There were small movements as we circled the silent room. The bending woman straightened, twisting at the waist to watch us go. The gesturing man folded his arms across his chest. All eyes narrowed, and all faces tightened into expressions of rage. However, no one moved toward us, and no one spoke. Whatever Kyle and the others had told these people about their confrontation with Jeb, it seemed to have had the effect Jeb was hoping for.

As we passed through the grove of human statues, I recognized Sharon and Maggie eyeing us from the wide mouth of one opening. Their expressions were blank, their eyes cold. They did not look at me, only Jeb. He ignored them.

It felt like years later when we finally reached the far side of the cavern. Jeb headed for a medium-sized exit, black against the brightness of this room. The eyes on my back made my scalp tingle, but I didn’t dare to look behind me. The humans were still silent, but I worried that they might follow. It was a relief to slip into the darkness of the new passageway. Jeb’s hand touched my elbow to guide me, and I did not shrink away from it. The babble of voices didn’t pick up again behind us.

“That went better than I expected,” Jeb muttered as he steered me through the cave. His words surprised me, and I was glad I didn’t know what he’d thought would happen.

The ground sloped downward under my feet. Ahead, a dim light kept me from total blindness.

“Bet you’ve never seen anything like my place here.” Jeb’s voice was louder now, back to the chatty tone he’d used before. “It’s really something, isn’t it?”

He paused briefly in case I might respond, and then went on.

“Found this place back in the seventies. Well, it found me. I fell through the roof of the big room—probably shoulda died from the fall, but I’m too tough for my own good. Took me a while to find a way out. I was hungry enough to eat rock by the time I managed it.

“I was the only one left on the ranch by then, so I didn’t have anyone to show it to. I explored every nook and cranny, and I could see the possibilities. I decided this might be a good card to keep up my sleeve, just in case. That’s how we Stryders are—we like to be prepared.”

We passed the dim light—it came from a fist-sized hole in the ceiling, making a small circle of brightness on the floor. When it was behind us, I could see another spot of illumination far ahead.