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Back Whirlwind Save as PDF
Chapters (95)
  1. Title Page
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. 85
  87. 86
  88. 87
  89. 88
  90. 89
  91. 90
  92. 91
  93. 92
  94. Also by DAVID KLASS
  95. Copyright Page

“We can’t let the story end that way. We need to find out why he disappeared, and help him, and get him to lead us. He alone can kill the colonel. If he does, he’ll save my future world. And at the same time, you and”—she hesitates—“P.J. will no longer have anything to fear. So we have a common cause: find Kidah. Help him defeat the Colonel. It’s the last, best chance for all of us.”

I mull it over. She may well be right, but I don’t want to leave P.J. again and go off on some wild-goose chase, or rather wild-wizard chase. “When the colonel released me, he warned me that if I ever helped the Dannites or searched for Kidah, he’d track me down and make me pay.”

“He’ll do that anyway,” Eko assures me. “He already tried to kill you at the falls.”

“I hate to provide him with any more incentives.”

“His warnings to you about Kidah should be all the proof you need that this is his only weak point, and therefore the only chance we have.”

I sort of know what she means. I remember how desperate the colonel was to learn of Kidah’s whereabouts. When he demanded information about the missing sorcerer from me, fear rang in his voice. I felt it then, above the candirú pit, and I know it now: this fiend from the future, who is not shy about wiping out rain forests and changing the destiny of entire worlds, is scared of a little lost wizard.

“Okay,” I say finally. “I accept that it’s our only chance. I won’t try to escape again.” I hesitate and then promise, reluctantly, “I’ll go with you, and do what I can to help.”

Eko gives me a tiny smile and we resume paddling.

After a time, I add, “And by the way, Eko, for what it’s worth, thanks for saving my life.”

“Twice,” she reminds me. “You’re welcome.”

64

64

Deeper, ever deeper into the most unmapped, unexplored section of the Amazon.

No drones with DNA scanners fly overhead, and even if they did, they would never spot us here. We are paddling through a flooded forest. The winding labyrinth of watery channels is shielded from the air by an impenetrable curtain of interlaced branches. Sunlight itself can’t pierce the leaf cover—what filters down to us is a faint greenish luminescence that imbues every animal, plant, and rock with a cartoonish emerald glow.

No dugout canoes with paid native spies pass near us—we haven’t seen any evidence of other humans in days. No footprints. No native huts. No smoke from distant fires.