Misplaced (121 page)

“I don’t, but maybe as much as ten times faster.”

“Y
es
,
I
see
.
Suc
h
a
lar
g
e
,
heav
y
c
r
af
t
wo
u
l
d
re
q
uir
e
enormou
s
speed to lift a
w
ay from the ground.”

“Don’t ask me what the formula for that one is.”

“The
other
night,
I
w
atched
a
program
about
Einstein.
He
suggeste
d
tha
t
th
e
concep
t
o
f
tim
e
an
d
spac
e
w
er
e
relati
v
e
to
the
speed
of
the
obser
v
er.
Wouldn’t
that
change
the
reality
of
tra
v
e
l
fo
r
eac
h
person
?
Tha
t
make
s
mor
e
sens
e
t
o
me
.
Still
,
it
lea
v
es
many
unans
w
ered
questions.”
She
smiled
absently
and
w
atched the white lines on the road blend together.

Khara
w
as
often
quiet
for
long
periods
of
time.
V
ictoria
had
a
n
ide
a
o
f
th
e
thing
s
tha
t
fille
d
he
r
min
d
an
d
le
t
he
r
be
.
She
had
ne
v
er
known
this
sort
of
companionship.
There
w
ere
still
time
s
whe
n
th
e
lon
g
silence
s
bet
w
ee
n
the
m
fel
t
lik
e
a
rough
wool
s
w
eater
against
her
skin,
y
et
she
pictured
the
two
of
them
a
s
ol
d
women
,
peelin
g
potatoe
s
the
y
ha
d
grow
n
themsel
v
es.
By
then
she
would
ha
v
e
learned
to
ride,
and
they
might
e
v
en
ha
v
e
a
couple
of
horses.
She
would
be
the
adored
great-aunt
of
Khar
a
an
d
Oli
v
e
r
’
s
grandchildren
.
Mos
t
likel
y
the
y
woul
d
ha
v
e
separate
residences
that
o
v
erlooked
a
city—maybe
not
one
as
large
as
El
P
aso,
but
definitely
larger
than
Ruidoso.
It
w
as
the
kind
of
daydreaming
V
ictoria
rarely
allo
w
ed
herself,
and
when
she checked the mirror, she saw a dumb smile on her face.

“
T
urn around,” Khara commanded with a shrill edge.

“Why?”

“That marker
w
e just passed—please, I need to get out.”

Th
e
brake
s
screeched
,
an
d
V
ictori
a
thre
w
th
e
Jee
p
i
n
re
v
erse.
I
t
seeme
d
routin
e
enough—
a
high
w
a
y
sig
n
reading
,
“Three
Ri
v
ers
P
etroglyph
Site:
One-quarter
Mile.”
But
it
w
as
the
small,
abstrac
t
glyp
h
underneat
h
th
e
direction
s
tha
t
ha
d
captured
Khara’s
attention.
Nothing
about
the
design
seemed
unusual;
th
e
intricate
,
close-se
t
patter
n
o
f
smal
l
circle
s
forme
d
a
rounded
square,
and
smaller
dots
radiated
in
pinwheel
fashion
from
a
circular hub.
V
ictoria thought it had a rather modern
look to it.

“What about it?”

Khara
w
alked
around
the
sign
twice
before
returning
to
the
passenger seat, proclaiming, “Nandor continues to guide us.”

Now
there
would
be
no
turning
her
back.
A
sarcastic
sigh
passed
V
ictoria’s
lips.
“Really.
Y
ou
got
all
that
from
a
high
w
ay
sign?”

The
v
eil
of
fanaticism
had
already
fallen
o
v
er
Khara’s
e
y
es.
“It’
s
impossibl
e
fo
r
yo
u
t
o
know
,
bu
t
thi
s
design
,
exactl
y
a
s
you
se
e
i
t
here
,
w
a
s
on
e
o
f
th
e
scar
s
abo
v
e
Nando
r
’
s
brow
.
I
tel
l
you,
this is no coincidence.”

Upo
n
close
r
inspectio
n
o
f
th
e
glyph
,
insignifican
t
an
d
meant
onl
y
t
o
hin
t
a
t
th
e
historica
l
mysterie
s
ahead
,
V
ictori
a
sensed
something ominous and familiar. “Now what?”

“W
e
continu
e
ou
r
journe
y
a
s
planned
.
Thi
s
i
s
hi
s
w
a
y
of
telling us
w
e are on the correct path.”

“W
ell, I certainly feel better
now.”

“Y
ou
realize
that
your
sarcasm
demonstrates
a
certain
sense
o
f
insecurity,
”
sh
e
said
,
frowning
.
“Wh
y
d
o
yo
u
continually
den
y
tha
t
whic
h
yo
u
kno
w
t
o
b
e
true
?
Y
ou
’
l
l
se
e
soo
n
enough—
something wonderful a
w
aits us in the City of Faith.”

V
ictori
a
instantl
y
regretted
he
r
cynica
l
tongu
e
a
s
Khara
leane
d
bac
k
i
n
th
e
seat
,
w
aitin
g
fo
r
th
e
cloud
s
t
o
part
.
Gi
v
e
n
the
lat
e
hour
,
ho
w
e
v
er
,
th
e
cloud
s
ha
d
n
o
bette
r
destinatio
n
and
lingere
d
stubbornly
.
Ther
e
woul
d
b
e
n
o
stargazin
g
tonigh
t
and,
judging from Khara’s pee
v
ed expression, no more talk.