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Up into the air the human flew. Toward the roof of the cavern.
Down he came.
The gaiaphage would never even feel the slight weight as it…
…hit with the force of a mountain dropped from the edge of space.
Duck hit the gaiaphage and drilled straight through its crystalline mass.
And straight through the cave floor beneath it.
Into the vortex, like grains of sand in an hourglass, fell the gaiaphage.
FORTY-FIVE
0 MINUTES
KIND OF LIKE the first time, Duck thought.
At the pool that day. Like that. Falling and the water rushing down with him.
Only this water was more like sand. A billion tiny crystals all sucked down the drain that Duck had made in the earth.
He could see nothing as he fell. The crystals filled his eyes and ears and mouth.
He couldn’t breathe, and this panicked him and he fell even faster, trying to outrun the monster that fell with him.
No air.
Mind swirling, crazy, not even afraid now, just…
Memories flashed like a jerky video. That day when he fell off a pony at his fifth birthday party.
That time he ate the whole pie…
His mom. So pretty. Her face…
Dad…
The pool…
He stopped falling. Something had stopped him at last.
Too late, he thought.
Can’t fall through to China, Duck thought.
Well, Duck thought, I guess I did want to be a hero.
And then Duck stopped thinking anything at all.
FORTY-SIX
CAINE STOOD IN darkness.
Sam’s light was gone.
There was a soft, slurry sound. Like rushing water but without water’s music.
