The Pilgrims of Rayne by D.J. MacHale Read Free Book Online Page B

him.”
    â€œI should have been with him from the start,” she said. Classic Courtney. “We’re going to make things right, don’t worry.”
    Patrick told me, “If I find out anything more about Mark Dimond, I’ll send a note to your acolyte.”
    Courtney wiggled her finger bearing her Traveler ring. “That would be me.”
    There was an awkward moment. Nobody knew how to say good-bye. It was Patrick who put the situation into perspective.
    â€œIt’s started,” he said. “Whatever the Convergence is, it feels like Saint Dane is pulling the pieces together by orchestrating events here on Earth.”
    â€œPulling the pieces together?” Courtney asked. “Or ripping them apart?”
    I added, “Saint Dane told me a long time ago that all he had to do was tip over one territory and the rest would fall like dominos. He said the first was Denduron. It wasn’t. With the territories being mixed and history changing, I’m beginning to feel as if those dominos are finally lining up.”
    We exchanged dark looks. Courtney broke the tension by declaring, “This isn’t over.”
    We said our good-byes and made our way to the flume. After making sure we weren’t being watched, we quickly slipped down onto the tracks and ran for the star that marked the gate. Our timing was just right, for when we reached it, the light of an oncoming monorail train appeared in the distance. I pushed on the star and the door instantly opened. Courtney and I ducked inside and closed the door with plenty of time to spare before the train sped by. We stood together and gazed into the mouth of the flume.
    â€œShould we put our Second Earth clothes back on?” she asked.
    â€œNah, we’ll only have to change again on the other side.”
    Courtney nodded. “Hey, the quig is gone,” she exclaimed.
    Sure enough, the vicious dog she had blasted into dreamland was nowhere to be seen. I drew no conclusions, but was thankful we didn’t have to deal with that snarling monster.
    Courtney pulled the silver weapon from her pocket. “I should leave this here. It doesn’t belong on First Earth.”
    I looked at the silver cylinder. It didn’t belong on Second or Third Earth either. Not really. It was a weapon that was developed on Quillan.
    â€œBring it,” I said with finality. “I’m tired of playing by the rules.”
    â€œYou sure?” Courtney asked cautiously.
    â€œNo, but if First Earth is back in play, there might be quigs there. If you see one, nail it.”
    Courtney nodded and slipped the cylinder back into her pocket. She reached out and took my hand. “I don’t know if we’re doing the right thing, but it’s the only thing.”
    Together we stepped into the mouth of the flume.
    â€œFirst Earth!” I shouted. The flume sprang to life. The giant rock tube began to writhe. Far in the distance a light appeared that quickly grew brighter as it came to carry us away. The dark walls melted into crystal, revealing the sparkling stars beyond them. The jumble of sweet musical notes grew louder. I felt the slight tug of energy pulling us into the void…and we were off.
    Â 
    We didn’t talk much on our journey back through time. I think we both made up our minds that we were going to stop guessing at what we might find, and wait until we actually found it. That didn’t stop me from thinking, though. And worrying about Mark. How did Saint Dane convince him to change the course of history? What had happened? The computer said he was last seen in November of 1937. Whathappened to him after that? Did he go to another territory? My only hope was that we would arrive with enough time to track him down and stop him from introducing his Forge technology to the world. No, that’s not true. That wasn’t my only hope. I also hoped we wouldn’t be faced with another turning point on First