Karla had her face glued to the window even though there was nothing to see other than the normal cloud cover. She turned to Austin, a dazed look in her eyes.

“What happened back there?” she said.

“Your grandfather was right on the money with his calculations.”

“But what was that thing, that incredible waterspout?”

Austin wasn't sure what was happening but suspected that the push-pull of electromagnetic pulses from the ship and the plane had set into motion unimaginable forces.

“Nature doesn't like being messed around with. The combination of the antidote and the initial transmissions created a strong reaction.” He smiled. “It's like taking something for an upset stomach. There's always a last eruption or two before things settle down for the better.”

“Then it's over, finally.”

“I hope so.” Austin called the cockpit, and asked, “How's the compass doing?”

“Normal,” Zavala said. “Still pointing to the north pole, more or less.”

Barrett hadn't moved from behind the control panel. When he heard Zavala's report, he slapped his hands together. He came over and gave Karla and Austin big hugs.

“We did it,” he said. “By God, we did it.”

Austin replied with a weary grin. “So we did,” he said. “So we did.”

NUMA 6 - Polar Shift

43

DOYLE WAS GLAD THAT this would be his last trip to the lighthouse island. He had never liked the place. He had grown up in the city, and the remote beauty was lost on him. He would be even happier once he had disposed of Lucifer's Legion and left the island forever.

He landed his plane near the island, tied up to a mooring buoy and rowed to the dock where one of the Lucifer creeps was waiting to greet him. He could never remember their names and told them apart by hair color. This was the red-haired guy who, because he most resembled Margrave, seemed to have an elevated status in the group, although he was short of being a leader, anathema to the pure anarchists.

“Haven't seen you since our car chase outside Washington,” the man said in a soft-spoken voice that sounded like the rustle of a snake in dry leaves. “Too bad your friends got away.”

“There's always another time,” Doyle said. “We'll tend to Austin and his friends once we take care of the Elites.”

“I'll look forward to it. You should have let us know you were coming,” the man said.

Doyle hefted a canvas bag he was carrying. “Tris wanted to surprise you.”

The answer seemed to satisfy the legionnaire. He nodded, and accompanied Doyle to the elevator that whisked them to the top of the cliff.

The other Lucifers were waiting on the lighthouse bluff, and when Doyle repeated his reason for coming to the island they gave him that unnerving grin. They all headed for the keeper's house. Doyle led the way to Margrave's kitchen. He got six glasses and a beer and placed them on the table.