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"Where are we?" she said

Schroeder explored their surroundings with the flashlight The tunnel was around thirty feet wide and thirty feet high A section of the wall collapsed to uncover the hole The ceiling was vaulted, and, unlike the cave they had coh, the floor was as level as a pancake

"This isn't a cave," Schroeder said "It's ht at the opposite wall "Well, it seems we have company"

Life-size figures of men and women adorned the wall They were painted in profile, as they s and baskets of food and herding sheep, cows and goats with the aid of large, wolflike dogs

The wo, diaphanous white dresses and sandals

The men were dressed in kilts and loose, short-sleeved shirts Trees and other greenery made a backdrop for the parade

The people had h cheekbones and raven hair worn in a bun by the females, cut short for the men Their facial expressions were neither solemn nor happy, but somewhere in between; they could have been out for a Sunday stroll The colors were brilliant, as if the paint had only been applied the day before

The ure was repeated Most were young, in their teens and twenties, but there was a scattering of children and old people, including gray-haired ear and could have been priests

"It looks like a religious procession," Karla said "They're carrying gifts for a god or a leader"

Schroeder leaned on Karla's shoulder as he liures began to number in the hundreds

"It's good to have company, in any case," Schroeder said "Maybe our new friends here will show us the way out"

"They're definitely headed somewhere Look!"

The ed in nature There were new ani creatures that reserayish brown fur covering their bodies Flowers had been twined into their fur The anih-peaked heads, and trunks that were relatively stubby So as their bodies, that curved like the runners on an old-fashioned sleigh Men rode on the animals like Indian mahouts

"Impossible," Schroeder said

Spellbound, Karla stepped closer for a better look In her eagerness, she forgot that Schroeder was using her for a crutch He went down on one knee