Darsal’s first thought was that he had been paralyzed by this beast. But then he blinked and sat up, and she knew she’d freed him. Still concerned about a counterattack, she grabbed his arm and tugged hard, hauling him off the seatlike leg. Still dazed, Billos slid off and fell to the ground like a log. He grunted.

“What? What?”

“Hurry, Billos! Help me, Papa.” With the Scab’s help she dragged him away across the floor to where Karas stood watching.

“Stop it!” Billos’s arms flailed, and he rolled to his feet. He stood and stared at them, clearly disoriented.

“I’m not sure he liked that,” Karas said.

“Darsal? What’s going on?”

She glanced at the spider thing and saw that its eyes had darkened. Still no movement.

“I don’t know, Billos. You tell me.”

“You . . . Where’s the village?” He patted his chest and felt his head. “I’m okay?”

“No blood, if that’s what you mean.” But she couldn’t say that he was okay, because his mind may have been compromised. He certainly didn’t seem too eager to see her.

“How did I get back in here?” he demanded angrily.

“Settle down. It was you who caused this. I just followed with another book.”

“I was here when you found me?”

“Are you daft, boy?” Papa said. “She said you were.”

Billos was too preoccupied to give the Scab a second look. He crossed to the leg she’d freed him from and lifted the helmet.

“How did you find me?”

“I told you, the spider—”

“It’s a contraption, not an animal,” he snapped. “I couldn’t figure out how it worked so I . . .”

He ran to the only door leading from the room and tugged on the handle. But it would not so much as budge.

“I got out,” Billos said.

“Well, you weren’t out just now,” Papa said. “Don’t tell me you don’t know where we are or how we escape.”

Billos faced the Desert Dweller. “Who let this thug in?”

“Your cursed book,” Papa said. “Where are we?”

“Still in the white room, clearly.” He glanced around. “I left this place; walked out that door; met a ‘Marsuvees Black,’ who gave me a gun; went to battle in the village of Paradise, where I clearly had the upper hand when . . .” Billos looked at Darsal. “Are we dead?”

It was a good question, but she was amazed that Billos didn’t seem to be giving her a second thought.

“I risked my life to follow you,” she said. “Please don’t tell me all I’ve managed to do is follow you into death.”

He looked at the spider contraption. “You’re suggesting that I never left this room. Or that I left it and was returned with the magical power. Like the gun.”

“What’s this ‘gun’ business?” Papa demanded.