Misplaced (133 page)

The
tallest
one
cleared
his
throat
and
addressed
them
with
an air of authority.
“
Are you looking for someone?”

This
w
as
one
of
those
times
it
w
as
best
for
V
ictoria
to
do
the
talking, so Khara said nothing.

“No
t
exactly,
”
V
ictori
a
ans
w
ered
.
“
W
e
hear
d
thi
s
w
a
s
a
really good place to
w
atch the eclipse.”

“It
sure
is.”
The
boy,
who
clearly
held
the
others
under
his
command,
narro
w
ed
his
e
y
es.
“Did
you
check
in
with
security
at the main gate?”

“W
e don’t ha
v
e time for that.”

H
e
notice
d
tha
t
the
y
w
er
e
w
earin
g
nothin
g
heavie
r
than
s
w
eaters. “Why not? The eclipse isn’t until tomorrow.”

“Our plan
w
as to camp here tonight.”

“Y
ou
’
l
l
nee
d
a
permi
t
fo
r
that
.
Th
e
securit
y
offic
e
i
s
jus
t
dow
n
th
e
road,
”
h
e
reported
,
hi
s
ton
e
no
w
challengin
g
and
tinged
with
suspicion.

He
nodded
in
the
direction
of
the
Jeep,
an
d
a
stock
y
bo
y
spa
t
o
n
th
e
groun
d
befor
e
lookin
g
inside,
shaking his head, and saying, “They don’t ha
v
e any gear.”

“Camping, huh?”

“I
un
d
er
s
tan
d
h
o
w
thi
s
m
a
y
l
oo
k,
”
s
h
e
sa
i
d
,
l
oo
kin
g
at
Khara, “but
w
e must get to Urraca Mesa.”

“Forge
t
it
,
n
o
one’
s
allo
w
e
d
u
p
there—civilia
n
o
r
otherwise.”

“Civilian?” Khara asked.

Th
e
littl
e
bo
y
wit
h
th
e
medica
l
bo
x
looke
d
u
p
a
t
Khara.
“Doncha know? Urraca Mesa is the gate
w
ay to hell.”

“I
s
it?
”
Khar
a
half-expecte
d
th
e
other
s
t
o
laugh
,
but
e
v
eryone
,
includin
g
V
ictoria
,
w
a
s
quiet
.
I
n
th
e
distance
,
she
spie
d
a
cit
y
o
f
tents
.
Th
e
peculia
r
uniform
s
the
y
wore—dirty
green
,
wit
h
scar
v
e
s
tie
d
aroun
d
th
e
head
s
an
d
necks
.
No
w
i
t
makes sense. The fifth
dimension is guarded by children!

The
small
boy
pulled
gently
on
her
hand
and
looked
at
her
wit
h
brow
n
e
y
e
s
softe
r
tha
n
a
puppy’s
.
“There’
s
ghost
s
up
there.”

Ne
v
er
one
to
gi
v
e
up,
V
ictoria
addressed
them
as
a
group.
“Bu
t
w
e
w
er
e
tol
d
it’
s
th
e
absolut
e
bes
t
plac
e
t
o
w
atc
h
the
eclipse.”

“See
that?”
The
tall
boy
pointed
southeast,
where
v
eins
of
white
lightning
shot
out
from
underneath
black
clouds.
“That’s
Urrac
a
Mesa
.
Th
e
plac
e
i
s
cursed
.
Compasses
,
cameras—
nothin
g
works
.
E
v
e
n
th
e
loca
l
tribe
s
don’
t
g
o
anywher
e
nea
r
it.”

V
ictori
a
stare
d
griml
y
a
t
th
e
horizon
.
Khara
,
wh
o
knew
the
bra
v
ado
she
w
as
capable
of,
could
not
tell
if
she
had
been
convinced. “It looks pretty
menacing, but
w
e still ha
v
e to go.”

“Y
o
u
g
o
u
p
there
,
there’
s
a
bette
r
tha
n
e
v
e
n
chanc
e
you
won’t come back.”

“I appreciate your concern. What’s your name, any
w
ay?”

“Trevor.”

“Listen,
Trevor.
I
appreciate
you
being
a
good
scout
and
all,
but
w
e ha
v
e to get there.”

“Rules are rules, ma
’
am.”

V
ictori
a
breathe
d
a
sig
h
ful
l
o
f
unmistakabl
e
frustration
and
despair.
“Look,
you
’
re
probably
not
going
to
belie
v
e
this,
but
there’s
no
time
for
anything
but
the
truth,”
she
began,
and
pointed
to
Khara.
“This
young
woman
is
an
Egyptian
princess
from
the
y
ear
2181
BC.
She
w
as
sent
here
by
mistake
and
needs
t
o
ge
t
home
.
A
Mescaler
o
shama
n
tol
d
u
s
Urrac
a
Mes
a
i
s
the
portal
to
another
dimension.
The
only
chance
she
has
to
return
to Egypt will be tomorrow morning.”

“Why?”

“Becaus
e
th
e
Apach
e
belie
v
e
th
e
eclips
e
wil
l
ope
n
the
portal.”
Th
e
bo
y
name
d
Trevo
r
steppe
d
close
r
t
o
V
ictoria
.
H
e
w
as
almos
t
he
r
height
,
wit
h
hai
r
s
o
shor
t
i
t
stoo
d
straigh
t
u
p
like
the
freshly
tanned
hide
of
a
cow.
The
bridge
of
his
nose
and
his
cheeks
w
ere
bronze
except
for
small
spots
where
his
skin
had
peeled from too much sun. “If she’s a princess, who are you?”