HEART THUNDERING, Nellie lowered Deller’s head, then his mother’s, to the floor. Quickly she pressed her hands to their throats and immediately felt a pulse in each one, strong and beating at its normal pace. Relief flooded her, so intense she almost swooned. Leaning into Deller’s face, she hissed, “C’mon bozo, wake up. We’re back in the temple and they’re all around us.”
Deller’s eyes flickered dozily across her face, then shot wide open. Letting out a startled yelp, he reached up and gave her a hard shove. “What’s with you?” he croaked, scrambling to his feet and backing away. “You’re like ... glass. Shiny.”
Looking down, Nellie saw that she was still in a crystalline state. Though their journey back through the levels had returned Deller and his mother to flesh and blood, her glittering body was still giving off a rapid high-pitched thrum. To make things worse, she had no way of explaining her current condition to Deller since he’d probably lost consciousness before they reached the crystal level and had no awareness of it.
“It’s just me, Deller,” she stammered awkwardly. “I’m not doubled, or nothing.” But the look on his face didn’t change, and a long deep heaviness poured through her as she turned from him to face the gaping men.
As she focused on them, Nellie realized her thoughts were racing at ten times their normal speed and were clearer than she’d ever felt them. Without touching her throat, she knew her pulse was three times its regular rate. An old kind of knowing filled her, a wisdom that lived not in flesh and blood or the synapses of the brain, but in a particular range of frequencies. And when she turned her gaze this time upon the green-robed priest, she didn’t need to tune into the molecular field to see he was doubled.
Immediately she sensed that the entity living within him existed in an energy state that vibrated at an extremely rapid rate. Ordinarily she wouldn’t have been able to look directly at such brilliant frequencies, but in her crystalline state she could clearly see the tightly slanted eyes that peered through the priest’s, and the long jutting jaw that extended from his lower face. Sarpa, thought Nellie in a flash of blinding instinct, her hands lifting to touch her own eyes. Then, The skull Gurry found—its head is exactly the same shape.
“That’s right, little star,” the entity hissed through the priest’s mouth. “You’ll find our bones buried beneath many of the sacred places in this land. For this was our kingdom once, and so it shall be again now that we’ve found you. We’ve been searching years for you, little star, and now we’ve got you.”
Fear swept Nellie as she realized the entity had read her thoughts. “Me?” she faltered, staring at it. “Why were you looking for me?”
“One of the deeper mysteries,” said the entity as the priest took a step forward. “Soon all will be revealed to you, and you’ll discover the great purpose for which you were bred. But for now, don’t fight me, little star. You haven’t got my strength. Just let these men take charge of you and we’ll fulfill your destiny.”
Abruptly the scene before Nellie blurred slightly, and she felt a surge of quick high vibrations enter her brain. Then her vision cleared and she heard a girl’s voice exclaim, That was a real rush, coming through all those different places. What were they—levels? Where are you now? And who’s that guy standing there scowling at you?
Startled, Nellie glanced around the laboratory in search of the speaker, but saw only Deller, his mother and the men. Suspecting a trick, she glanced toward the doubled priest and saw his face contort with rage.
“Don’t think you can fight me by calling on others,” the entity hissed through the priest. “I come from a place more powerful than anything you can summon to do your bidding. Your powers are limited, little star. Your father is one of our greatest lords, it is true, but your mother pulls you down to the lowest order. You’re only half sarpa, not of my rank. You can’t defeat me.”
“I’m not cal—,” Nellie started to protest, just as another surge of vibrations shot through her brain and the girl’s voice spoke a second time. Hey Nellie, it persisted. Can’t you hear me? It’s me, we’re linked by the oneness, and I can feel something really weird where you are. Who’s that guy you’re talking to?
With a start, Nellie realized that her crystalline double had somehow found a way into her head and was communicating through thought. I’m in trouble, she thought rapidly, her eyes on the doubled priest, wondering how much he was picking up. There’s a man near me with a thing from a really high level living inside him, and it’s after me.
Probe him, her double said immediately.
Are you nuts? hissed Nellie. That thing is big time, its vibes are even faster than yours.
Nellie, you’re not just one with me, her double shot back. You’re one with all of us here—the people, the animals, the air, the land and the sea. We’re all one and we’re all linked to you. Go on, probe him so we can find out who he is.
Well, what did she have to lose? Taking a deep breath, Nellie focused and sent her mind tentatively toward the doubled priest. But despite her caution, the entity sensed her approach and sent a counter-probe. The malevolent tendril of energy hurtled toward her, knocking her to her knees. Crouched against the floor, she grunted and writhed as the hostile probe jabbed at her mind.
“Don’t fight me,” roared the doubled priest, leaning between the birdlike machines. “I’ll crush you and leave you so stupefied, you won’t even know what’s happening when we call out your soul and transform you into our greatest star.”
At that moment a clear bright hum entered Nellie’s head. Surge after surge of energy followed like waves on a shore, and she could feel the presence of hundreds of minds swirling about her brain, trying to get oriented. Coming together, they fused into a single line of radiant energy that soared directly at the hostile probe. Immediately she felt the pain in her head falter, but the probe renewed itself, jabbing with twice the strength. Screaming, she clutched at her head with both hands. She couldn’t take this. No one could absorb this much evil and survive. If it didn’t stop soon—
But new vibrations were entering her mind and sending themselves at the hostile probe—energy that lapped like water, blew like a fierce wind and pressed with the great weight of the ground beneath her feet. Shrill cries resounded through Nellie’s head and she felt the minds of birds and animals dart and leap at the malevolent force that continued to pierce her brain. And woven through these new vibrations was the ongoing presence of the people of the crystalline level, sending themselves in an unbreakable thrum deep into the entity’s probe.
Gradually the pain lessened, and finally Nellie felt the entity release her mind and retreat. For a long moment she continued to be filled with a dense crystalline light that swirled into every corner of her mind, permeating the frightened agitated vibrations of her brain, soothing and healing them. Then it also withdrew from her head, leaving her breathless and crouched on the laboratory floor. Slowly she looked up.
Twisted across the priest’s face was a look of such malevolence that she scuttled backward, passing the nearest birdlike machine in a blur of fear. With a roar the priest sprang after her, landing between the machines. Instinctively Nellie’s eyes darted to the onoff switch on the stem of the nearest one, and then suddenly she was standing next to it and flicking the switch. A click sounded, the three machines began to hum, and the rage on the priest’s face changed to terror.
Then he was gone. Quickly Nellie flicked off the switch. Silence descended on the laboratory, edgy and thick, and then one of the lab-coated men whimpered and dashed toward the exit. The others followed. The door swung closed behind them and their feet pounded rapidly down the hall, leaving the laboratory full of a sudden emptiness. Slowly Nellie turned to face Deller and his mother.
They were standing well back from the birdlike machines, staring openmouthed. Rerraren. Nellie saw the thought cross their faces, and a deep loneliness shuddered through her. “It’s just me,” she whispered, lifting her crystalline hands toward them. “Shapeshifting is just something ... sarpas do, I guess. But I’m not like that thing inside the priest, even if it said I was. I’m like my mother, I believe in the Goddess, and I won’t hurt you, or nothing like that.”
“Of course you won’t, Nellie sweetie,” whispered Deller’s mother, her face blanching as she clutched at Deller’s arm. Blood still trickled from the cut under her left eye. “Of course not,” she added reassuringly, but she didn’t come any closer, nor did Deller. Helplessly Nellie stared at her glittering hands and wondered how to transform them into flesh and blood.
Just think them back, said her double inside her head, the way you moved yourself over to that machine by thinking it. We’ ll probably lose the oneness when you do it, though. I’ve never been one with someone in another level before. I never even knew there were levels.
There are zillions of them, Nellie thought at her quickly. When you learn how to travel, you can visit me here.
Maybe, said her double dubiously. The people in your level seem odd to me. Besides I’ d have to bring along everyone from this level—the oneness, you know.
Oh. Nellie faltered, trying to envision it. That could get a bit complicated. Well, here goes. I’m going to try and think myself back into a human being. Goodbye.
Goodbye? What does goodbye mean? asked her double, but before Nellie could reply, the crystalline radiance had left her body and it had returned to its flesh and blood state.
“That’s more like it,” Deller whispered, and she was startled to see tears glimmering in his eyes. He flashed her a weak grin. “For a second I thought you were going to tell me you’d gone and turned into the Goddess.”
Nellie’s jaw dropped, and then she gave him a scowl of absolute disapproval. His grin broadened.
“C’mon,” she snapped, slitting her eyes at him. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
“What about the kids?” asked Deller.
Nellie’s eyes shot toward the four children, who were still standing in a submissive line along the far wall. Thoroughly drugged, they’d been so quiet she’d forgotten their presence. Even the priest’s sudden disappearance hadn’t roused them. Fleetingly— very fleetingly—she considered taking off and leaving them, then remembered the oneness of the crystal level and the way it had come to her rescue.
“Okay,” she said gruffly. “But we have to get them moving fast.”
Crossing the room, she opened the door and peered into the hall. Gloom and silence stretched in both directions, with only an EXIT sign glowing at one end. “C’mon,” she said, beckoning to the children. When they didn’t budge, she grabbed the nearest one by the hand and began to lug him toward the door. Immediately the others followed, shuffling along sleepily. Behind them came Deller, supporting his mother, whose harsh breathing underlined every step she took. Easing open the door a second time, Nellie stepped into the hall and started leading the children toward the EXIT sign. As the door clicked shut behind them, her heart jumped so hard she thought it would upend her stomach. A glance over her shoulder showed six shadowy figures following her quietly through the darkness. If the lab-coated men had left the building, she thought rapidly, they should be all right. It was the middle of the night, and even with the kids they would be able to travel Dorniver’s back alleys without being seen.
But as they drew close to the EXIT sign, lights went on up and down the hall and a male voice called, “Stand where you are.” Squinting through the brilliance, Nellie peered at several men who were standing under the EXIT sign—one lab-coated man and two police officers.
“There’s a bunch at the other end too,” Deller hissed.
Turning, Nellie saw a second group of men at the opposite end of the hall. “Sweet blessed Goddess,” she whispered, her eyes locking with Deller’s. What was she supposed to do now? The abilities that came with her crystalline state were gone, and there was no way she could find and open a gate, then get everyone through it fast enough. Desperately she shoved the children toward Deller and his mother and snapped, “Everyone put a hand on me.” Then she took them all out of sync with the surrounding vibratory rate. Immediately the hallway disappeared and they were surrounded by a murky blur that stretched endlessly in every direction. A second later they were hit by an agonizing barrage of shrieks and moans.
“Not this again,” grimaced Deller as the children whimpered and crowded against their legs. Abruptly Deller’s mother grabbed her stomach and bent forward.
“It’s like a sickness,” she moaned. “Gets into you and makes you feel desperate.”
Stumbling, she fell heavily against Nellie just as Deller and the children sank to their knees. Frantically Nellie tried to pull Deller upright, but he sank again, white-faced and trembling. “Get up,” she yelled, but he remained crouched at her feet, his arms over his head. For one brief, terror-edged moment, Nellie almost kicked him. Then she straightened grimly and stared at the surrounding blur.
It’s all vibrations, she thought fiercely. Those wails and screams are vibes, and so am I.
Drawing her thoughts together, she sent her mind deep into the surrounding soundscape. The church was thick with the sound of pain—moans and screams that pressed close, trying to merge with her vibrations. As the groaning sobs passed into her, Nellie’s nausea grew, but instead of fighting she focused on the cries, listening as each told her its story. Suddenly she realized what the sounds were—the pain and terror of the victims who’d been interrogated, tortured, and used for experiments in the Temple of the Blessed Heart.
A sob broke from her own lips. Opening completely to the wails that surrounded her, she thought, I understand, I know who you are, and I swear someday I’ll tell everyone your story so they know what happened to you. Immediately the cries stopped shoving themselves at her and begun nuzzling like small children seeking comfort. Help us find our way out, Nellie whispered to them wonderingly. Please, I need your help.
Instantly, a corridor opened ahead of her through the blur, a passageway of clear bell-like sound. Bewildered, Nellie stood staring at it. She was sure the church hallway didn’t run in this direction, and that the new corridor was traveling directly into the nearest wall, but the whimpering voices continued to bump against her, urging her forward. Help Deller’s mom, she thought at them. And Deller and the kids. Immediately the voices surged downward and surrounded the six crouched figures. Then as Nellie watched, Deller, his mother and the children got to their feet and stood staring about themselves. One of the children raised a hand and began patting at the voices in the air.
Joining hands, Nellie and the others stepped into the radiant corridor of sound. As they did the voices moved in behind them, absorbing their vibratory trail until every trace of their presence had been erased. On all sides the bell-like sound continued to resonate, and they found themselves propelled forward at breakneck speed until they were suddenly stepping free of the temple’s outer wall, into murky darkness and a light-falling rain.
In quiet astonishment Nellie leaned against the solid wall, watching the children mill about her as the corridor of sound faded into nothingness. It was gone, the great gift of love and pain that had lifted and carried them out of the very bowels of danger, and all she wanted to do was turn and crawl back into it, live inside its bell-like sound forever.
“C’mon,” Deller hissed, pulling at her arm. “I’ll handle Mom, you take the kids, and let’s get our asses out of here.”
Quietly, their heads swimming with exhaustion, the small group made its stumbling meandering way across the parking lot into the pre-dawn rain.