"Let's see if we get anything," he said, flipping the ON switch. The unit lit up instantly with a green radar-like display. A thin sweep line jutted out from an orange dot in the center of the screen, and began a slow clockwise rotation. They watched it make several full sweeps, but no blips appeared.
Jake shrugged. "Looks like nobody's home at the moment."
Matt tried a few adjustments with the knobs without success. "We'll let it keep rolling anyway," he said. "You never know when someone may come knocking. I expect we'll get much better results tonight with the wire."
He stood up and gazed around the landscape. Lough Corrib was beginning to reflect orange rays from the late afternoon sun. To the east was a shallow valley about three miles long. About a quarter-mile in, the valley's open terrain gave way to a dense forest. It looked dark and forbidding. Just under a mile to the north, a round-top mountain about a thousand feet high with a stony crest overlooked the valley.
"If we don't receive a signal before nightfall, we'll set up camp near the summit of that mountain and try again," Matt told them. "Until then we might as well take it easy and rest up for the climb."
"Sounds good to me," Jake agreed. He rubbed his hands together and walked over to the crate containing their food supplies. "What's for dinner, Taylor?"
She put her hands on her hips and gave him a cockeyed look, the emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, now, big boy, let me think for a minute." Their food consisted of whatever was contained in the foil packets known to the military as MRE's: Meals Ready to Eat. She selected one of them and read the contents on the back side. "You're in luck, Jake. This one says filet mignon and mashed potatoes with brown gravy. But I'll bet when you open it you're going to find ham chunks and barbeque beans."
The two men laughed. Matt said, "Woman, you really know how to ruin a dinner party."
Jake picked up the canteens, two of which were almost empty. He glanced over his shoulder at the lough, about a half-mile away. "I think the steak and potatoes will taste better if we heat them up in some water," Jake surmised. "Matt, I'll take the canteens over to the lough and fill them if you and Taylor will round up some firewood."
"Sounds fair," Taylor responded, looking around the immediate area for something combustible.
With that, they began setting up camp for dinner, oblivious to the danger lurking among the trees in the valley. Had Matt scanned the forest with his ten-power mini-scope, he might have seen the four men standing a few feet inside the tree line. It was a serious mistake; one he would come to regret in the coming days.
Near 2:00 p.m., Kasdan was becoming concerned that Voyles had provided him with the wrong date for Leahy's transport. He was about to open a can of soup when Renga, who was on watch, signaled an alarm. Kasdan and the other two men jumped to their feet. Sreng and Elgan reached the lookout position just ahead of Kasdan.
"I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes!" Renga exclaimed to the others. "First there was a flash of green fire, brighter than the sun, and suddenly there they were!" He pointed to the field.
Kasdan saw the three black-suited people before Renga spoke. Crouching behind the bushes, he took the binoculars out of his coat pocket and peered through them. His target was sharply defined in the field of view. A prickle went up the back of his neck. Matt Leahy stood still, scanning the area, while Taylor Griffin, and another man he recognized as Jake Donovan, began shucking off their packs and setting up the equipment they had brought with them.
He squeezed the binoculars so hard that his knuckles turned white. The muscles in his forearms stood out like cables, and his breath came in short, quiet pulls as he continued to stare at Leahy. He was oblivious to everything but the figures in the field. After several moments he became aware that someone was speaking.
"What is the matter?" Sreng was asking. "Is this not the wizard and his people?"
Kasdan shook himself. "What? What did you say?" He sounded like someone just waking from a deep sleep.
Sreng glanced at the other men. Both were staring at Kasdan. "I asked if anything was wrong," he replied. "You seem confused."
Kasdan recovered his wits and said, "Nothing is wrong." He smiled and added, "Everything is fine." He looked down at Sreng. "Leave Elgan here to watch. You and Renga follow me. I will explain what we must do tonight." He reached out and took Elgan by the upper arm. His grip was tighter than he intended. Elgan winced at the pressure. "Remember, they must not know we are here. If you do anything to attract attention, you will regret it." He released his grip and walked away. The other men followed.
Elgan rubbed his bicep where Kasdan had almost crushed it. His lips made a straight line across his boyish face as he pressed them together. He squatted behind the brush and watched the others walk away. Elgan was only sixteen years old and had not been in any serious fights. But sitting around the campfires at night, he had heard other warriors talk about the taste of fear. At this moment, he knew its flavor.
Just before nightfall, Matt directed his team to break camp. While the others were busy packing the equipment, he took a last look at the forest to the southeast. There was nothing there, yet there seemed to be something. He shook his head and dismissed the feeling as disquiet from being in an unknown land.
They gathered up their equipment and walked to the foot of the mountain, where they intended to raise the antenna wire. It was not the tallest peak in the area, but its steep slope and rocky sides made their ascent difficult. They reached the top just before nightfall.
Taylor blew out a breath and said, "You can see for at least thirty miles from here." She turned a full circle. "I don't see any signs of habitation. No smoke, cultivation, or anything that would indicate human presence. Just miles of rolling land, forests and mountains."
Jake agreed with the analysis. "Yeah, but it's getting pretty dark down there. We could be missing something. Maybe we'll see a fire after sunset." Behind them, the orange sun was still half visible above the sea's horizon. In the east, the first faint stars were brightening against a purple sky.
Matt was sitting on a flat stone a few paces away from them. He stood and said, "If we don't pick up any signal activity right away, we'll take turns monitoring the receiver during the night. Let's get the balloon out and be ready to raise it right after dark."
They began unpacking the equipment and setting it up. As they worked, Taylor asked Matt, "Have you developed any theories or speculation about what may have happened to DeLong?"
He shook his head. "No more than what we talked about at Apache Point. But for some reason my instincts are making me a little jittery. It's almost as though something is wrong, only I don't know what."
"You don't have a monopoly on that," Jake put in. "We're used to dealing with ancient people, but they sure didn't manufacture that wand. Maybe this time, we're the ancients and they're us. I can't help feeling that we're standing on the brink of something really big."
Taylor was attaching the helium bottle to the balloon's input valve. As she worked, she asked thoughtfully, "Sort of like we may be approaching the event horizon?"
"An excellent analogy," Matt replied. The comparison was appropriate. In cosmic terms, the 'event horizon' referred to the point of no return when approaching a black hole in space. A black hole was not really a 'hole' in the strict definition. It was thought to be a dark star that had used all its energy and had subsequently collapsed into a sphere so dense that it's gravitational pull prevented even light from escaping its surface. The resulting effect was that there appeared to be a hole in the brighter fabric of space. The event itself was the star, and its horizon was the outer extent of its gravitational influence. Once anything crossed that line, nothing could prevent it from being pulled into the 'hole' and annihilated. Along with the others, Matt wondered how close they were to a similar horizon.
It took less than thirty minutes to assemble the receiver and antenna. The sun was down, and the land was dark. The moon remained hidden b
elow the eastern mountains.
"All set," Taylor announced.
Matt and Jake spread the balloon out on the ground and fastened the wire to a snap hook on its intake valve. As the balloon rose, the wire would unwind from a spool fixed to the ground by a long metal stake.
"Let 'er rip," Matt said. Taylor opened the valve on the helium bottle. As the balloon filled with gas, it stood upright then rose into the air. When it reached the end of its five hundred foot tether, it stopped. Luckily, there was no wind, so it remained at its maximum elevation without gyrating.
Jake hooked a lead from the antenna wire to the signal receiver and flipped the instrument's power switch. The sweep line began to rotate around the screen, but no blips appeared.
They watched it for a few minutes then Matt said, "Taylor, you take the first watch. I'll relieve you in four hours, and Jake will relieve me."
"I'm on it," she answered, taking a position on the stony ground in front of the device.
Matt and Jake took their dome-tent out of its nylon sleeve and assembled it a few yards away. It was just large enough for three people to sleep in or take shelter from inclement weather. When they were done, Jake crawled in and began preparations for sleep.
Matt took the mini-scope out of his utility belt and again scanned the forest in the small valley. The murky trees were barely visible at ten-power. Nothing moved, but there was still something about the area that he could not pin down; an instinct that would not be calmed. He walked over to Taylor and sat down beside her.
"You comfy?" he asked, a grin on his face.
She gave him a wry look. "I've sat on softer things, but I'll manage."
He leaned back on his elbows and looked at the stars growing brighter in the increasing darkness. The icy points glittered with clarity almost impossible in the modern world. He found the ecliptic plane, the path that the planets and sun followed across the sky. There was Jupiter, brightest and largest of the planets, glowing yellow almost directly overhead. The dusky-red world of Mars followed along, twenty degrees behind the gas giant. It presented a magnificent vista, one he never grew tired of looking at.
"You think we should send a signal instead of just waiting for one?" Taylor asked him. The machine had the ability to send powerful signals as well as receive them.
He was quiet for a few seconds then said, "Maybe. But let's monitor for incoming events a little longer before we do. I think we should exercise as much caution as possible before we let anyone know we're here. We keep the advantage that way."
"How long do you intend to wait?"
He thought it over. "It's 7:40 now. Let's keep watch until midnight. If nothing comes in by then, we'll broadcast a long range signal and see what happens."
"Sounds like a plan," she agreed. "But I think we should all be awake when we do."
"Agreed. We'll wake Jake just before we transmit." He stretched out and folded his hands behind his head. "It's so nice out here I hate to get into that stuffy tent. Besides, I can already hear Jake snoring."
Taylor laughed softly and said, "I can't think of anything I would enjoy more than having you for company." She waited a couple of seconds then continued in a low voice, "And a few other things I won't mention right now."
He looked at her face, framed by her dark hair. It could only be his imagination, but he thought he could see those emerald eyes sparkling. "The feeling is mutual, you temptress," he said, returning her laugh.
She leaned over and kissed him on the lips, letting it linger for a few seconds. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you if anything happens," she said.
He let out a slow breath and closed his eyes. After a couple of minutes he fell into a light slumber.
Early in the evening, Elgan reported that the wizards were breaking camp. Kasdan and the others crept to the edge of the trees and watched Leahy's team pack their equipment. After finishing, they headed toward the nearby mountain. When they were a half mile away, he told Sreng and his men to stay inside the trees while he went out onto the field. From there he watched the black-clad figures start up the mountainside. For some reason they were headed to higher ground. However, it was of no consequence. They could die on the mountain just as easily as they could in the open. He put the binoculars away and returned to where the other men waited.
"Renga, you stay here and keep watch," he said. "The rest of us will go back to camp and get some sleep. I will relieve you later." He turned and headed back into the woods, followed by Elgan and Sreng.
Just before 10 p.m., Kasdan went back to where Renga was keeping watch. "Anything?" he asked.
"Nothing," Renga whispered. "But they are too far away to see anything from here."
The air was very still and cool. A few low places held a ghostly fog. "Go get the others, and tell them to bring their weapons," Kasdan told him.
As Renga turned to go, Kasdan grabbed his arm. "Remember," he warned in a soft voice, "silence is imperative. The slightest noise will carry a long way." Renga nodded as Kasdan released his arm then vanished into the trees.
Within five minutes all the men returned, fully armed. Kasdan squatted and spoke to them. "Here is what we will do. When we leave the forest we will walk to the mountain and climb to the top where the wizards have set up camp. At my signal, we will stop and find out exactly where they are located. It is my guess that they will be close together. The three of you will kill the larger man, and capture the woman unhurt if possible. But do not fool yourselves into thinking that she will be easy to subdue. She is just as dangerous as the men. If you cannot take her alive, kill her. I will handle the shorter man. Be aware that they are all trained fighters, and anything can happen. Some of us may die if you fail to strike swiftly. Remember that the clothing they wear is enchanted and cannot be pierced by sword or spear. You must strike for the head or throat." He paused and looked at them in turn. "Once the attack starts, do not stop until everyone is either dead or subdued. Do you understand?"
Renga and Elgan nodded. Sreng stared at Kasdan with a blank look. Kasdan did not miss the continuation of his surly demeanor. "Sreng, I asked if you understood," he asked in a mild voice.
Sreng hesitated a few seconds then replied just loud enough to hear, "Yes."
Kasdan thought he could detect a faint smile on the champion's face. "Very well then. Follow me, and make sure there is no noise or talking."
The four men moved out of the forest. The stars were bright and provided enough light to avoid stumbling on uneven ground. A faint glow visible on the eastern horizon promised the rising of a first quarter moon. Silent as ghosts, they proceeded toward the base of the mountain.
Matt and Taylor had switched places during the night. He watched the signal finder while she lay sleeping a few feet away. Jake had found sleep impossible and had joined Matt an hour before midnight.
"Don't you think it's time to try a signal of our own?" he asked Matt. "We could go for days waiting like this."
Matt scratched his chin whiskers and nodded. "You're right, Jake. I've been thinking it over and decided that no matter how we find them, they're going to be technologically superior to us." With that, he reached out and flipped the switch that would broadcast a repeating signal on random wavelengths. Anyone monitoring radio transmissions would have no difficulty pinpointing their location.
Jake swallowed hard. "Well, I guess that's it. Nothing to do now but watch and wait."
Matt considered waking Taylor but saw no point in it. There might not be an opportunity for any of them to sleep in the near future.
Jake took one of the plastic food packages from a nearby box and tore it open. He fished inside and found a chocolate bar. "How about a midnight snack?" he asked as he broke the candy in half.
Matt took it and popped it into his mouth. "A little crumbly but good," he joked as he chewed.
The two men were silent for a while, just looking and listening. Suddenly Jake reached out and grabbed Matt's arm. "Look!" he almost shouted. An orange LED was blinking, and the s
weep had a blip. They looked at each other. "They've found us," Jake said, his voice almost inaudible.
Matt went over to Taylor and shook her awake. She jumped as though bitten by a snake. "What? What?" she exclaimed, sitting up.
"Better get ready, babe," he replied. "Looks like we may be having some company."
"Company?"
"Yeah. Take a look." He pointed to the LED.
Taylor rubbed her eyes to clear the sleep then looked at the receiver. Her eyes widened. She got to her knees, glancing at the men. "When did this happen?"
"Just a few minutes ago."
"Have you triangulated the signal source?" she asked.
"Doing that now," Jake replied. He held his mini-light in his hand. The red light function was on. The glow cast a red sheen over their faces but did not interfere with their night vision. "Looks like it's coming from due north, eleven degrees true," he announced.
Matt and Taylor had been visually scanning the terrain as Jake worked the receiver. As soon as he spoke, both of them turned toward the north. Nothing was visible. Then, in less than two minutes, they saw what appeared to be a violet light in the far distance. It was positioned among the lower stars but was obviously not of stellar origin. As they watched it draw nearer, a beam of white light shot out from something dark against the sky and began searching the ground.
Taylor felt her stomach roll. A chill tingled her scalp. "My God, Matt, it's some kind of aircraft," she muttered.
Matt didn't have time to reply. They all heard the sharp clang at the same time, like two pieces of metal striking together. It came from the south side of the mountain.
"Jake! Keep your eyes on the incoming!" he yelled. He and Taylor ran toward the south slope. They arrived just in time to see four men less than a hundred yards away. Matt fumbled for his mini-light and dropped it as he pulled it from his belt.
"They're running away!" Taylor exclaimed.
Matt recovered the light and shined it down the slope. He and Taylor could see a group of men scrambling down the mountainside. As they watched, one of them stopped and turned toward them. The flashlight beam was bright, but the man was too far away to be seen clearly. He was larger than the others and appeared to be in less of a hurry to escape. After a few seconds he turned away and continued toward the bottom. The others had outdistanced him by at least a hundred yards and were out of the flashlight's range.