Aeren walked to where Taylor was standing, smiled in a fatherly fashion and declared, "I swear, Taylor, I do not believe I have ever seen such beauty of heart and face as I see in you. May I embrace you before you go?"
Taylor's face, already flushed from the cold, deepened in color at the president's compliment. She did not wait for his embrace but took the initiative and opened her arms. As they touched, she felt something like a spring breeze flow across her consciousness. A feeling of honest respect and warmth for this alien man swept over her. To Matt's surprise, she said something to him in the Vryanian language that caused his face to break into a wide grin. As he expected, she was already absorbing the rudiments of the alien tongue.
Aeren shook hands with the men and watched as they walked up the vreel's ramp. "Everyone on this planet will be awaiting your word, Matt," he called out to them. "I do not know if your people believe in a Supreme Being, but may the Spirit of our world go with you."
As they reached the vreel's entrance and the ramp was retracting, Matt turned and nodded to the president. "Most of us are believers, Aeren," he said. "Who do you think brought us to Ireland at this exact time?"
The door closed, and the airship flew away from the silver tower.
Chapter 18
The Island
After passing back over the ruin of what was once a beautiful world, they reentered the dimensional gateway and returned to the familiar green of Earth. It was late afternoon, but the sun was still high. Dbarr was sitting beside Jake and Rael. He leaned forward and inquired of Matt, "Do you know the coordinates of the place you described? If so, we can set the vreel's controls on automatic."
Matt glanced at Jake then back to Dbarr. "No, there are no known coordinates." He sat pensively for a few seconds then asked, "What is the maximum range of this airship?"
Dbarr shrugged and replied, "For all practical purposes, unlimited."
"Good. Ask the pilot to turn west until we reach the sea, then bring us to an altitude of about two thousand feet. When that's done, set a heading of about one hundred and eighty degrees due south at moderate speed. That course will bring us to the coast of Spain. We should see two large promontories there, separated by a wide channel leading into another sea to the east. When we arrive, bring us to an altitude of fifteen thousand feet. And we need to keep the viewports as transparent as possible so we can find our destination by visual."
Jake, sanguine as usual, crossed his legs and said in an optimistic tone, "I hope you're right, Matt, but it won't hurt to say a few prayers, too."
"I second that," Taylor said.
When they reached the coast, the pilot turned south as ordered and set an altitude of two thousand feet. As the vreel picked up speed, they watched the green and brown landscape race by beneath them. Rael took the co-pilot's seat and started a camera running to chart the coastline. The vreel was traveling just over two hundred miles per hour, slow enough to ensure that they did not miss any notable landmarks along the coast. Though the island was still sparsely inhabited, they saw occasional groups of people. Some of them looked up in amazement, staring at the strange chariot that moved across the sky without horses. Others hid among rocks, or beneath trees, until the perceived danger passed. However, by-and-large the land was empty, its beauty still unmarred by the stains of man.
An hour later, Ireland vanished behind them and they flew over open water. Far to the east, they could just make out the coastline of what would someday be France. Most of it was shrouded in darkness as the sun dropped in the west.
"Are you planning to begin the search at the Pillars of Hercules?" Jake asked Matt.
He nodded. "It's as good a place as any. We'll start a grid search pattern just west of Gibraltar. If it's really there, we should be able to see it even in the dark."
"And if it's not?" Taylor asked, her tone somber.
"Keep the faith, babe," Matt answered. "I have a very strong instinct about this one."
"We never covered this aspect with Aeren," she replied, "but what if it's already populated?"
"Then we'll have to find somewhere else. But don't worry, it won't be. When you think of it, what we're planning to do matches the legend almost exactly. Even the physical appearance of the Vryanians fits the profile. Geological conditions make it a perfect place to prevent a permanent colony from being established and still give them plenty of time to do what they must."
"Land ho!" Jake called out. "It's got to be the northern coast of Spain."
Matt got up and moved to stand beside Rael's seat. "Keep on this course and speed. We should be able to transverse the landmass in just over an hour. After we cross it, we'll come to another sea called the Mediterranean. Keep watch for a rock as big as a mountain off to the west. That's where we'll start the search."
Rael turned her pretty face up to Matt. The beautiful blue eyes seemed to penetrate his thoughts. "I heard you tell Taylor to keep the faith. I'm keeping it, too. I know it's there, just like you all described."
Matt could not resist the earnestness in her voice. "You can count on it," he promised, patting her shoulder. Inwardly he prayed that his confidence was not just a defense mechanism for his own fears. If their search failed to produce fruit, he might have to consider jumping out of the vreel into the ocean.
The trip across Spain was uneventful, but they did notice an increase in population over that of Ireland. Another marked difference was the presence of scattered herds of horses, man's indispensable ally in building a civilization. They flew on, passing over clear lakes, plains, and mountains. A short time later, they reached the south coast and turned west. The sun's southern hemisphere was just touching the watery horizon. Its red rays cloaked the ocean in a magnificent orange blanket, and rubies glittered where the light reflected off the choppy water. All of them stared, mesmerized by the breathtaking sight.
"Red at night, sailor's delight," Jake quoted the famous Biblical verse.
"That's beautiful," Rael said. "Did you make it up just now?"
"Not hardly," Jake laughed. "It's from a great book. I'll introduce you to that particular manuscript a little later on." He gave Matt a quick glance. "How far do you think?"
Matt shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine. Probably better because you're more familiar with this part of the world. But I'd say five hundred miles. It would certainly have to be out of sight of Europe and Africa, or we'd be wasting our time."
Taylor spoke up. "Beyond the dragon line you mean."
Matt grinned at her reference to the ancient mariner's fear that dragons inhabited the ocean beyond the horizon.
"Anyone hungry?" Jake asked. He produced a purple box about six inches long with a press-on lid. "I learned about these field rations from Rael. They have them aboard all the vreels. They're sort of like our MRE's, only they taste better." He opened the package and took out several flat, foil-wrapped items similar in shape to Hershey chocolate bars. The food inside was butter-colored and smelled a little like citrus fruit. He broke off a piece and popped it into his mouth. "I'm really amazed at the tastes we associate with Vryanian food. This has a definite pecan flavor. It's almost as though our two dimensions are somehow linked together agriculturally, geologically, and physiologically."
Taylor took one of the bars and tasted it. "You're right, Jake; definitely pecan." Chewing a piece of the candy-like substance, she said, "And as far as what you said about the similarities between our two worlds, I've noticed the same thing myself. Much more alike than different." She cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Rael. "Don't you agree, Rael?"
The girl looked over her shoulder at Taylor. "I do," she responded with a genial smile.
They ate the food in silence for a few minutes. The vreel had reached the western area of the Mediterranean, and as they approached the strait, Matt called out, "Gibraltar off to the right!"
The great rock jutted into the sky like an inverted fang, dominating the landscape on the northern side of the strait. The vreel's hull was complete
ly transparent, presenting them with a panoramic view of the Pillars of Hercules: The Rock of Gibraltar on the Spanish side, and the mountain of Jebel Musa on the coast of Morocco. It was as though they were flying on Aladdin's carpet: a platform without walls or roof.
To assure himself that he was in no danger of falling, Matt reached out and touched the wall close to where he was seated. He gave a sigh of relief as his fingertip came into contact with the invisible barrier.
"Keep our course centered between the two points of land, and head directly west," he called out to Rael. "Increase our speed to five hundred. Everyone keep a sharp lookout." The girl nodded and spoke to the pilot, who made a small course correction and increased their speed.
Dbarr sat down next to Matt. "We should know something in the next couple of hours," he said in a somber tone, "but I must admit I will remain nervous until we sight land again."
Matt saw Dbarr's apprehension. His world's entire existence might depend on their finding the elusive island. "At this speed we should find it before dark," he said.
He remained quiet for a moment then said, "Dbarr, there is an old legend that dates to the beginning of our civilization, thousands of years in the future from the here-and-now. The story started long before Earth's magnetic poles were discovered, and the compass was invented. In those times the ancients believed that the coast we are leaving behind us now was the end of land. Since no one then living actually knew what lay beyond the watery horizon, they simply marked their charts with the words Non plus ultra, which means 'nothing further beyond.' The phrase was supposed to serve as a warning to sailors that it was pointless to proceed into the great ocean because there was nothing out there. However, one of the great teachers and philosophers of that time, a man named Plato, asserted that a large island did, in fact, lie beyond the western horizon. In his writings, he provided some description of the people who lived there and spoke of their civilization, which was said to be far superior to any other known at that time." He paused for a few seconds then asked, "Are you following my thinking?"
Dbarr cocked his head and gave Matt an intense stare. Finally, his face took on a look of comprehension. "I think I'm beginning to understand the source of your confidence about the existence of the island," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Yes, I do understand your thinking."
Matt grinned. "You see, I'm just putting shreds of information together to form a possible picture. The very fact that we are here in this time and place may be the beginning of that legend."
Dbarr's smile was glorious. "My friend, you are an amazing man." His tone was low, and held obvious admiration.
"I wish you'd convince Taylor of that," Matt replied. He gave her a crooked glance.
"No need to try, Dbarr," she said, shaking her head. "But don't say any more or you'll pump his ego up to where he won't be able to get out of the vreel when we find the island."
Jake, sitting opposite them, had been scanning the horizon on both sides of the ship with his mini-scope. The coast of Spain had vanished into the distance behind them. Checking his watch, he estimated that they had come over a hundred miles out to sea. Since they were chasing the sun into the west, it was still partially above the horizon. The search was now underway in earnest, and very little conversation was taking place. Rael and the pilot were looking forward, while the others conducted a continuous scan on both sides of the vreel. Less than an hour later, they reached the three hundred mile point without sighting land.
Rael turned and looked at Matt. Her face wore a worried expression. He caught her eye and said gently, "Keep on course." She returned to her vigilance without comment. Another half hour brought them to a point five hundred miles west of land.
Matt stood up and stretched. "Now comes the tricky part," he said to them. "Since we don’t know the exact location of the island, we'll have to find it by conducting a grid search. I estimate we have about thirty minutes of daylight left. After that, I'm counting on the moon to help us out. If I remember my astronomy correctly, moonrise should be about an hour from now." He walked back to Rael's position. "Increase our altitude to fifteen thousand feet. Turn ninety degrees due south and maintain course for a half hour, then turn back north for the same distance, crossing over our starting point and continuing on for a half hour. After that, turn ninety degrees east for a half hour, then the same pattern on a due south course. You'll be making a grid, cutting the ocean into squares. Do you understand?"
"Yes," she replied. "It's a standard search pattern with a hundred and twenty-five miles visibility on each side."
"Exactly!" he said with a wide grin. "We'll find that Easter Egg for sure."
"Easter Egg?" she asked, puzzled.
"Don't worry about it, Rael," Jake put in. "It's just a frustrated expression from his childhood about lost candy." The remark drew a laugh from Taylor. Dbarr wore a blank expression. He shrugged and continued scanning the horizon.
"One other thing," Matt said to all of them. "Keep your eyes open for any sign of smoke, or a visible glow of some sort."
"Volcanic activity?" Taylor asked.
Matt nodded. "I hope not, but you know the legend. Hopefully, it's inactive at this time."
"And if it's not?"
"We go anyway. There's no other choice. The Vryanians will just have to speed up their migration plan and hope there's not a major eruption." She nodded and began sweeping the sea with her mini-scope.
They were in their third horizontal sweep when Jake sighted land. It was just a dark line, but due to their extreme altitude it stood out in the moonlight. "Land ho!" he shouted, startling everyone. They rushed to his side of the vreel and looked where he was pointing.
"Rael, turn us in that direction!" Matt pointed toward the southeast. They were all slapping each other on the back and congratulating Matt on being correct.
The vreel swung around and headed toward the line of land, and at the current speed, the distance closed rapidly. From their altitude they could see the entire extent of the island. Matt estimated its land area to be at least ten thousand square miles. They descended to two thousand feet as they drew near. The thin strip of coastline became a cliff five hundred feet high, with wide strips of white and dark strata lacing its rocky face. Rael came to dead slow as they passed over the cliff and into the interior, where a thick jungle obscured the ground. Disturbed by their passage, a flight of large white birds shot into the air from the trees where they had been roosting and veered away to the south. A few hundred feet further inland, Matt ordered a stop.
"Let's hold exploration of the interior until daybreak," he said. "For now, we'll start a slow circumnavigation along the coast. If there are any inhabitants, we should see signs of it there. Also, let's not show any lights for the present time."
Rael moved to the control console and doused all the lights. The darkness enhanced the moonlight and accentuated their ability to see the land. As their eyes dark-adapted, the trees took on form. Disturbed by the passage of the aircraft, more of the white birds flittered nervously among the upper branches. Turning the ship around, they moved a few hundred yards out to sea and began a slow inspection of the coast.
Sandy beaches lined with trees alternated with rocky cliffs. Moving along at a leisurely pace, they rounded the southern tip of the island and headed northwest. On that side, a wide channel from the sea cut inward a quarter of a mile, forming a large natural harbor at its end. In the far distance, two rivers, gleaming like silver threads, twisted out of a group of low mountains near the center of the island. More beaches, trees and cliffs swept by with no sign of human or animal life. A short time later, Matt saw what he had been waiting for. A few miles north of the mountains, a symmetrical composite volcano rose three thousand feet into the night sky.
"Rael," he called out to the girl, "cut inland and head toward that volcano. Everyone keep your eyes open for signs of habitation as we cross over the land."
As they proceeded toward the volcano, they passed over a large fresh
water lake at least a mile in diameter. One of the rivers flowed into it from the north, ensuring a continuous fresh water supply. Had there been any human presence on the island, the shores of the lake would surely have been populated, but the area was deserted; its beaches undisturbed.
The moon had risen higher, casting its light more directly on the land. Dwarf oaks, cedar, sycamore, date palms, and a myriad of other trees grew in profusion. They passed over several small plains covered with tall grass and dotted with thickets of chaparral.
As they drew near the volcano, Matt looked for signs of activity. There was no smoke, or darkened lava lines on the smooth slopes, indicating an inactive status. When they were within a few hundred yards of the circular top, he directed Rael to circle the cone, then pass over the vent itself. As they flew across the wide opening, they all crowded to one side of the ship and peered directly into the dark abyss. They saw nothing to indicate the presence of burning gases.
"How are your atmospheric readings, Rael?" Jake asked.
"There was an increase in air temperature of about eighty degrees as we flew over the vent but nothing to indicate the presence of ash, gas, or any unusual environmental conditions," she replied.
Dbarr laid his hand on Matt's shoulder. "What do you think?" he asked in a soft voice.
As though he had been holding it, Matt let out an audible breath, "I think we should spend the night here, and take a good look around in the daylight, " he answered. "Rael, put us down on the shore of the lake," he told her. Turning back to Dbarr he asked, "Am I correct in assuming that this vreel has onboard instrumentation that can find and read geological conditions?"