The staircase was wider than a normal home's would be, although not as wide as an institutional staircase, like the one at the hospital. Just like that one, the risers were spaced completely wrong, which was another thing to add to the discomfort. He took a deep breath and began ascending, ignoring the mental images of himself tripping and falling, or Lyra butting him off the staircase like she was a goat. If she really wanted to make me fall, hitting me with a mattress—like she did with Kate—would do the trick nicely.