Alex turned back to his thoughts. He had minutes left, perhaps seconds, and so he would use them to think about this: his dad, a kid out there, safe somewhere, far away. At least until the chasm in the heavens widened farther.

Maybe, Alex thought, if he had worked it out a little sooner, he could have gotten himself down from this place alive. Maybe the crack would have been closed somehow, and he could have found his father, eventually. Maybe. And then maybe . . . then maybe what?

“Alex!”

The desperate voice pulled him back into the moment. Alex looked to the vague gate. Kingdom was leaning through, reaching out, light fizzing around her. Zia was already scrambling past her, vanishing to the other side again. Kingdom scowled after her, then waved her hand frantically.

“Come on!”

The ground fell away as Alex grabbed her hand. He swung there for a second as the last of the crag beneath him collapsed, tons of rock falling like a booming black waterfall. He saw his abandoned broom swallowed in the deluge. Dust rose up in a choking cloud.

And then he was being pulled up, through the light, into silence.

•  •  •

THE FIGHTING ON the narrow path was furious.

Alex’s eyes adjusted to the light to see the gate-maker being lifted into the air by . . . by something. It wasn’t a bird. More like a giant, single, fleshy wing thrashing fast. Yet it had claws and a beak. Perhaps two beaks. The cloaked, ancient figure seemed to be screaming. But there was no sound here. Then the creature and the man were gone, shooting up out of sight.

Alex’s grandfather stood shoulder to shoulder with the tall man, the two of them working together, slashing silently with their sticks to battle off an attack from a flock of similar flying beasts. Beckman balanced precariously at the edge of the precipice, his great metal arms struggling furiously with a number of writhing tentacles that reached up from below. Alex couldn’t tell if they were the limbs of some enormous entity down there, or vicious, wormy creatures themselves.

Zia stood clutching the plant pot, frowning furiously. Father?

Yes, child, he answered without looking.

We must go back.

The tall man paused in his fighting a fraction of a second. Certain?

Zia nodded.

Very well.

But that means we will not complete. Zia’s voice wavered. It will all reverse, and you . . .

I will have to find another way. He slashed at the air. A flier shot from Zia’s coat and jabbed at the wing menacing her father, driving it away. Kingdom leapt past Alex, rapier held high.

Ah, Alex, there you are! Alex’s grandfather’s voice rang brightly in Alex’s mind. I was just saying to Evelyn, perhaps we should get out of here. After you, son. He nodded back toward spot where the gate had first opened.

Get off, get off, get off, get off!