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"What are we in, anyway?" Paul asked, looking above and around hi, firer said "Master George used a little trick he learned frohth Reality, where it’s y that allows them to build entire cities on the ocean We’re perfectly safe and stable You can barely feel the waves unless we have a real doozy of a stor roar that e will have our hides, he will, if he finds out we kept you up so late Come on, noe need--"

"Wait," Tick interrupted her "Just one more question, okay?"

"Be quick about it Me bones hurt I’er said so once about the difference between life and deathI can’t reer replied "‘Nothing in this world better reflects the difference between life and death than the power of choice’ Chi’karda levels are very high in ce effects of the life-changing choices those people made One way or another, their choices led theood or bad"

"And so we needed to go there because" Tick started but stopped, worried his ansould be wrong

"So we could wink easier," Sofia said "The stronger the levels of Chi’karda, the easier it is to travel between Realities"

"Exactly," Rutger agreed "Not only can you travel between the barriers, you can travel between different locations of heavy Chi’karda spots within the sae could wink you from your towns to this place He sinals and winked you away!"

"My head hurts," Paul groaned, falling onto his back as he rubbed his forehead

"That’s because you Aet it," Sofia said "I’ll be happy to tutor you on everything toh for one day," Mothball said "Good night, all"

She and Rutger left the rooht as they went

A few more words were said after they’d left, but sheer exhaustion soon pulled the three of the jolted Frazier out of his dreamless slu into a sitting position What had it been? Was he--

He heard a loud thu of hout the small cell Then another, this tiht switch and flipped it on, squinting in the brightness To his shock, a small dent, about three inches wide, bent the wall inward just above his bed The bolts connecting the wall to the surroundingthump sounded The wall bent even farther

One final booh the room, and the entire piece oflike whips as they broke in half Frazier stared past the hole in the wall, seeing the endless ocean in front of hilow over the deep waters Then, inexplicably, a face appeared from below--soly black hair and an unshaven face

"Come on, Mister Gunn, we don’t have much time!"

"Whatwhowhat" Frazier couldn’t find any words after such a long time in confinement