There were other people on the plain, walking toward a gateway through which Julia saw a welcoming warm light, much like the warmth of love that had guided her from the darkness where Portia had tried to trap her. She wanted to go toward it.
“Julia!” Decius whispered sharply. “You shouldn’t be here! I shouldn’t be here,” he added in wonder.
“Shhh!” she said, her fear completely gone.
Just ahead of them, Master Clement and Pyrrhus walked with a woman between them, their arms linked through hers. It must be Portia, but not the shriveled crone Julia had known. This woman stood tall and strong, and her hair was unsilvered.
But she struggled, twisting in their grasp, and Julia recognized her face-a face marked with frustration and determination. Portia when, with all good intentions, she had first turned from the Reader’s Code, thinking the ends would justify her means.
“Look behind you, fools!” Portia spat. “Take me into death, and you take them as well!”
Even together, the two men could not hold her from forcing them to turn around.
“Julia! Deems!” exclaimed Master Clement. Julia could Read his dismay, and realized that Portia had used the insatiable curiosity of young Readers to bring hostages with her to the plane of the dead.
“Julia, let them take me and you are dead,” said Portia. “I will take you back to your world, give you my power-together we will rule!”
“You influenced me through your scrolls, Portia,” Julia said. “They made me accept you then-but they also made me know you. Now I see what your life made you. I will never become like you.”
“You’ll never have the chance. Clement is about to abandon you. Neither Decius nor Pyrrhus can take you home. If you would live, you must help me to live again!”
Julia stared at Master Clement. “Is it true?”
“I must take Portia through the portal,” he replied. “Otherwise, she will not go.”
“But what about us? Do we have to die too?”
“Yes!” Portia hissed. “Pyrrhus is dead already-he can never return to his body. You will die unless Clement takes you home.”
“No!” said Decius, taking Julia’s hand. “I’ve moved from one plane to another before. I’ll get us home.”
Portia laughed. “You’ll be lost on the planes of existence!”
Master Clement, for all his experience, had become lost when he brought Portia here before. How could Decius find the way?
Portia drew strength from Julia’s fear-and Decius’.
Pyrrhus said, “Portia is right. Take them home, Master Clement. I will take Portia through the portal.”
“No,” said Master Clement. “I must complete the task I failed before. You will take Julia and Decius home, Master Pyrrhus.”
Julia Read Pyrrhus’ shock. “I can’t be a Master Reader,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to Read once I returned. If I could return.”
“Then be a Lord Adept,” Master Clement replied. “My work in that world is finished. You have much to do yet, Lord Pyrrhus.” He turned away as if the matter were settled, and spoke to Decius.
“Decius, learn to use both your powers well. You may be both a Master Reader and a Lord Adept one day.”
“Yes, Master,” Decius said uncertainly.
“And Julia,’ her teacher told her, “your powers are great for one so young-I underestimated you, child.
It never occurred to me that you could leave your body, let alone follow us here.”
“You see, Julia?” said Portia. “Clement did not appreciate your powers-and now you will die for it!”
Despite herself, fear swelled in Julia. Portia fed upon it, and broke free of Master Clement’s grasp. “I am your only hope, child,” she said, reaching for Julia’s hand. “Let me take you safely home, teach you to use your powers, not deny them!”
Julia shrank from the grasping hand. “I’m afraid of being lost-but I’m much more afraid of becoming like you!”
Master Clement recaptured Portia. “You won’t be lost, Julia,” he told her. “Pyrrhus will take you home.
You will study, and gain control of your powers. Your father will aid you to use them wisely, as will your mother-and you must help them with your little sister.”
“Yes, Master,” Julia said helplessly.
They turned and moved toward the beckoning light once more, only Portia struggling futilely. The rest were drawn to it-Julia wondered why she should want to go back when the promise of joy and peace lay ahead, through the portal.
The first rays of light touched them.
Portia screamed and writhed as if she were burned!
Both Master Clement and Pyrrhus had to exert their full strength to hold her. She was burning. They could Read her pain, see flames engulf her struggling form.
Portia’s agony was transmitted to the two men holding her, but they would not let her go, let her escape.
Master Clement moved ahead, pulling Portia with him, reaching across her to disengage Pyrrhus’ hands as he moved farther into the brightness.
The old Master was almost blotted out by the brilliance. Julia squinted against it, seeing Portia still writhing, trying to seize the advantage when Pyrrhus let her go-but she could not escape Master Clement’s grip.
And then, to Julia’s amazement, the woman’s struggles ceased.
The flames were washed away by the brilliance of the pure light-and Julia understood that they had been Portia’s last defense. As they faded, the brilliant light increased. Julia could not be sure of what she saw in that blinding light, but it seemed to be Portia as she had been when she first became Master of Masters-young, bright, honest, and determined to use her powers for good. She stared into the light, and it seemed to Julia that a warm smile made her unutterably beautiful.
And then the two forms disappeared in the blinding light.
Instinctively, Julia and Decius stared to follow-but Pyrrhus grasped their arms. “It is not your time,” he said. “You must go back now.”
With gentle firmness, he turned them away from the beckoning light. “Read with me.”
They did-and all light was gone!
Again the sickening twist, chaos, darkness, whirling winds.
The illusion of a physical body gone Julia struggled to stay in rapport with Pyrrhus and Decius as they r
plummeted and twisted through the planes of existence.
Pyrrhus in control of his Reading was a clear, strong force-no question that he was a Master Reader.
He brought them to a halt in a starry void, peaceful and beautiful. But they were not on the ground looking up at stars; they were disembodied minds floating, with the stars around them in every direction.
“Picture our physical world,” Pyrrhus instructed, “the room we left-now!”
There was that odd twisting feeling again-and they were minds floating in nothingness. Even the stars were gone. Julia could not control her thought: “This isn’t home!”
It was a vacuum that sucked at her as if it would draw her mind out into millions of separate bits, out of contact.
“Julia!”
Pyrrhus was there, and Decius. “It’s the plane of privacy,” said Decius-although in the naked clarity of thought here she perceived that he merely hoped that was “where” they were.
“Again,” directed Pyrrhus. “Aradia’s room, our bodies in the circle.”
But Julia had forgotten what it was like to have a physical body. She shared Decius’ and Pyrrhus’
attempts to reach out for their bodies, but they were as unsuccessful as she was. Panic ruined her concentration. She began to fear they would never get home, but Pyrrhus’ strong, gentle intelligence insisted, “We will get there. You will return, even if I cannot. Read for-ah!”
Julia felt it, too-the sweet, silly, frightened but brave presence that was Wicket’s unmistakable mental aura. Clumsy but determined, he sent out a wordless call to Pyrrhus. They followed it.