“The book cannot be opened by anyone with the slightest imperfection,” Marcus said. “Only a perfect being, a man with the character of World-Maker himself, could open the scroll and cross the chasm and break open the gates of Charis so that others might enter.”

“A perfect man? Impossible,” I said. “No one’s perfect!” The image of body upon body in the abyss flashed through my mind. Suddenly the weight of worlds beyond fell upon me, and I collapsed. I wept that no one was worthy to open the book and bridge the abyss.

I had been the Iceman, always guarding my emotions, careful not to show weakness. But then and there my image did not matter. Nothing mattered but the tragedy that no one could change my destiny from the chasm to Charis. The tears flowed—I didn’t bother to wipe them. It was the darkest night of my soul.

“Weep no more,” Marcus whispered, awe in his voice. When I looked up, I saw in the sky a brilliant supernova. On the ground, just ten feet from me, stood a teenage girl, frail and shy. She reminded me of Malaiki and Salama. Inside the girl was a tiny point of light, a circle moving in her midsection. Suddenly a bolt of lightning from the nova pierced her and struck the tiny circle with awesome precision. Thunder exploded like the clash of cymbals.

The tiny circle appeared different now. It was as if two worlds intersected, the molecules of one joining with those of the other. Before my eyes, eternity’s door had swung open, and someone had walked through, the incomprehensibly huge becoming indescribably small. I saw infinity become finite, the invisible visible, the universe next door reduced to a pinpoint.

The tiny dot split in two, again and again. Cells divided and multiplied. I heard a lovely melody, held up by the steady harmony of a beating sound within the young woman’s chest. As the concerto progressed, the small dot grew at a terrific rate.

Soon I saw a reddish tan form taking shape. Blunt appendages formed into fingers and toes. A child! Now an infant, he moved outside his mother, a cord was cut, and he was welcomed into the world by … animals. A lamb bleated, and his eyes turned toward it.

Just then an ominous shadow eclipsed the sun, and I heard a terrible squawk above. In a mass of flutter and confusion the ancient winged dinosaur dived down at the baby. I knew I should try to protect him, but I was too terrified by the beast. It hovered only a foot over the child, its drool falling upon his tiny head.