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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

I take a step toward him, furious. What side is that? I demand angrily. The war in the future is over and the Dark Army is vanquished, right?

Not exactly, Gisco replies. Things are a bit more complicated than that. I really don’t know where to begin.

Why don’t you start by explaining what happened after our Firestorm quest. You promised me you would never leave and then you betrayed me by disappearing without even saying goodbye.

I was called back. It’s not something I can control. It’s like being yanked by a rope around your neck. I think they called Eko back, too. She didn’t betray you either, by the way. In fact, I think she was starting to fall in love with you.

Gisco’s revelation rocks me. I remember holding Eko tightly as we flew away from Dargon’s island. She was dying. I felt her slipping away, and then she literally slipped through my fingers and vanished into thin air.

So she may still be alive? I ask the dog. You’re saying Eko may have been transported away from me by people who could save her life?

It’s possible. I haven’t seen her since. But she may not have been any more in control of her disappearance than I was of mine.

I have trouble believing we’re all at the mercy of future puppeteers who can pull our strings and make us appear and disappear.

Yes, it is very disconcerting. One minute you’re pondering an island vacation with dear friends, after the successful completion of a mission. The next instant, poof, you’re gone. Or rather; yank, you’re being jerked away to a very different place and time.

His vivid description makes me recall my own out-of-body experience on the dinghy when I dreamed that I was being transported over a great distance to a mighty river. I had the painful sensation of being ripped out of my skin and dragged along by an irresistible leash. Okay, I tell Gisco, I believe you. Who called you back?

The people who sent me.

My mother? My father? The Caretakers?

What was left of them. Gisco looks sad. You see, Jack, things had gotten very, very bad.

How is that possible? We did exactly what we were supposed to do. We found Firestorm and used it to destroy the trawlers and preserve the oceans. That’s why I was sent back to the Turning Point as a baby. You came back to help me. Together we turned the future in a better direction, right? Did we save the future or not, dog? It’s a simple yes or no.

It’s a “not quite,” and there’s nothing simple about it, Gisco responds. You see, Jack, by sending you back in time to the Turning Point to change things, we inadvertently opened a very dangerous door, a sort of cosmic Pandora’s box.

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