The burned gold seal rose up, exposing a durasteel column of the same shape. The column rose until it was Jesson’s height, revealing a chamber. Thick transparent crystal windows slid open, showing a disk half a meter high. Around the edge of the disk blinked the red-white lights of an activated antigrav ring. With the greatest delicacy, Jesson pulled the disk out. The antigrav ring reduced its effective weight to no more than a few grams.

Holding it in hovering position with the touch of their fingers, X’Ting and Jedi checked the little readout meter blinking at the top.

"They are alive, " he whispered. "I will take them to the council. Our medical clan will know what to do. "

"Yes, " Obi-Wan said.

The walls were blinking more rapidly. A speaker squealed a deep, booming vibration that rattled Obi-Wan’s spine.

"What’s that? " Jesson asked.

Obi-Wan inspected the controls. "I think it’s a worm repellent, " he said. "The room is letting us leave. "

The doors unsealed. They examined the far door. The dead X’Ting lay limp and half melted.

"What killed him? " Jesson asked.

"I don’t know. And I don’t want to take the risk. We know the hazards behind us. We’ll go back the way we came. "

Chapter 7

The egg cask was relatively easy to take through the door leading to the worm chamber.

They stood on the ledge and gazed down on the floor beneath them. Artificial lights had triggered along the ceiling and, in combination with the fungus, illuminated the plowed soil where the worms had fled the shrill, painful sounds. Obi-Wan extended his senses into Force: nothing. The cave was deserted.

They moved the disk down to the dirt floor. With the help of the antigrav unit, the carbonite disk virtually floated across the cavern. The rock walls seemed so huge and majestic now. Obi-Wan hadn’t been able to appreciate it, but as artificial lights switched on in the ceiling, the sight of cascading stalactites and vast arched walls took his breath away.

What sort of celebratory scene had the builders pictured for this moment? Were thousands of X’Ting expected to be gathered now, cheering this ceremony as a new queen and king entered the world?

How strangely and sorrowfully it had all worked out.

There would be such celebration eventually, of course, but not now. Now there was silence and shadows.

The egg cask slid easily through the pentagonal openings on the far side of the cavern.

Jesson seemed drained but exultant, a different being from the cocky young warrior who had accompanied Obi-Wan from the council chamber less than two hours before.

Truly, Obi-Wan thought, transformation was not a matter of time. It happened in a blink, or not at all.