BooksBarbecue
Back Eternity
Chapters (90)
  1. Eternity
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. EPILOGUE
  90. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Rhita thought that made a great deal of sense, but their time was limited. There’s no way we can find out?

None.

But it is open?

Yes.

Can someone come through from the other side?

Yes.

The enormity of what she had done began to sink in. She stood below and to one side of the gate, admiring its uncanny beauty, like a suspended raindrop, or the lens from the eye of some huge fish.

Water had risen above her ankles in the swale. It tumbled in glassy sheets over the bent grass, muddy foam catching against the bank. Rhita glanced down at it, annoyed, and decided it would be wise to climb up the bank, away from any possible flood. She stood beside Demetrios, holding the clavicle level with her knees, breathing heavily. “It’s open,” she told him quietly. He glanced at Atta and Oresias, then back at her.

“Don’t you want to tell them?”

“Of course,” she said, “It’s open,” she called back over her shoulder. “I opened it. The clavicle opened it.”

Atta nodded, lips drawn down, eyes squinted in speculation. Oresias gave her a short smile. “We can pass through?”

“It says we can, but that we shouldn’t. It doesn’t know what’s on the other side.”

Oresias walked down the bank. “We came here to investigate,” he reminded them. “Whatever’s happened in Alexandreia, that’s our mission. You’re too valuable to send through,” he told Rhita, “and we need Atta to command the pilots and soldiers in an emergency. Which this situation is, probably. Demetrios—”

“I’d love to go,” the mekhanikos said, eyes sparkling.

“No.” Oresias lifted his hands and shook his head. “You didn’t sign on to take risks. I did.”

Lugotorix watched them all closely, his eyes following the circle of conversation.

“Bring down the second Object,” Oresias ordered one of the soldiers. The man ran off to comply.

“I don’t know how to use it,” Rhita said. “Grandmother didn’t tell me.”

“Careless of her,” Oresias said, face glowing with the challenge. “We’ll see if it still works, and whether or not we can work it. If it works, I go through. If not—”

“I’m responsible for all of the Objects,” Rhita said.

“And I’m responsible for you,” Oresias said. “If it doesn’t work, we can at least poke one of our caged animals through first, and then I’ll follow—if the animal comes back alive.” He touched Rhita’s arm lightly. “I’m not a complete fool, and I don’t want to die. We’ll be cautious.”

The case containing the second object was brought down into the swale by the soldier. Rhita opened the lid while he held it, and brought out the control box and recirculation box, both attached to a thick black belt. “It’s very old,” she said.