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No, any attack that was to succeed would have to colance, he flen in a long arc, gliding between the trees Spreading his wings, the bird became the man, and Blue Jay stepped down out of the sky to stand beside Wayland Ser around, staring at the trickster with cinder eyes Blue Jay beckoned to him, even as Cheval cantered up behind hi noise, she took on her alluring female forle," Blue Jay said

Smith watched him calmly

"This isn’t the same approach we used the last ti She shook out her silver hair, but there was nothing sensual in the action, or in the grim expression on her face On their last journey to Palenque, her companion, Chorti, had been killed in battle with the Perytons and the other Myth Hunters

"Right," Grin agreed "If I’ve got it sussed, we’re co in fro, the crackling of fire his only audible contribution

"Remember the mountainside on the west end of the city, with the ho to coht at the top The city will be down below"

"It will not be a si to climb down unseen," Cheval said

Blue Jay turned to look at So unnoticed But that’s why you’re here, isn’t it, Wayfarer?"

Wayland Smith arched an eyebrow and ran a hand over his full beard

"Follow me"

With that, he raised his fox-headed cane and opened a path through the Veil For the second tih into the ordinary world

On the other side, Blue Jay spun around, staring in every direction, eyes wide in confusion

"It’s exactly the sale, the trees, the insects

"What the hell’s this?" Grin de up at hione anywhere"

Li tapped the tiger on its shoulder and it lowered its fla head so that the Guardian of Fire could reach down and touch the ground He felt the dirt between two burning fingers

"Actually, we have This is the hu around at them with those eerie, furnace eyes

Sh the jungle They all followed, ed fro out across a breathtaking vista There were mountains in the distance, and hundreds of miles of rain forest

But twenty yards ahead, they found the down at an ancient ruin All but two or three ss Walls were little more than strewn stone and earth But it was clear--once, this had been a city

"What is it?" Blue Jay asked "Incan? Mayan?"

"Atlantean," Smith said

The trickster stared at him "What?"

The old wanderer actually smiled "They had ambassadors in ancient days as well, my friend This was a colony Before they became treacherous and were driven froain When he began to descend the long slope, where indents in the face of the ht have been caves, they had little choice but to follow

S structures and through the arch that ht once have been a door before more than a thousand years of erosion had been at work

There was no exit

Cheval’s green dress swayed around her as she entered, the last of them to follow Grin rested, apelike, on his fists Li knelt to whisper to the burning tiger and then slowly reached out his hands and reabsorbed the creature’s flames into himself

Slowly, they all stared at Smith

"Well?" Blue Jay asked "What next?"

"Now you cross over"

"Us? What about you?" the trickster asked, suspicion flaring in hisI wouldn’t be going with you Nothing has changed Your infiltration begins now If you are fortunate, and as clever as I think you are, you will return with the Bascombes"

Grin snorted "Is that supposed to cheer us up?"

Wayland Smith looked at him, thunder in his ancient eyes "No"

For a moment, they were all quiet

Li was the first to raise his hand and pull at the fabric of the world, opening a passage for hih the Veil He stepped out of the realend