Fareed had never heard the word “salvific” spoken by anyone. He said nothing. He had never had any such idealistic or romantic beliefs. Reared by two entirely modern parents, Fareed had been protected as much from mythology as he had been from religion. His had been the world of science and scientific obsessions all of his life. The great gift of immortality meant that Fareed would live on and on discovering one scientific truth after another, witnessing the world of science make discoveries in the future that would so dwarf the present time that it would seem primitive and superstitious to later generations. And Fareed would share this future. Fareed would be there.

But he could feel a great sadness in Seth. He wanted to say that it was all fascinating, that there was nothing to be sad about, but he knew better than to question any mood or emotion from Seth, who in his heart of hearts was unreachable when it came to speculations as to what this world was, or what he himself was, and why he was alive six thousand years after he’d been born.

“Remember the description of the two intertwined in each other’s arms,” Fareed murmured sleepily. “Why don’t you come and lie here beside me and let us make that picture now and sleep? Two in one another’s arms as if carved from stone?”

Seth obeyed. He kicked off his boots and lay down beside Fareed, his right arm over Fareed’s chest.

Fareed breathed deeper, pushing away the slight panic he always felt at losing consciousness with the rise of the sun. He moved closer to Seth, and closed his eyes, and began almost immediately to dream. Fire, smoke rising in a great dark column to the Heavens…

He barely heard the dull throb of the cell phone in Seth’s pocket, or Seth’s voice as he answered. Seth was so much stronger than Fareed. Seth had an hour yet of wakefulness before the paralysis would come over him. And Fareed barely heard Seth’s suddenly angry voice, but he tried very hard to hear it, to follow what Seth was saying.

“But how? Why did they move to take him prisoner on their own?”

Fareed could hear the voice of Avicus on the phone. Avicus, who months ago had gone to California to guard the old medical compound there as it was thoroughly evacuated. Avicus, who had been gracious to do that. But then Avicus would have done anything for Fareed and Seth and for the tribe.

“But they shouldn’t have gone alone,” Seth was saying, “just the two of them! How perfectly stupid. They should have waited.”

He felt Seth beside him again, and the arm catching hold of him and bringing him closer to Seth.