“Isaac,” Garret said. “Good to see you again. You’re looking—”

“I’m here,” Isaac repeated, keeping his eyes on the ground. “Let’s go.”

Garret glanced at Ellen, who shrugged dismissively.

“That appears to complete our company!” Dex said brightly. “May the most favorable of portents attend our journey.”

Ellen made a face, but said nothing. Garret beckoned everyone over to the nearest boulder, which Alice now saw was inscribed with the name Esau-of-the-Waters.

“All right,” Garret said. “For those of you who haven’t done this before, just stay close and keep your heads down. We’re not expecting any active opposition, but some nasty things may have already gotten loose from Esau’s archives. Follow me and watch the sides—”

“Who exactly put you in charge?” Ellen snapped.

“Follow Ellen and me”—Garret amended. Ellen sniffed and crossed her arms—“who will be out in front in case something happens. Dex, you bring up the rear.”

Alice cleared her throat. “What about when we find Jacob?”

Garret shrugged, and cracked his knuckles ostentatiously. “That depends on whether he feels like coming along quietly.”

Ellen rolled her eyes. “Leave him to us. We’ll handle it.”

Alice thought she saw Isaac flinch. She tried to catch his eye, but he looked away.

“Okay!” Garret said. “Everybody join hands. We’ll all go through together.”

He held out his hand, and Isaac took it, reluctantly. Alice ended up between Ellen and Soranna, the former barely touching her fingers, the latter squeezing as hard as if she were afraid of falling. Soranna’s fingers were rough and calloused.

Garret flipped open the book that sat on the boulder, a fat, narrow tome with an ancient leather binding. Alice was too far away to read it, but she could feel the meaning flow through her, down the line of linked hands. The words swam into their vision.

Alice found herself outside, under a night sky ablaze with starlight . . .

Chapter Seven: Esau’s Fortress

CHAPTER SEVEN

ESAU’S FORTRESS

ALICE FOUND HERSELF outside, under a night sky ablaze with starlight. There were more stars than she’d ever seen, more even than were in the sky at the Library, far from the glow of civilization. In every direction except above, there was only darkness, black and absolute. The shadows of huge mountain peaks were visible where they blotted out chunks of the sky, a set of jagged, sharp-edged shapes like a row of shark’s teeth. They surrounded her on all sides, as though she stood in the center of a giant pair of earthen jaws preparing to take a bite out of the heavens.

She released Ellen’s hand and tried to disentangle herself from Soranna, but the girl seemed reluctant. Alice gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“Where are we?” she said.