Suddenly the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He jammed the scroll back into the cylinder, and shoved it into the sack. He dropped the torch and bolted for the entrance of the cave. With wings on his feet, he raced down the slope, and up the adjoining hill.

He ran until he couldn't run any longer. He stopped and placing his hands on his knees, he breathed in and out, trying to get his heart back under control. He looked over his shoulder, and almost screamed like a woman. In the distance, Riverdog was running after him. Atherton had nearly a mile head start on him, but the Indian boy was closing fast. 'Damn, that kid can run!"

Tightening his grip on the satchel, he flew toward the reservation as if the devil were after him, which he was. Unbelievably, Riverdog had closed the gap to less than a quarter mile as Atherton threw himself into the driver's seat of the RV. The engine started without protest. He jammed on the gas, and rolled away. Atherton looked in his mirror, and was shocked to see that he was still following him. He shot down the road doing 60 miles an hour, and careened through town.

Soon he was headed down 285 South toward the safety of his dome house. He stopped for nothing except gas. It took him nearly seven hours, but he eventually pulled onto the unmarked road that led to his property. He drove around to the back of the house so the RV wouldn't be visible from the road. With a great sigh, he slumped behind the wheel for a long time. When he finally had the strength to move he gathered up the sack of stuff he'd stolen from the cave, and reached under the dash for the necklace. Making his way into his house, he batted away the cobwebs. He went into the back room, and revealed the hidden keyhole. Soon he was in the secret room under the floor of his house.

He moved everything off of his table including his typewriter and spread out his bounty. Wanting to be able to see more, he lit the kerosene lamp that was hanging from the rafters. The chess pieces fascinated him. They were very elaborate and detailed. He wondered where the white king and queen were. And the missing pawn, too. The scroll casing was very elaborate and detailed. It was made out of a strange metal that resembled silver, but was much lighter in weight. He again removed the scroll and unrolled it fully to study it. He was surprised to discover that there were two pieces of paper rolled together. At the top of each, there was an elaborate symbol. The first one was a circle bisected by a line. At each point on the circle where the line hit, there were curls and small jutting leaves. At the top of the second scroll, there was a small triangle with two lines that circled around it. He traced the figures lightly, and wondered what it all meant. He suddenly remembered that there was something else in the sack. He reached in and pulled out a square box. He opened it up, and could barely contain a gasp in surprise.

Who would have guessed that a man like Nasedo would have owned such a fancy man's bracelet? It was fashioned out of the same silvery metal used on the canister that the scrolls came in. On it's top was the same symbol as the second scroll, but on ether side, there were two highly elaborate figures. He didn't know what to make of it. They almost appeared to be crests, like a family coat-of-arms to him, but heaven only knew what their actual significance was. He fitted the bracelet over his own wrist. It was tight enough to hinder his circulation, but he wanted to wear it regardless.

Filled with sudden inspiration, he returned his typewriter to the table. He went back outside to the van to get the notes he'd written up on Nasedo for the past few months. On the way back in, he began feeling light headed. There were spots dancing in front of his eyes as he put his notes on the floor next to his chair. The room began a slow swirl around him, and he began to panic over what could be happening to him. He glanced down at his hands and nearly fainted. The arm that he'd put the bracelet on was turning black. His hand was nearly twice its normal size. He had to get the bracelet off - now!

Fighting back the darkness that was threatening to take him over, he struggled to remove the alien thing from his arm. He knew that if he passed out he would not wake up. Just when he thought it was over, the thing finally slipped off of him and fell to the floor with a metallic clatter. Instantly, he began to feel better. After a few minutes, he was back in control, and he stooped to pick it up from the floor. He swiftly returned it to its box, vowing never to touch it again. Suddenly wary of the other objects he'd taken, he returned everything back into the sack. He would need a good place to hide them, he decided. He put the sack on the bookshelf for now.

Pulling out the chair at the desk, he sat down and inserted a piece of paper into the typewriter. After spending an hour reviewing his notes, he began to type.

Maria paced in front of the minivan for twenty minutes. She climbed in and listened to the radio for another thirty. She watched the stars come out for another ten. Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer. If they hadn't found the Sword by now, then it was probably gone. She was resolved to talk her friends into leaving this place. She could barely force herself to enter the building. "Hey guys?" she shouted from the foyer. "Guys? I think we should leave." There was no answer, and she began to get scared all over again. "Guys, this isn't funny," she said as she moved forward on legs that were shaking. "Michael?"

The interior of the house was getting dark with the setting of the sun, but she remembered the location of the trapdoor. "Alex, come on. This isn't funny anymore, ok? I'm really scared."

The door was still open like she'd left it. She felt her way down the stairs. In the little light that managed to trickle down to the lower level, she could make out the forms of her friends. They were all laying on the ground. "Oh my god!" She rushed over to Michael. He was slumped on the floor in an unnatural position. His breathing sounded painful. The heavy typewriter that had been sitting on the table was on the ground next to him.

She placed her hand on his chest, and it felt strange. Like... She quickly ran her hands up and down his sides. As far as she could tell, several of his ribs were broken. He needed to get to a hospital like right now, she decided.

She would need help carrying him... She ran over to Alex next. Her life-long friend was writhing on the ground like he was having convulsions, or a really intense nightmare. "Alex!" She yelled in his ear while shaking his shoulder. He didn't respond. She tried again. He continued to shake and twitch. She didn't know what was going on with him, but physically he seemed fine. Maybe Isabel could figure out what was happening to him, she thought.

She looked around for the other girl and found her on the other side of the room. She was unconscious, and blood was pooling under her from a head injury. Maria called her name. She groaned. Encouraged, Maria continued to shake her and call her name. "Isabel, please. You have to wake up. You have to help me out, here."

"Maria?" Isabel's voice seemed to be coming from a long way away.

"Thank god! Isabel. Isabel! Wake up. Isabel something is wrong with Alex, and Michael needs a doctor. Isabel!"

Isabel slumped back to the floor.

"Isabel!" Maria screamed. At first she thought that the other girl had died, but her chest continued to rise and fall.

She looked around the room. All of a sudden, she felt like the smallest person on the Earth. Three of the people she cared about most in the world were all possibly dying, needing her, and she was inadequate to help them. She could barely take care of herself. She wished that Max or Liz was there. Both of them would know what to do in this situation. 'If only she had Max's healing powers,' she thought. Then she would be able to help. She felt so useless. About the only thing she was good for was lunch.

Lunch! She suddenly remembered the bag she'd packed to bring with her. The Healing Stones were in it. With the Stones, she could heal Michael and Isabel, and they could help Alex, and then the four of them could get out of there!