By Atonia and Jo
Jo writing Maximus, Caroline, Bud, Marie, Sid, Hope, Cort, Daisy, Lachlan, Ben
Atonia writing Terry, Dee, Alex, Linda, Jack, Tarwyn, John, Bethany, Dino, Max, Sophia
PART 9:
“What time are you and Max going to Dallas?” Alex asked.
“We’ll fly up around 9:00 in the morning. I should be back by seven or so tomorrow night.”
“I thought it was an overnight trip.”
“No, no, no need for that. Do I detect a little jealousy in the air?” Linda ran a hand through his unruly mop of hair.
Alex grinned and played with her hand. “Maybe.”
“You should know better than that.”
“I guess I should. It’s hard being confined here in the hospital while you go gallivanting around with Max.”
“Max has never been anything but respectful around me. You don’t have anything to worry about there.”
Max cooled his heels in the entryway of the winery residence for a good ten minutes before he heard tell-tale heel clicks on the tiled floor.
Sophia Vasari paused when she saw him and with a little smile she approached. “I didn’t expect to see you again. Surely you’re not the vagrant found hiding in the store room.” She’d recognized him from the winery patio. He looked quite different in a dusty blue shirt and jeans.
Max cleared his throat. “I wasn’t hiding. I was only having a look around whilst waiting for the doors to open to the winery.” He managed to bring his bloody hand up to push his glasses back on his nose, hoping for a little sympathy…maybe?
She noticed his hand. “The winery is closed to the public today. What happened to your hand?”
“Oh…it’s nothing. An accident in the storeroom. Someone locked me in and I was trying to attract attention. I, ah, may need some stitches…it’s quite deep…old glass…could be all kinds of…spider droppings and…”
“Come with me and let’s have a look at that hand.” She led him out of the entryway and behind the staircase to a large half bath. “Wash your hands with soap and water and I’ll be right back.”
When Cort got back home the sun was beginning to set behind the trees but Daisy was out in the front yard looking up at the house.
“What are you lookin’ at, darlin’?”
“Just studying the gingerbread, trying to picture it blue.”
“I think the details’ll show a lot better like that,” he smiled, sliding his arms around her.
“Do you know my favorite part is that round section of the balcony over the front porch. What it needs is a climbing rose or maybe some wisteria heading up toward it.”
“It needs whatever you decide it needs, Daisy. Just enjoy yourself an' let me know what I need to do to help.”
“Did you get it?”
“What?”
“The land.”
“Yep. I bought the 450 acres this side of Ben’s place an’ Maximus bought the 425 on the other. It’s good land, Daisy an’ plenty of fresh water. After I get back with Ranger tomorrow, I’d like to take a ride out, explore it some more. You want to come?”
“I always want to be where you are,” she smiled.
“I’m thinkin’ of goin’ to bed soon,” he grinned widely.
Sophie came back with a first aid kit and while Max sat on the top of the toilet seat she cleaned and bandaged his hand. He observed her in close quarters. Long dark lashes surrounding her brown eyes. Her hair held a scent he liked. Her quick neat hands sent messages to his brain that perhaps should not be there and then there was the cleavage as she bent over his hand. He was fairly drooling by the time she cut the last piece of tape.
“I would keep it dry for a few days.” She flashed her eyes up and met his. “Did you hear me?”
“Yes,” he smiled slowly. “Every word.”
She leaned against the sink. “Who are you?”
“Maximillian Skinner.”
“That doesn’t tell me anything except your name.”
“What is it you want to know?”
“I’m not sure I want to know anything. Why were you here today?”
“Hoping to get a glimpse of you.”
“Ahhh, pah! You men are all the same.” She closed up the first aid kit and washed her hands.
“I’m sorry you feel that way. Actually, I’m not quite the same as other men but I see you’re not interested.” He stood up and suddenly the room became smaller.
She dried her hands on a fancy towel and turned around. Her eyes went to his collar and she picked off a remaining bit of spider web. “Spider web.”
“I’m not sure who’s web it is…mine or yours.”
She met his eyes. “Females spin webs.”
“Then I’m caught.”
“You know what happens to her victims, don’t you?”
He grinned, “Yes, she makes a meal out of them.”
They should have already left the bathroom. Sophie wondered why they were still there sharing that small space. However, she didn’t open the door or make a move to leave. There was something…something about him…Max.
“But she is not hungry.”
“She will be. Go ahead and wrap me up for later. I can’t go anywhere now…I’m caught.”
She chuckled and opened the door. “Here, I release you.”
“Have dinner with me.” He felt his heart began to beat faster.
“No, I do not have dinner with you or anyone. I’m here on business and soon I will leave.”
“Where will you go?”
“Back to New York.”
“Who is in New York?” he asked.
“It’s not who but what. Please, your hand has been tended to. You can go now.”
“Not until you say you’ll have dinner with me.”
She thought about it as she took the medical kit under her arm. “Dinner, okay…but that is all, you understand?”
“Perfectly,” he smiled broadly.
“It was a good day,” Maximus said, gently pulling Caroline up against him on the couch. “I find owning land a thing that speaks to my soul.”
“It must be huge now, if you include Ben’s and Cort’s.”
“Big, yes. I must see to checking the outer fences before we run more stock on it.” He ran a fingertip down her cheek. “We have much more space in which to ride now.”
Leaning his head back against the couch, he closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. “It was a very good day.”
“It can also be a very good night,” she grinned, blowing in his ear.
“A good night to follow a good day. The gods are smiling.”
“And Sid seems to be looking the other way.”
“I have still not come to any understanding of why he did what he did in the hospital, Caroline. It is not his pattern of behavior.”
“Let’s just be glad he did, my darling. I am here and you are here and the night is coming. It is time for us to be together.”
“Together, yes.” His hand moved again to cup over her left arm.
“I’m all right, darling. You can see I am.”
“It remains difficult…not seeing when you were not all right.”
“In the bedroom, you don’t need to see.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What if I wish to?”
“That, too, can be arranged.”
Max was his most adorable self. He wasn’t even trying…very much. Dinner small talk was over and he decided to probe a bit over the remains of the wine.
“Tell me about you. Did you grow up at the winery?”
“No, I grew up in Tuscany with my mother. My parents separated when I was a child. My father got my brother and I stayed with my mother. There was never a divorce in Italy.”
“Is your mother still living?”
“Oh, yes. My uncle lives with her, he and his family. They have a winery there, too. Which is why I’m going to sell this one here. She needs the funds.”
“Oh, you’re trying to sell? I didn’t know that,” he lied. “How did you come to be in New York?”
“I went to university here in America and came down there to visit my father for a few years until I secured the job I wanted. I work in marketing.”
“Hmm, what do you market?”
“Wine, of course. It’s what I know.”
“Of course. Have you had any second thoughts about selling the winery?”
“No, why do you ask?”
He buried his nose in his wine glass for a moment. “I was just…wondering. Where is your brother? If he grew up here why wouldn’t he want the property?”
“He’s in California and has no interest in the winery. He produces music videos. He will get a portion of the proceeds.” She lifted her glass and looked at him across the table in the candlelight. A strange man, handsome, obviously well connected…he dressed well, his manners were nice…attractive…secretive.
“Tell me about you, Max?”
“Nothing much to tell. I’m a financial advisor. Boring…really.” He downed the last of his wine.
“I think there is much to tell. You are obviously English. How did you end up in Texas?”
Max smiled, “Ah, well, that is a mystery even I can’t begin to unravel. I’m here…that’s enough for now.”
“I won’t let you off that easily. You look familiar to me. How long have you been here in Texas?”
“Not long…about two months. How long will you be here in Texas?”
“Not long,” she smiled. “Actually, I leave in two days.”
“Gosh, that’s not enough time! I’d like to spend those two days with you but tomorrow I’m scheduled to fly to Dallas. I will be back tomorrow night.”
“What makes you think I’m interested in where you will be for the next two days?” She played with her glass.
“Um, call it a moment of blinding insight. I’m interested in you and I think…hope it is returned.”
“What time will you be returning tomorrow?”
“I’m not sure, 7-8 o’clock. May I call you?”
“Why don’t you call me from the airport. I’ll pick you up. I have an appointment in the city for
a business dinner.”
Max smiled, “That would be grand.”
“Ah, there is Dennis,” Maximus said, pulling over to the side of the road early the following morning. Because of all the media at the gates, Linda had suggested they arrange to meet Dennis Lawrence out away from the house and then he’d show them a back way onto the ranch to get Ranger.
“Mornin’, Dennis,” Ben smiled, rolling down his window. “Come to fetch my black.”
“He’ll be happy to see you,” Dennis smiled in return. “You fellers just follow me. Damn sharks still circling the main gate, sniffing for blood.”
Dennis had the truck and the horse trailer already moved up and parked out of sight behind the big barn. An unpaved lane came in from near the back of the huge ranch and he guided them down it for some distance. The barn had a smaller, rear entrance and the four men walked inside through it. Soon Ben was talking to Ranger and stroking the black’s neck.
“Can’t tell you, Dennis, what it means to me, havin’ him again. Him and me, we’re partners. Been that way for some time. Ain’t that right, big fella?” Ranger was nuzzling Ben’s neck.
When Ranger had been loaded onto the trailer and his saddle and tack had been stored in a bin, Ben asked if he could drive the rig just down the long dirt road to the edge of the ranch.
“Sure, Ben,” Cort smiled. “Practice is good. We’ll be needing to get the truck transferred to your name, too. Terry’ll be back in a couple of weeks.”
Maximus was standing just outside the cab of the truck. “There is more paperwork, Cort, I would wish to speak with Terry about when he returns.”
“What’s that, Maximus?”
“You. You were a pastor. Would you consider letting Terry get you officially licensed in the present day?”
“Um, well, that’d be ok by me, but what for?”
“I have asked Caroline to be my wife. It would do me great honor to have you perform the ceremony.”
“I’d like that. I really would. Thank you for thinkin’ about it. Means a lot to me.”
“There is no other, Cort, than you that I would wish for this.”
Cort reached out of the truck, grasping Maximus’ hand. “I understand.”
“That is why it must be you.”
Cort grinned, “Wasn’t that the Emperor’s line?”
“It was,” Maximus nodded with a smile, “but it also fits this moment.”
As soon as the plane landed in Dallas, Max was whisked away in a black SUV with the windows darkened. Linda didn’t want him to be seen with her in public. She was trying to protect him from the press. As she was surrounded by armed guards and whisked away to downtown Dallas, her phone rang.
“Terry, how are you? How’s the vacation?”
“Linda, good to hear your voice. The holiday was going well until a couple of days ago. Deidre had an accident and has hurt her neck. Nothing broken but she’s banged up and in some pain.”
“Oh, my goodness, Terry. I hope she’ll be all right.”
“She’ll be fine in a few weeks. She’s wearing one of those collars right now and hating it. What I called about was to ask a big favor. I know you have access to a private jet. Would it be possible to have that jet sent to Australia for us to fly home? I just think a commercial flight would be too uncomfortable for Deidre.”
“Of course, Terry. When do you need it?”
“Let’s say Saturday, two weeks from tomorrow. Have it fly into Coffs Harbor and contact me when it’s here and ready to go.”
“I’ll do that. I’m making a note right now. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m not sure of anything, Linda. As soon as the doctor releases Deidre, I’ll be better.”
“I’ll be glad when you get back. You’re missed here, you know.”
“I miss everyone back there too. How’s Alex?”
“He’s getting better. Dr. Canfield has had another set of x-rays made and he’s healing up well.
I hope to bring him home next week. He’s more than ready.”
“I’ll bet he is. Where are you?” He could hear horns blowing.
“In a limo headed for HAWCO. I’m In Dallas. Max is here, too, in another vehicle along with my lawyers. Today the will gets read and I’ve got some business to take care of here.”
“Good luck, Linda, and thanks for the use of the plane.”
“Good luck to you, Terry. I’ll talk to you later.”
John left the hospital. He’d stopped by to see Alex on his way to the office. He had a favor to ask Bud. When he arrived at the office Bud was on the phone with Terry explaining about Cort and Maximus and Sid.
“Yeah, I don’t know what to make of the shitbird either, Terry. Why the fuck would he take Caroline…or bring her back? Why would he care if Cort was blue or the General couldn’t walk? Yeah, I agree. Nothing makes sense. Well, you take care, Terry, you and Dee, and come home safely when you can. No, Sid hasn’t shown his ugly puss since the day he was there in the hospital room. Yeah, I’ll keep an eye out for him…not that that’s ever done any good. Yeah, I know.”
“That was Terry, John,” Bud continued when John came in and sat down. “He’ll be home in about two weeks. Seems like Linda’s loaning him her jet to bring Dee home on since she’ll be more comfortable. He sounded kinda, well, ‘off’ to me, John, like something was bothering him…maybe lots of things bothering him. Doesn’t seem he’s had much of a rest. Anyway, you look like you’ve got some sort of bee in your bearhat. What’s up?”
John took all this in with a straight face and moved behind his desk settling into his chair he swung back and forth a few times. “I was gonna ask you a favor. Bethany and I are getting married at the court house. I need a couple of witnesses and I was wondering if you and Marie might stand up for us. We decided to not have a big fancy wedding…we just want to get married.”
“Stand up, eh? I been falling down a lot lately but I think I can stand up for a whole wedding.” He was grinning then stopped and stood. “John, means a lot you’d ask me, partner. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I think it’s swell, you and Bethany getting married.” He shook his head. “Wow! You getting married. That’s just great, John. I’m not sure what to say other than I wish you all the best. Guess Bethie won’t like if I take you out into the line of fire anymore, eh?”
John was smiling, “Hey, I appreciate it, buddy. Yeah, well, the line of fire is a chance we all take every day. It just seems right…me and Bethany and I don’t see any reason for waiting especially now that we got a baby on the way. I think we found a house, too. We’re going to ride out and look at it this afternoon when she gets off work. Speaking of work…we ain’t got any.”
“Yeah, no big lines beating on our door. Guess we could afford to advertise a bit more now, though. Kinda still bothers me, John, that we found that woman and then that was all there
was to it. Just didn’t seem all tied up nice and neat, you know.”
“That’s because we didn’t get Delrado. That’s how it should have ended. I wonder if the police ever picked him up. Cade said they knew about where he was. At least I’m glad that old man Braithwaite didn’t go after him.”
“A case needs wrapping up,” Bud stated. “When I was with the LAPD, that’s the way it was. Just not used to this doing part of something and leaving the rest hanging out to blow in the breeze.” He sighed. “Guess gumshoes do what they’re paid to do, though.”
Sid was exploring even more deeply into the blue. It was endless so there was always some new part for him to discover and as he roamed through it, his awareness of things increased. Finally he came to understand there was a way to change his state of being if he wanted to. That was
the big question: did he want to? It didn’t seem there was any in between, however. He had to be fully nanotech or fully human. The thought of being fully human gave him pause. Humans were so terribly, terribly…limited.
He thought and thought about the meaning of it, bringing up all of what he knew from his time as a human on the island. Despite their limitations, humans had good sex. He remembered all too well what it felt like to make love with Brianna. It had been humid on the island and his flesh sweated and stuck to hers. He’d liked that. He’d enjoyed the taste of peaches, the sensation of them on his tongue, of swallowing them and feeling them go down inside himself. Elimination
he could do without, but it seemed to be the price of eating. Then there was sleeping, that absence of self from self wherein one was vulnerable. The General slept. He had wanted to be like Maximus and Maximus slept…he grew tired, his muscles wearied, and he slept. He thought of sleeping, of waking in Brianna’s arms, of the urgency of loving her at that moment.
He would lose his abilities, of warping…of superior strength and endurance. He would no longer be the puppetmaster of all the little folk who ran in his mazes. And there was much he could not know until it had been done. How much of him as himself would remain did he
choose humanity? What of all his myriad minds that comprised his programming? Would
one dominate over the others? Would someone new emerge in greater strength? So much was unknown, unknowable. It would be a tremendous risk. Did he wish to risk…everything?
He wandered more through the blue, accumulating more and more awarenesses but none that would give him answers to the unknown he wished to know. How could he make such a decision without knowing the result? He had, yes, made the decision to insert the Maximus Chip and he had had no idea, none at all, of what it would do to him. But he had been loved and he had loved. Here in the blue, everything was sterile, emotionless, endless going on into endless going on. Was that what he wanted for himself? Was it?
The way out of it involved making the choice and then literally casting himself down, through the blue, out of the blue. All he knew was that as he plunged, he would be changed, would be
no longer nanotech. How the change happened, how total the change was, was unknown. He roamed almost furiously, plowing through the blue, wanting answers, knowing only there were no answers.
Linda sat through the reading of the will that concerned her. She’d seen her father’s last wife leave the lawyer’s den wiping her eyes before going in. Was it for show or was it because the pre-nuptial agreement held? Would she contest it? Only if she had lawyers with big balls. Her father’s lawyers had answered questions from her own about the possibility of a contested will. They declared it was airtight. Could she trust them? It was hard for her to trust anyone connected with her father. However, he was no longer around and already she could tell they were hoping to continue their services. There were so many people connected with HAWCO…not even counting all the fringe industries. She was grateful for Max’s presence. Even though he’d not said anything, she saw him taking notes.
When she walked out of the lawyer’s office she was officially in control of billions of dollars. From there she went to HAWCO and had an informal meeting with the heads of different departments. Formality would come later. She was merely introducing herself. The company accounting firm was there and Max slipped her a note asking for a full audit of all departments, all companies. She passed this on to the appropriate people.
A few moments alone with her lawyers and Max and she looked up at Max. “I feel so totally out of my depth here. I need someone I can depend on and trust to oversee this operation. I know you don’t want to be that person.”
“I don’t, Linda, and not because I decline to help you. I’d be over my head here, too.”
She turned away for a minute. “I think…do you think…would Terry be interested?”
“I couldn’t answer that, Linda. I’ve heard he ran NanoCorp.”
“I’m going to talk to him when he gets back. He called while I was on the way over here today and Dee’s been injured in an accident. He didn’t explain, but he’s coming home Saturday in
two weeks. There’s so much to do…you need an office and some help. I need too many things.”
“I think you’re doing a fine job here today. You know, they’re all shaking in their boots, afraid they’re going to lose their jobs. They have no idea what you’re going to do. I think it was the right thing to do to freeze everything until a full audit is completed. Then you’ll know how honest and dependable these people are.”
One of her lawyers presented a handful of papers to her. “These folks have tendered their resignations as of today. Recognize any of them?”
Linda looked over the papers. “I…I don’t know anybody here. I’ll hold on to it for a little while and decide whether I want to meet with any of them.”
At last she and Max went up to her father’s penthouse. It was hers now but when she walked into it she could only remember her last visit there and how hateful her father had been. It hadn’t taken him long to set his goons on Alex.
“Pretty fancy place here, Linda.” Max walked around the penthouse checking out the bedroom, bath, sauna, whirlpool bath, a shower large enough to hold a cabinet meeting in with jets protruding all over the place, a dining room, lounge room and his office. “I think I’d call in a decorator.”
“I think you’re right. Tear it out to bare walls and start again. I don’t want anything in here
to remind me of my last visit.” She rubbed her temples. “It’s been a long day. Did we eat?”
“Ah, not really…sandwiches. May I take you to dinner?”
“Yes, Max, you may. Thanks for being here for me today.”
“My pleasure,” he smiled and placed a hand on her back as they walked to the elevator. “I have something to ask you. I have the opportunity to purchase a winery. It’s a rather large operation and will be rather expensive. I need to know where my boundaries lie.”
“Max, honey, you have no boundaries. Buy yourself a wine shop if you want to. It’s time you
did something for you.”
“I’m in the process of doing something for me. Her name is Sophia Vasari and she inherited
the winery I’m about to purchase.”
“You have my blessings and an open-ended account. Go for it.”
In the end it was his restlessness that drove him to it. Sid had returned again and again and again to what amounted to a black hole in the blue, only it, too, was blue. Why did he keep coming back? He felt drawn to it as though some force reached up through it from whatever
lay on the other side, pulling him. He’d come to it then wrench himself away, roaming, ceaselessly roaming through the endless reaches of whatever it was the blue was. He couldn’t stop his roaming and that began to jangle him, with the result that he roamed faster, further. Then he returned again to the hole, staring down, seeing only gradations of blue. He knew should he plunge, it would strip his own blueness from him. He wasn’t even sure how he knew, but he did, that because he as a nanotech had been formed by a human, his blueness could be stripped away.
What lay down there for him? It would not be Brianna. She was gone, irretrievably gone.
But was there someone else? Why couldn’t he stop yearning for that, why his terrible need to
be loved, to love, perhaps to father again? Was that worth all that he would be giving up? He pushed away, roaming…but not far…then he was back and like a child with its toes hanging over the end of a high diving board, he closed his eyes. Keeping his body straight, he let himself began to fall forward to the degree there was no turning back.
He fell, endlessly he fell, his arms and legs spread wide. And as he fell the blue itself was sucked into the hole, connected to him, trailing after. He had not fully grasped that he himself WAS
the blue, that he was Blue, as Hope had called him. The blue came from within him, was an extension of his being, and so it fell with him as he fell, trailing up behind him in shimmering streams of electric blueness.
“HOPE!” Lachlan cried desperately as he fell on his knees beside her in the living room. “Oh, God…Hope!!”
She was convulsing horribly and he pulled out a cloth handkerchief, rolled it, and put it between her teeth, then moved her to the center of the room where she wouldn’t hit against the furniture. He managed to get Canfield on his cell. “Doctor…it’s Hope! Oh, God…she…she’s having convulsions like I’ve never seen! What? Yes…yes…I did that. Yes, I did that, too. Get here! Get here quick!” He dropped the phone, trying to keep her head from slamming into the floor.
Linda pushed her plate away, finished with her meal. “What’s the name of this winery, Max?”
“Toscana or Tuscany in English. It’s where her family is from. I believe they have a winery in Tuscany as well. The wine is called Toscana and then designated by the grape. It’s not a bad drink.”
“You would know good wine, wouldn’t you?”
“Thanks, but I really don’t. I know what I like but I’m not one of these swish and spit tasters.”
“Tell me about Sophia.”
“Ah, well, I don’t know that much about her. She’s called Sophie, by the way. She grew up in Italy with her mother and she has a brother who makes, um, musical videos or something, out
in California. She’s, ah, very attractive.”
Linda smiled, “I’ll just bet she is. I hope it works out for you.”
“So do I.” Max checked his watch. “What time are we flying back?”
“Got a hot date? As soon as we leave here. I need to check the attorney table and make sure they’re ready.”
“Sophie is going to pick me up from the airport.”
“Well, what are we sitting here drinking coffee for?” Linda rose and went over to another table and announced their immediate departure for the airport.
The house was actually in the city limits and on the edge of a new development. However, the house had been there for awhile, long enough to settle and belong. John cut the engine to his vehicle.
“What do you think?”
“A log house…it’s pretty on the outside and I love the flowers.”
“I know it’s not your New Orleans style house, but something about it drew me. I thought it was worth a look.” He opened his door and went around and opened hers.
Bethany stood on the front porch and looked out over the lawn and through the trees to the street. It was a peaceful scene and it was quiet around the house. She was glad it wasn’t part
of the development about a mile down the road. There was a tall pine forest behind the house.
John was busy looking in windows while they waited on the real estate salesperson. “I like this big room in here. It’s got furniture in it.”
“The ad said it was a model home. I wonder what happened to the rest of the homes it was modeling?”
“Model homes usually have the best of everything in them. I like the look of it.”
Bethany smiled. Her dreams of a Victorian with double porches was fast disappearing. She slipped an arm around his waist and looked through the window.
Sid plunged through swirling blue, soon lost to the sensation of ripping pain that seemed to be turning him inside out. There was nothing he could do now but plunge. He was aware that something was happening to the blue itself as well as to him and he hadn’t expected that. The universe, the dimension, whatever it was was being sucked into the hole along with him and as
it flowed beside him, behind him, through him, it was disintegrating, its shards cutting through his nanostructure. The Maximus Chip had caused nothing like that. As profoundly painful as that had been, it still was nothing…not like this. He was being shredded along with the blue
because he was the blue.
Then streaks of blue lightning came, searing through him. He felt the bolts course along the tubes that contained his nanogoo, along the systems that served him as nerves, imploding them all, exploding them, over and over. The programs that had made him the Sid from Virtuosity were pulled from his head by the streaming blue, shattering into nothingness. All that he’d become since leaving his film, all that he’d transformed into over time, become when he’d first encountered the blue after Terry broke the DVD…everything that had made him who he was before the plunge was shredding, shattering, disappearing.
His cellular structure began to change as the blue was ripped away and the form that Russell Crowe’s living body had been in the mid-1990's began to replace it, began to pulse with life. Cells began to divide as living cells do and synapses sparked from nerve to nerve. Follicles, hugely stimulated by the massive exodus of blue began to produce facial hair. Sid was aware
of none of this. He had been screaming in soundless shrieks of pain but even that had stopped. He could do nothing, was aware of nothing. He only plunged.
His form was caught and tossed by shearing waves of blue that rolled him till he hit a foundation of blue stars laid overlapping thickly, solidly, and nearly all the blue was broken by the wall of it, turned to mist and was gone. With the force of his fall he broke through the starwall into
time and space, yet onward he plunged.
Then he lay still, facedown and very, very quiet.
ON TO PART 10
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