I couldn’t shake what I’d seen. The sky over the plain seemed at eye level, vast and perspective-giving. I felt like a man who’d been a hermit, closed in by the hills, who now walked on an open plain, able to see forever.

That night we camped in rock-strewn hills of chaparral, eating prickly pears, breaking acorns, and chewing some kind of gum Gordy got from a tall plant. I felt like Gary Cooper again, the cowboy, no permanent home, owning just his horse and what he could pack into his saddlebags. A decent man who defended the honor of women and stood up for the underdog. Not seeking a fight but never backing down from any man. A natural leader who everyone looked to. I felt good about myself.

We stayed up late around the fire. Gordy pumped me with questions, and so did the others, even Shad, late into the night as the fire crackled with dry shrubs flammable as matches.

“Nobody’s gonna fall asleep around this fire,” Gordy said. “Not with those dried shrubs and not with Mr. Nick’s stories of what the warrior told him!”

I knew this time I’d never forget what I had seen. I’d never lose sight of the worlds beyond. It felt so good not to just listen to the stories, but to be the storyteller.

Morning’s first gesture was the stretched-out top of the rising sun, so broad at first it was a flat red line, then transformed into the beginnings of an oval, then a full circle. Singing meadowlarks and cooing doves welcomed it, as did our party, watching it with awe. But all I could think about was how yesterday Marcus had revealed all those important things to me and not the others. He must have had a reason.

We trussed up our packs and got started on the road. The chaparral led into a stretch of desert before hitting rolling hills twenty miles ahead of us—we hoped they were the final hills before reaching Mount Aletheas and ascending to Charis, now shrouded in mountain mist.

“I’ll lead today,” I said to Shad.

The old man stared at me. What did I see in his eyes? Resentment? Jealousy?

You think you’re the only one capable of leading?

I stepped forward, took the lead, and didn’t look back.

After a long silence Gordy said, “I’m glad you’re leading. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be back in jail with Zed and Roy.”

“What’d you say, Gordy?” I asked.

I hoped when he repeated it, the others would hear.

“The King’s given you these great visions, Mr. Nick,” Gordy said. “Tell us more about Charis and Erebus, would you?”

“Glad to, Gordy, but would you mind carrying my sack? I’m still tired from my time with Marcus. It was so draining—an incredible experience.”

“Sure, no problem, Mr. Nick.”