Shadow of the Otherverse (The Last Whisper of the Gods Saga Book 3) by James Berardinelli Page B
Authors: James Berardinelli
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help, but there were thousands of miles of coastline. If it was north and she went south…
The sea creatures weren’t helpful in determining the library’s location. Ferguson had suggested a landfall “just north of the great promontory” and a school of dolphins had indicated coming ashore here might put her at her desired location, but dolphins didn’t see things the way humans did. Not for the first time, she wished she had quizzed Ferguson in more detail about her goal, but what was done was done. She was on her own.
She had never seen trees like the ones here. Those around Vantok were small and, by comparison, stunted. The nearest forest to the city, some forty miles northeast, was well beyond the range of Alicia’s childhood roaming. Her trip to Widow’s Pass had been primarily through grasslands and the woodlands to the north, including those surrounding Ibitsal, were heavily populated by conifers. At that time of year, Winter had denuded the deciduous trees of their leaves, leaving behind branch skeletons. The gigantic specimens in this jungle radiated health and vitality. Her water senses were alive; this was a place where it rained daily. Once she entered, she would be wet. She welcomed the prospect.
Her nudity would be no more than a minor inconvenience. Since the continent was devoid of human inhabitants, there weren’t issues of propriety to be observed. On the other hand, her skin was soft so she would have to tread carefully to avoid painful scrapes and cuts. She could heal anything serious but it was the little wounds - too small to be worth expending the energy - that would make the journey uncomfortable. Her feet were a particular concern. If she could choose any article of clothing, it would have been a pair of hard-soled boots.
With the day’s light beginning to fade, Alicia decided not to venture beneath the trees today. Instead, she picked her way south along the beach. She didn’t see much in the way of animal life beyond the long-beaked birds that made food runs at the fish swimming in the shallows, but she wasn’t deceived. The jungle hid its share of creatures, both benign and threatening. She was close enough to the water that she had few concerns about defending herself if the need arose, and flight was always an option. The important thing was not to be taken unawares. Few wizards died in face-to-face confrontations; most fell when surprised.
She elected to spend the night on the beach with the comforting sound of the breakers close by. She summoned a large serpent from the ocean to watch over her while she slept - a useful and trustworthy guardian for the night. It curled protectively near her as she lay on a bed of seaweed that provided cushioning from the jagged stone fragments beneath her. As she gazed at the night sky, she wondered whether Sorial was seeing the same stars. She was unsure of the time differential. Was it night in Basingham or the middle of the day? She roused herself long enough to try once again to contact the mirror but her efforts met with failure. She stifled the twinge of worry. They had known from the beginning that this method of communication was flawed. The hope was that Sorial would find a means using earth that would prove more reliable.
Even with the reassuring presence of the 20-foot long snake nearby, the jungle intimidated Alicia. By the light of the stars, its green had become the deepest of blacks. The bird calls of the day were replaced by a cacophony of insect chirps and the more ominous noises of larger creatures: howls, yelps, and growls - not all of them distant. Gazing toward the jungle, she occasionally caught glimpses of pinpricks of light - eyes shining in the darkness. In the ocean, all creatures were her friends. In this benighted land of trees and vegetation, the same wasn’t true.
The night was half-done by the time she drifted into a restless slumber. Her dreams were dark and frightening, almost like those of one afflicted by a
The sea creatures weren’t helpful in determining the library’s location. Ferguson had suggested a landfall “just north of the great promontory” and a school of dolphins had indicated coming ashore here might put her at her desired location, but dolphins didn’t see things the way humans did. Not for the first time, she wished she had quizzed Ferguson in more detail about her goal, but what was done was done. She was on her own.
She had never seen trees like the ones here. Those around Vantok were small and, by comparison, stunted. The nearest forest to the city, some forty miles northeast, was well beyond the range of Alicia’s childhood roaming. Her trip to Widow’s Pass had been primarily through grasslands and the woodlands to the north, including those surrounding Ibitsal, were heavily populated by conifers. At that time of year, Winter had denuded the deciduous trees of their leaves, leaving behind branch skeletons. The gigantic specimens in this jungle radiated health and vitality. Her water senses were alive; this was a place where it rained daily. Once she entered, she would be wet. She welcomed the prospect.
Her nudity would be no more than a minor inconvenience. Since the continent was devoid of human inhabitants, there weren’t issues of propriety to be observed. On the other hand, her skin was soft so she would have to tread carefully to avoid painful scrapes and cuts. She could heal anything serious but it was the little wounds - too small to be worth expending the energy - that would make the journey uncomfortable. Her feet were a particular concern. If she could choose any article of clothing, it would have been a pair of hard-soled boots.
With the day’s light beginning to fade, Alicia decided not to venture beneath the trees today. Instead, she picked her way south along the beach. She didn’t see much in the way of animal life beyond the long-beaked birds that made food runs at the fish swimming in the shallows, but she wasn’t deceived. The jungle hid its share of creatures, both benign and threatening. She was close enough to the water that she had few concerns about defending herself if the need arose, and flight was always an option. The important thing was not to be taken unawares. Few wizards died in face-to-face confrontations; most fell when surprised.
She elected to spend the night on the beach with the comforting sound of the breakers close by. She summoned a large serpent from the ocean to watch over her while she slept - a useful and trustworthy guardian for the night. It curled protectively near her as she lay on a bed of seaweed that provided cushioning from the jagged stone fragments beneath her. As she gazed at the night sky, she wondered whether Sorial was seeing the same stars. She was unsure of the time differential. Was it night in Basingham or the middle of the day? She roused herself long enough to try once again to contact the mirror but her efforts met with failure. She stifled the twinge of worry. They had known from the beginning that this method of communication was flawed. The hope was that Sorial would find a means using earth that would prove more reliable.
Even with the reassuring presence of the 20-foot long snake nearby, the jungle intimidated Alicia. By the light of the stars, its green had become the deepest of blacks. The bird calls of the day were replaced by a cacophony of insect chirps and the more ominous noises of larger creatures: howls, yelps, and growls - not all of them distant. Gazing toward the jungle, she occasionally caught glimpses of pinpricks of light - eyes shining in the darkness. In the ocean, all creatures were her friends. In this benighted land of trees and vegetation, the same wasn’t true.
The night was half-done by the time she drifted into a restless slumber. Her dreams were dark and frightening, almost like those of one afflicted by a
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