She and Flicker said good-bye to Erdrodr, and Alice promised that she’d try to come and visit. Erdrodr fought back tears, and Helga told them they would always be welcome.

“I talked a bit with Helga,” Flicker said as they hiked through the ash wastes. “She’s going to bring some of her people to visit the village. I think we could help each other—with the Heartfire getting smaller, we could trade with them for food. They don’t have much metal or glass.”

Alice nodded. “That’s good.”

“Some of the elders won’t like it,” Flicker said. “We’ve always kept to ourselves. But I think Pyros will agree with me.”

“I think you’re right,” Alice said.

For a while, they walked in silence.

“I thought about what you said,” Alice ventured. “About who would protect you, if Geryon fell.”

“And?”

“I don’t know,” Alice said. “I need to think harder.” She offered him a wan smile. “But before now I didn’t know I had to think about it. So that’s something, I suppose.”

Flicker patted Alice on the shoulder. “Keep thinking.”

Flicker offered to take Alice back to the village to rest, but Alice insisted on going directly to the portal-book. I can’t afford any more detours. She couldn’t bear to think that she’d come so far and found what she was looking for, only to come up short by a few hours. They followed the winding lava tunnels accompanied only by Ishi, who met up with them with a good deal of barking and smoky breath.

“Actinia will be disappointed he didn’t get to see you again,” Flicker said when they’d reached the portal chamber. The book, an exact twin of the one Alice had used to get here, sat just where she’d left it.

“I’ll be back, I expect,” Alice said. “I hope, anyway.” According to her watch, she had twenty-three hours to go.

“We’ll look forward to it.” Flicker frowned, glancing at his feet. “I’m sorry if some of the things I said were harsh. It wasn’t fair.”

“It’s all right,” Alice said. “I understand. The Readers have hurt you.”

“But you haven’t. You’re just as stuck as we are. I hadn’t . . . realized that.”

Alice grinned at him, and he smiled back. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

As she went over to the portal-book, Flicker cleared his throat, a sound like a fire spitting sparks.

“Alice,” he said. “Be careful, all right?”

“I will.” She reached into her bag to touch The Infinite Prison one more time. The faint buzz of static set her teeth on edge, but its presence was reassuring. Almost there.

Alice flipped open the front cover of the portal-book, and read:

Alice had forgotten how awful it was on the other side of the portal . . .