask before we begin and it is of much import for you both. Do you want to remember today as it is now here together, or simply as a dream that you may recall. The decisions we make today will remain with you and your wiliness to carry them through, but only you can decide if you want to carry the knowingness of our world within yours'.

Of course The Old Lady instantly knew that she wanted to remember, but Harold felt confused. He wanted so much to belong to the world he thought of as reality but found himself excited at being with the gnomes. He looked down into baby Harriet's violet blue eyes and found the answer from within his heart. 'Yes, I want to remember today as it is now'. Archimedes and some of the older gnomes sighed deeply - accepting being seen and entwining their destinies within human time was a big step to accept for them too - a matter of deep trust and not a little risk.

'Then let us begin'. Archimedes and all the Venerable gnomes stood together in the silence within the circle of the great trees. Slowly the singing began to ease open the silence, filling the air, swirling and weaving in the sunlight. Both The Old Lady and Harold found their eyes filling with tears as they listened. When the wisps of music floated away, everyone fell into the warmth of the beautiful silence, comforted and at peace from within themselves  - ready too, after all the excitement - to face the serious questions that challenged them all.