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All I can see is fog He ether in a silent warning against an attack as he bends to untie me I clench my jaw so hard a line of pain runs up behindat the back of my skull I could probably disable him, but we both know that without some idea of where we are, his people are just as likely--more likely--to find me than ht, and there were a base here, I’d have the advantage But a base means people--and where is the air traffic, the patrols, the static defenses? There’s only silence

His fingers tug at the rope, warm as they brush the skin on my wrists, and with a sudden release of pressure, I’ony that coh he’s actually sorry for the pain, and curls his hands gently aroundthe blood back I shake his hands off, too irritated to accept any gesture of help He rolls his eyes and cliround with a squelch

My fingers tingle with pins and needles as I grasp the gunwale and cli, but he’s still acting like he knohere he’s going "So? Where is this place?" I ask

"It’s up here I was here a couple of hours ago" He’s utterly confident as he un’s on his left hip, but he keeps rip on ht find e, which is ridiculous--except after surviving this long on Avon, I’d hate to go down under friendly fire

He leads one far when even I know so His hold onclears, just for a h for us to see that the stretch of solid land ahead of us is e but weeds and rocks and untouched mud The far side of the island dips back down into the water, which stretches on, uninterrupted but for the occasional distant outcropping of bare rock

We both stare, though I don’t knohy I didn’t believe hi on this e, I’ backith the effort "Why did you bring e to strike out at him "What was the point? Why not just dumpathas closed again and there’s nothing to be seen "It was here," he’s saying "This is exactly the place I don’t understand--it was right--"

"Stop!" My shout brings hi atand reaching toward uy oozes charisitimate planet, he’d have been a politician "I swear it was here I’ to you"

"Your promises don’t mean much to me, Romeo," I snap

"They can’t have left without a trace," he says, clearing his throat and striding past s, crates, aircraft Help n Footprints, foundations, anything"

While his eyes scan the ives me a chance to scan his features He’s frustrated More than frustrated--he’s scared Confused He really believes there was soot any hope of returning to the base alive

It’s a large island, and Roetation He’s too cautious to let h tostep and it’ll be a long, slow sink beneath the surface, with plenty of tio

Hu you back

The after effects fro after they should’ve dissipated My mouth tastes oddly metallic, like blood, and my pulse rushes unnaturally loud in my ears I take a deep breath and try to focus I findfor the stars, the openness of the sky you never see on Avon The fog has closed in again, and it’s i ray and white I have to keepout through the fog tricks

Luckily, Ro up to the fact that he keeps jerkingby the wrist We’ve covered about half the shoreline when Ro around with confusion

Abruptly, a light blossoently from side to side, it’s no more than a few inches across It dances there for a ain, I realize he doesn’t see it

Then the world slides sideways

My vision flickers, the taste ofSuddenly I’ the wisp An entire building flashes into existence, and between it and ure in black clothes and soh its visor at me