Titans of Chaos

Dream Storm

We fell down a long steep slide, down a shaft of naked air, past walls of unsupported ripplingwater. Overhead was a roof of water equally unsupported and impossible: an upside-down river.

The trapdoor made of rippling water fell shut behind us. The flames that still were shooting afterus merely flew on by overhead, filling the stone tunnel we had just quit.

The light here came from the glimmering silver of the phosphorescent hull, and from the leapingand rippling light receding so rapidly behind us, a white-hot flame seen through a wall of boilingwater.

The cell phone asked Colin for help. Colin rolled Victor's stiff body over on its back and, puttinghis shoulder to Victor's spine, levered him more or less upright.

The third eye opened, glittering azure.

The silver ship-glow and dwindling flame light was joined by the dim blue light from Victor's thirdeye, of course. Useful to have a built-in flashlamp, I suppose.

Colin said, "Leader! Victor wants to try turning your powers back on. He says he's only gotenough power for one try. You want to stand over here, please?"

Quentin said, "In the middle of a battle is the best time to experiment with untested superpowers.

Sure. Zap me. If I become incapacitated, Victor is second-in-command. Then Amelia, Vanity,Colin, in that order."

Colin muttered, "Hmph-! Fifth-in-command. Thanks a lot."

Quentin said back, "It's for all those nights you kept me awake with your chatter after lights-out.

Ready when you are, Victor."

A streaming azure beam played across Quentin's face for a moment. His features were lit frombelow, throwing the shadow of his cheeks and nose across his forehead. The effect gave his face asinister cast.

The beam turned cherry red, then saffron, which melted into a ray of purest gold. Now Quentin'sfeatures looked pure, ennobled with a solemn, living energy.

The shadow Quentin cast across the deck grew black as ink, solid-seeming, and streamed awayfrom his feet, growing larger and darker as the beam of gold light played down across Quentin'schest, stomach, and legs. The beam twinkled for a moment at his feet, and the shadow swelled upalong the speed-blurred watery walls of the tube of liquid through which we flew, and noddedhigh above us.

Then the shadow faded and vanished.

Vanity said, "Did it work?"

Quentin picked up a belaying pin and whispered a word to it. There was no visible effect, butsuddenly I had goose bumps, and a sensation that some potent and inhuman will was regardingme.