An electric jolt threw him back. Kelly caught him in her arms and set him upright. Panting, he looked again at Scarlet. Within the void, her heart, now imprinted with blood from his hand, slowed its beating until it stopped. Then, with her head bowed to rebutton her dress, her eyes shifted toward him, a gentle smile again growing on her face. “You have no reason to feel guilt, my love, for this is only a dream, and my real heart has not stopped beating.”
Nathan looked at his bloody palm, but he couldn't tell if the touch had added any marks that weren't already there. “Why did you do that? What does it all mean?”
“Just remember that my heart is available should you need it.” Scarlet looked up at her low ceiling as if trying to pierce the mirrors with her gaze. “I sense a great danger, like a fleeting shadow that disappears when you look for its source. Although you have not seen him recently, Mictar has not been resting. I fear that he has prepared an evil surprise for you, and you may well apply what you have learned sooner than you wish.”
Kelly, too, looked at their reflections above. “What should we do now?”
“Cerulean, Amber, and I will keep the stalkers occupied long enough for you to escape. Daryl Blue left the portal open to the Earth Blue observatory, and you will find that passage at the point where you arrived earlier.” Scarlet's voice dropped to a whisper. “But use it with care. If the observatory is empty, then it is safe to pass through. Otherwise, you must seek another route.”
Nathan drew an image of the observatory in his mind. With Daryl Blue gone, no one was there to watch for intruders.
“Once you awaken,” Scarlet continued, “you must hurry. You have slowed interfinity's approach, but when the stalkers awaken, they will be sure to redouble their tortures in the dreams of mankind and use the supplicants to once again scourge the interstitial fabric. Although they fear Sarah's Womb, they will likely station guards there to abort any new attempt to play the birthing song. I suggest that you do whatever is in your power and imagination to locate Nathan's father.”
Nathan swallowed hard, his voice agitated. “But how? And what could my father do?”
She touched her chest, now covered by her buttoned dress. “He knows what must be done. If you are unwilling, then perhaps he will find the courage to complete the task.”
Nathan clenched his fist, but the pain in his palm forced him to relax. He soothed his tone. “I'll be back, but it won't be to kill you. If I can't figure out how to save the three of you and the universe at the same time, maybe this universe really isn't worth saving.”
Scarlet's eyebrows lifted. “Is that so? We are merely supplicants who live to serve others. Would you risk the universe to save three insignificant souls?”
Nathan swallowed again. He wanted to say he would, but something in her voice told him it would be stupid to answer right away.
She returned her gaze to the ceiling. Nathan followed her stare. The mirror above now showed a launch pad and a space shuttle blasting off in an explosion of fire and plumes of vapor.
Nathan felt his breath being sucked away again. Although he had watched this scene a dozen times on various documentaries, he couldn't break free from its hold. Kelly gripped his arm, her nails digging in, but he ignored the pain.
The shuttle turned slowly, arcing upward and leaving behind a trail of frozen cotton. As the sun reflected off its pristine white shell, the hypersonic craft soared across a blue canopy, carrying seven intrepid souls into the great beyond. Then, in an enormous billowing cloud of white, the craft blew into pieces. The smoke trail split into twin columns, and dozens of white streamers rained upon the earth.
Nathan jerked his head down and closed his eyes. Dr. Simon had failed. Even with all his intelligence and planning, he couldn't prevent the tragedy.
Kelly massaged his arm, soothing the slight abrasions she had inflicted, but they were nothing compared to the lacerations in his heart. He glared at Scarlet, anger scalding his senses, but he couldn't speak the rage in his gut. It wasn't hers to bear. It was his alone. He was the one who had decided to forsake the seven souls.
He exhaled heavily and shook his head. “I see your point.”
Scarlet gazed at him stoically, a tear streaming down her cheek. “If you still want me to watch over you, you will have to retrieve one of the mirrors.” Her body seemed to slowly vaporize. The sound of “Brahms' Lullaby” filtered in. “My dearest one, my beloved, I desire always to be at your side.” Her body slowly faded. “But that is up to you.”
He reached for her, but his hand passed through hers. “Yes,” he called. “Stay beside me. Always.”
A thin smile appeared on her transparent face, but then, alarm. “He is coming! Wake up!” She disappeared, and everything turned black.
Nathan flinched. Something touched his head. As he blinked, the violin grew louder.
“When will they wake up?” someone asked — a female voice, anxious and familiar.
The violin stopped. “I hear something. We'd better get going.”
As the distant sounds of stalkers' songs seeped into his consciousness, Nathan opened his eyes. Daryl knelt over him, a worried look on her face. He glanced at her collar, a pink collar at the top of her reddish shirt. “How'd you get here?” he asked.
“Film at eleven.” She grabbed his elbow and hoisted him to his feet, the mirror square in her hand.
Nathan stared at it. It had to be the one he wasn't able to find on the seat of the van. Why had she taken it without asking? He shook his head to scatter the cobwebs from his mind. That question could wait.
“We'd better scoot before the paparazzi show up,” Daryl said.
Francesca helped Kelly to her feet, and as they turned toward the mist that shrouded the exit door, Nathan stared at Scarlet's dome. She stood at the glass and gazed at him, her eyes wide. He turned slowly around. Cerulean, now on his feet, watched from the edge of his dome. Amber, too, had awakened. With blonde hair draping her arms, she pressed her palms on the glass and stared.
As Nathan crept close to Scarlet's dome, she mouthed, “I love you.”
She touched the top button of her dress but left it fastened and drew as close to the glass as the curved dome would allow. She pressed her hand against her chest in the same place he had seen her beating heart.
He laid his hand on the glass, then removed it, leaving a red imprint. Tears welled as he replied, “I love you, too.”
“Nathan!” Kelly hissed. “Someone's coming!”
With the chaotic songs drawing closer, Nathan backed away slowly. Scarlet, too, backed away, sliding her feet toward the center of her prison.
“Nathan!”
After a final nod, he whirled around and grabbed Kelly's hand. “Let's go!”
The four plunged into the mist. Nathan strained to see through the cloud, but it was too thick. He bent over and stared at the floor, allowing the now familiar patterns in the terrazzo to guide him toward the exit. When they finally burst into the clear, they sprinted down the glassy walkway, Nathan and Kelly in front, Daryl and Francesca behind, Francesca still carrying the violin and bow.
“Can you tell where we came in?” Kelly asked, puffing as she ran.
“If Daryl Blue left it open, like Scarlet said, maybe it will be obvious.”
Something tugged Nathan's shirt from behind. “Daryl Blue was here?”
Nathan slowed to a halt and turned around. Daryl Red's curious gaze demanded an answer. “Yeah.” He hesitated for a moment, his throat tightening. “She was here.”
“Where is she now?”
Nathan looked over Daryl's shoulder. No one was coming. He could barely spit out the words. “She fell into the void. She's gone.”
Daryl covered her mouth. Her face twisted, and she leaned her forehead on Nathan's chest. “No, no, no! It can't be! Now everyone we know on Earth Blue is dead!” She wailed something unintelligible, then wept uncontrollably.
He patted her on the back of the head. His hand trembled so hard, he wondered i
f he was offering any comfort at all. With all the tragedies, how could he say anything that would bring solace? Yet, there was one possibility. Her lament was partially true— Nathan, Kelly, Tony, and Daryl of Earth Blue were dead, but one remained. Maybe that reminder would help. “Clara Blue's still alive,” he said softly.
Daryl cried harder. Her voice squeaked as she wagged her head. “She's dead, too. Mictar showed up at the Earth Blue observatory. That must be why Daryl Blue came here. She had to escape Mictar.”
Kelly took Daryl's hand. “How did you find out?” she asked.
Daryl sniffed, wiped her nose with her sleeve, and forced a steady voice. “When we got back to the mirror at Interfinity Labs, we called up Earth Red first. Dr. Gordon had seen the attack and told us that Daryl Blue escaped. But she couldn't stop Mictar from killing Clara.”
Nathan shook his head. Too much death. Way too much. And no time to cry. “Were you able to save your uncle?”
“Actually, he dreamed about the crash, so it was easy to convince him not to fly. He said he would risk facing the consequences in tonight's dream.” She held up the mirror. “I wanted to try to use this so Dr. Simon would be satisfied and let me come and find you, but since I was willing to save my uncle, and he felt so bad about Clara, he let me come.”
“I guess Mictar didn't consider one death a big disaster, so he didn't bother to stop the dream.” Nathan looked at his face in the mirror — dirty and worn out. But this was no time to rest. They had to find the portal and get moving before the stalkers figured out where they went. Scarlet probably couldn't hold them off for long. He marched forward. “Let's go. It can't be much farther.”
When he reached a point where the mist cleared on one side, he nodded at the exposed chasm. “This must be it.”
Kelly lowered herself to her hands and knees. “I can see the observatory floor. No sign of Mictar. I don't see any movement at all.”
Nathan took her hand and hoisted her up. Her keen eyesight in this world had helped once again. “I guess that means it's safe,” he said.
“So what do we do?” Daryl asked, setting her toes on the edge. “Jump in?”
“Right. Just like before.”
She looked at him. “Like before?”
“Don't worry. It was painless, remember? We—” He stopped and shook his head. That was Daryl Blue before. Of course this Daryl wouldn't remember, and she wouldn't be afraid of heights either. He let out a silent sigh. The thought of Daryl Blue's sacrifice again tore at his heart. It was at this very spot that he had given her such a hard time for being scared, and what had she given him in exchange? Her life.
Swallowing back a sob, he embraced Daryl and kissed her on the cheek. She returned the hug, rubbing his back, then scratching it gently. When he pulled away, she tilted her head, her green eyes sparkling. “Not that I didn't get a kick out of the hug, but what was it for?”
Nathan could barely speak. “Because you're just like Daryl Blue.”
Francesca turned toward the chamber of domes. “I hear something. A stalker's song. Coming this way.”
Nathan waved for everyone to gather together. “Let's do it.”
Without another word, the four joined hands, lined up at the edge of the walkway, and leaped into the void. Blackness engulfed their bodies, yet only a slight breeze wafted upward as they fell, far softer than a normal plunge would have brought. When the darkness melted away, replaced by the observatory's telescope room, Nathan swung his head back and forth. With every light off except for a single desk lamp, his eyes couldn't pick up much more than shadows. “See anything, Kelly?”
“This is Earth Blue,” she replied. “I'm sort of blind again.”
Nathan shuffled toward the computer desk. “C'mon, Daryl. First things first.”
Her voice trailed behind him. “What's first?”
“Contact Gunther. We have to send Francesca back. He can pick up her and the van at the observatory.”
“You mean if the van's still there. Who knows how much time has passed on Earth Yellow?” Daryl sat at the desk and pecked at the laptop keyboard, speaking her message as she typed. “Hey, Tony! It's Daryl. How're those biceps doing? Listen, if Gunther hasn't already dreamed what I'm typing, tell him to get his butt to the observatory. His van might still be there.” She looked up at Nathan. “Anything else?”
Nathan reached into his pocket and jingled the keys. “We'll send the keys with Francesca.”
Daryl typed the final words and clicked the send button. Almost instantly a new message popped into her inbox.
While Kelly and Francesca gathered around, Nathan leaned over Daryl's shoulder and read out loud. “This is Gunther at Tony's place. I already retrieved my van, but I will start toward the observatory right away. I have been in touch with Dr. Simon, so I have learned more about the interfinity crisis. It's strange, though, ever since the Challenger disaster, the dream problem has faded considerably, so life is starting to get back to normal. Now everyone's arguing about why a space shuttle explosion could make a difference. No need to write back. I'll probably be an hour down the road by the time you finish reading this. I'll pick up Dr. Malenkov on the way. He misses Francesca terribly. By the way, Tony's already engaged to Kelly's mother, so that's worth celebrating. Now we just have to get Francesca and Solomon together. I tracked him down at Tony's college and had lunch with him. Wow! What a cool guy! But he's so smart, I feel like a jackass around him. See you soon, I hope. By the way, you left the camera in the van. I'll take good care of it.”
Nathan grinned. Just hearing about Solomon Shepherd in college gave him a warm feeling inside, even if it wasn't his real father. That meant they might meet on Earth Yellow someday. That would be cool.
“So,” Francesca said, leaning closer to read the text. “You're uprooting me from this great adventure and sending me to marry a man I have never met?” She pointed at herself. “Don't forget that I have lost two years in Earth Yellow time. I'm not old enough to get married.”
“What are you now?” Nathan asked. “Sixteen?”
“Last I checked, but when you miss so many months, birthdays get tough to figure out.”
“I think that means you're scheduled to get married pretty soon.” He looked up at the mirrored ceiling, now showing only blackness. “My parents' wedding was in December of nineteen-eighty-six. That's probably not very far in Earth Yellow's future.”
She poked his side with the violin bow. “Listen, I want to work this out as much as you do, but I'm not getting married at sixteen years old.”
“Shades of Fiddler on the Roof!” Daryl brushed the bow away as she rose from her chair. “Whatcha gonna do, Mr. Matchmaker?”
Kelly, her eyes now glassy again, reached for Francesca and patted her arm until her hand rested on her shoulder. “Come with me. We'll have a talk.”
Nathan let his gaze follow the two girls into the darkness. What could Kelly be telling her? One of those girl-to-girl secrets men never get to hear about? He turned to Daryl. With her bright eyes and wide smile, her face beamed, as usual, but her slightly older visage gave her an air of wisdom. “Don't worry, Nathan, dear. You can trust Kelly.”
“Yeah. I know. I'm just wondering if I could learn something, too.”
Daryl swung the chair around to the computer. “I'm going to check with Dr. Gordon real quick — see if there's a bad-guy forecast. You know, partly cloudy with a chance of Mictar floating over the horizon.”
“Can you bring them up on the ceiling? We should close the portal so the stalkers can't find us. Besides, I'd like to see Clara.” He scanned the room again. If Mictar killed Clara Blue, her body was probably around somewhere. It wouldn't be like him to drag it along. Of course, he had to search for her, just in case. “I'll look for Clara's body while you switch the telescope settings.”
“Coming right up!” As Daryl reached for the laptop, a deep voice boomed from above.
“If you touch that setting, I will slaughter you where you sit.”
r /> Daryl jerked her hand back and looked up. “Uh-oh.”
Nathan squinted at the dark scene above. Near the apex of the curved ceiling, a man stood at the edge of the misty world walkway, too distant to recognize. Still, his acidic voice gave away his identity.
“If you seek your tutor, Nathan Shepherd, you will find what's left of her in the elevator.” Mictar made a slurping sound, then laughed. “Her life energy was a bit old but invigorating nonetheless.”
His cheeks as hot as fire, Nathan shook his fist. “Coward! You attack old ladies and sneak up on your victims from behind.” He pointed at the floor, spewing his words. “Why don't you jump down here and face me man to man?”
“Your bravado is quite humorous when you are surrounded by three protective females.” A chuckle drifted down. “The rooster crows while the hens shelter him under their wings.”
Nathan clenched his teeth. A dozen retorts stormed through his brain, but they all seemed like the rants of a child. As he stared at Mictar, something new came into focus. The stalker clutched a handful of black strings. Was it hair? Was he dragging a body?
Nathan hissed at Daryl. “Is there a way to magnify him?”
“Yep.” She eased her hand toward the touch pad. “Here goes.”
Nathan glanced at Kelly and Francesca standing hand in hand near the telescope. With their heads angled upward and their eyes wide, they seemed almost hypnotized.
He looked up again. Mictar's image zoomed toward him until his body nearly filled the curved ceiling. A woman hung from a tangle of black hair in his tight fist, her face suspended a few inches off the walkway surface while her body lay prone behind him. Even though most of her features were veiled, there was no mistaking her identity.
“Mom!” Nathan shook his fist again, spitting as he screamed. “What are you doing with her? Give her back to me or I'll …” He let his voice trail off. He had no idea what to say.
“Or you'll what?” Mictar's evil grin spread across the top of the dome. “If you see fit to match your actions with your bold words, go back to where you found your mother earlier. Follow the sounds of my choir, and you will eventually find me. If you hand over the Quattro mirror, I will restore your mother to you alive.”