Chapter Ten

TIME CREPT IMMEASURABLY PAST.

The pressure eased inside Paul's head. Reality returned slowly. He realized that the chamber was silent. He became aware of a cramp in his leg, and his hand pressed against the wood of the cabinet wall.

Silence.

He opened his eyes. High Elder Brill and the others had left the chamber. Mercifully, the creature above the chauka also had gone. Paul stared at the chauka and forced himself to remain still for a few minutes longer. Behind him he could hear Dorland's breathing. Another moment passed.

"Are you all right?" Dorland asked quietly. Paul slowly straightened the cramp out of his leg.

"I think so. We have to get out of here."

"Yes."

He was there, too, Paul thought. We were connected—

Dorland reached past him to push open the

wooden door. Paul stepped out of the cabinet, feeling rubbery in the legs.

Ill

112 William Greenleaf

Daddy, Daddy . . .

He stumbled slightly over the doorframe and felt Borland's hand on his shoulder.

"We're out of it," Dorland said.

Cleve saw something that made him lose his

mind.

Paul felt again the doubts and insecurities, the dark memories of his past—and the sensation of warmth and reassurance that had washed them away. He felt the alien cold flushing through his veins, and Doriand's reassuring touch. We are hopeful that Doriand's training will protect him. A battle had been silently waged inside that chamber, but High Elder Brill and the other elders and deacons had been completely unaware of it. Diana and Shari—

But that didn't make sense, either. Diana and Shari were dead, and whatever else Dorland and Lord Tern had done, Paul was sure they had not contacted the dead.

He shook his head. Later, he could analyze what had happened. For now, he wanted only to get out of this place.

Keeping his eyes averted from the chauka, Paul followed Dorland past the odd pedestals and out through the wide doorway. There they stopped to listen.

Paul signaled Dorland to stay where he was, then moved cautiously to the open archway. He drew in a breath of cool air to steady his nerves. There was no sound except the bleating of insects from the darkened courtyard. He moved close enough to the archway to give himself a view outside. As far as he could see, the courtyard was empty.

He slipped outside to the blessed cover of darkness. A moment later Dorland stood beside him. Crouching low, they made their way to the low wall. Paul lifted his head just far enough to see over