Newcombe continued to fidget, as if the conversation had once more escaped his control.
"Something else you want to add, Doc?"
"No, I agree. He probably wants to find the city for that purpose. But…well…yes, there's something else you need to know."
He took a deep breath. "Have you ever heard of atomic power? It's something that a number of scientists have been working to develop. I won't go into the details, but it is believed to be possible to release enormous amounts of energy by breaking apart atoms — infinitely small particles of matter. The problem is the best candidates for releasing such energy are transuranic elements, which are highly radioactive. You could receive a lethal dose of radiation just from being too close to these elements. And there are, even now, scientists who are trying to figure out how to use the process to build a bomb that could destroy an entire city and irradiate the landscape, making it uninhabitable for years to come."
"And that's what Schadel wants?" Jocasta asked. "Atom power?"
"No, you misunderstand. I merely meant to illustrate the risks inherent in trying to find greater sources of power. You cannot have something for nothing. And there are always unexpected consequences. That is what happened to the ancient civilization that built the Outpost. I told you that I could never figure out how the devices were able to make use of the earth's energy. When I touched that pillar, I finally discovered the answer.
"The men whose memories I experienced were wardens and the Outpost was a prison built to hold one extraordinary individual. He was their greatest mind; his genius was beyond the capacity of those men to comprehend; to them he was a magician. He found a way to open the door to other universes—"
"Other universes?" Dodge shook his head. "That's beyond science fiction, Doc. That's the stuff of fairy tales."
"In a way, you're absolutely right. It is almost certain that other universes exist, but everything about them would be completely alien to us. Our best attempt to understand such planes of existence would be to think of them as spiritual experiences; fairy realms, heaven and hell, wonderland. In fact, it seems likely that knowledge of these universes has shaped our mythology ever since… well, ever since the time of this ancient civilization.
"The prisoner at the Outpost discovered a way to open the door between these worlds, but that was only the beginning. His greatest accomplishment was in containing the entities that reside there and bringing them into our universe."
“Containing them?” Dodge saw the connection. "The strange metal."
"Exactly. I can't fathom how he did it, but this ancient scientist was able to trap those entities the way a child might catch fireflies in a jar."
"Or a genie in a lamp?" Jocasta suggested.
Newcombe inclined his head. "A very apt analogy. In this case, he trapped them in those columns. These entities are, like the universe they inhabit, beyond our ability to comprehend, but my hypothesis is that they are very reactive to focused human thought. They make it possible for someone using one of those metal devices to tap into the earth's energy. The flying devices do so in a very specific way, while the object that you call the Staff—"
"Is the master key," Jocasta finished. "But there would have to be more than one. You wouldn't ship something so important off to the ends of the earth if it was one of a kind."
"That's where you're wrong. You need to hear the rest. As you can well imagine, the entities on the other side did not appreciate being taken and used this way. They could not take physical action against their captors, because in truth, they do not have a physical existence, but they could manipulate the thoughts of humans who used their devices. Naturally, the scientist who made these discoveries was the first to be corrupted. He became their vessel and through him, a war was begun that nearly destroyed the earth. He was captured eventually and imprisoned in the Outpost, but the damage was already done. The risk inherent in the use of this technology was understood and so all of it was removed to the Outpost. Except of course for the columns, they were much too dangerous to move. Even that wasn't enough to save them; their civilization was completely destroyed."
Dodge chewed over this. "So Fuller…Schadel…basically used the Staff to tell the column to start heating up or maybe to destroy itself."
"Or it may be that the entity trapped within the column compelled him to give that command. Only by destroying the columns can their imprisonment end."
"And in order to destroy the columns," Dodge added, "they have to destroy the entire planet."
"Just like the prophecy," Jocasta murmured. "Schadel makes the earth uninhabitable."
Newcombe glanced at her, not comprehending, but Dodge steered the conversation back. "We have to assume that the Staff is the only thing that can stop this and that Schadel has the only one. We know he wants to find the ancient city, so that's where we have to go. Doc, you're the only one who's seen this place. The memories you experienced… there's got to be something in them that will help us."
"You mentioned mountains," Jocasta said. "Mountains running east to west. Process of elimination; how many can there be?"
"Hundreds." Newcombe closed his eyes, as if consulting a mental relief map. "But most of the major mountain ranges of the Western Hemisphere run north to south, so that narrows it down somewhat. Perhaps if I had access to a library and a stack of photographic magazines, I might recognize something."
Dodge bit his lip to hide his frustration. "I guess it's our only lead."
"There is another angle to consider," Jocasta said. "Schadel doesn't know where it is either. And it's him we're looking for."
"What are you suggesting?"
For the first time since he had met her, Jocasta looked uncomfortable. "Schadel believes he's the prophesized Child of Skulls, destined to bring the earth to ruin. Everything he does will be guided by his understanding of that prophecy."
"So you're saying we should learn as much as we can about the prophecy, so that we can outthink him?"
"That's what your friend the priest decided to do. They were going to London to visit this Trevayne Society. Now, I've never heard of Trevayne, but my contacts in London may be able to put us in touch with your friends."
Although it didn't sound like a solution to their immediate problem, for a fleeting instant, the prospect of seeing his friends again, of being with Molly again, filled him joy.
"However," Jocasta continued in a grave voice. "There's something else you need to know."
The heavens opened up.
In the space of only a few minutes, the streets filled with water and emptied of people. Lightning flashes danced in the black clouds that had appeared as if from nowhere and thunder rattled the steel canopy that was their only protection from the downpour. The gray Lanchester plowed through the deluge, more a boat than a car, but the six inches of water on the paving stones proved even more of an impediment than the traffic. A liquid curtain covered the windows faster than the windshield wipers could whisk the water away.
Chadwick stopped the car in the middle of the street. "Just give it a few minutes," he said. "It will clear up."
And clear up it did. It was as if someone had turned off the tap. Although the monsoon clouds still hovered above the city, throwing off thunderbolts like some angry god, the sky overhead was clear. The streets shed water, some of it running into the gutters and some of it evaporating in a haze of humidity.
"There it is." Chadwick pointed to the city skyline, now revealed as the shroud of water dribbled from the windshield. A tall reddish-colored tower, like a finger pointing at the sky, jutted above the city, directly ahead. "The Qutab Minar."
"That's the pillar?" Molly marveled. "It's enormous."