But not quietly enough for Kyros not to hear and respond.

"Sick, Captain Scott? Really? Why not come up here and see for yourself?"

Then the commlink went dead.

But the laughter still filled the serpentine chamber, gradually receding.

Because now the laughter wasn't coming over the commlink.

Now, the voice was coming from somewhere ahead of them.

"It's you, Ivan. You who I want to see, brother." He said the last word with such disdain, such venom, that it made Ivan's skin crawl, and his hands squeezed his rifle.

He turned to the others.

"Maybe you all better stay here, and I'll go ahead-"

"No chance," Annie said at the same time Jordan said, "You forget our deal?"

Ivan looked at them, not sure he remembered any "deal."

"No hero cards." Jordan looked at the other three passengers. "And no way we're leaving them behind."

"All for one?" Ivan said.

"And one for all," Jordan responded.

"And I thought you said you didn't read."

But any amusement was quickly cut off when Kyros's voice reverberated through the cavern with metal walls.

"I'm waiting, brother. You are so close."

Ivan nodded, accepting the inevitable.

He accepted that he didn't have any more cards to play. All he had was the trust in Jordan and Annie, and the solid weight of the pulse rifle in his hands.

Then he cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted as loud as he could, "Kyros, I'm coming!"

Silence ... except for the vines, which were still humming.

A steady chorus in the quiet chamber.

Stating the obvious, Jordan said: "Guns ready?"

And Ivan led them forward, around the wide curve of the entrance and farther into what he now thought of as "the machine."

The long, winding corridor, like an umbilical cord, opened up into an enormous arena-sized room.

Even more astounding than the size of the open space was the huge object-if, indeed, it was a single object-that it housed.

It consisted of towering stacks of the mammoth polyhedral blocks stacked side by side and atop one another. Many had sharp edges and spiky projections that resembled blue ice spears darting out in a dozen different directions.

Above it all, bizarre, intricate clockwork machinery was turning ... thousands of Mobius striplike shapes turning and twisting. The walls all around were arrayed with blinking and flashing lights, and moving machinery that made low, arrhythmic sounds that shook the walls and air.

"This is-" Ivan started to say, but Ruth cut him off.

"The Builders..." Her voice was hushed with awe, and Ivan looked at the expression of awe and reverence on her face ... the glow in her eyes.

"I'll tell you this," Ivan said as he started moving along. "My brother isn't any Builder."

As they moved cautiously out into the wide expanse of the arena, Ivan looked up at one wall and saw an opening. And inside that gap-a stone chair, more like a throne that all but engulfed the person sprawled on it.

And behind that person, a confusing and elaborate display of machinery, and in front, a control panel floated, suspended in the air.

The man in the chair-even at this distance-easy to recognize.

Kyros.

With a wave, Kyros moved the control panel aside, and standing up, began to clap his hands in a slow, steady cadence that was more mocking than laudatory.

"Well done, my brother. We'll done."

Ivan said nothing as he stared at his brother, but he did notice that Jordan moved a short distance to one side. Trying to flank him. Good ...

"I was surprised you survived all of the little safeguards."

Ivan stopped walking, thinking his brother looked too relaxed.

No tension. No alarm. Not even a weapon in hand.

Ivan wasn't fooled and didn't have to remind himself of the death and destruction Kyros had unleashed on the Road stations.

He's insane, Ivan thought. Don't ever forget that.

Then, moving forward, Kyros held out his hand. "I'll relieve you of that crystal now."

"I thought you wanted me?"

Even at this distance, Ivan detected a tight smile.

"Oh, I have you. Some of our people, the old-time Runners, are still loyal to you. But when they see you, they'll think that you betrayed them"-his voice rose-"when they understand that you are a goddamn traitor to the cause. They will see..."

Kyros's body appeared to be suddenly much larger, inflating like a balloon.

"That you betrayed the Runners. You betrayed our cause-the cause so many of us gave our lives for, they will know, and they will demand that you pay for what you've done!"

Kyros appeared to hover like a phantom above the stone floor.

Jordan kept moving off to one side.

"Steady," Ivan whispered.

Kyros clenched his fist and pointed it directly at Ivan, but his voice became quiet ... steady ... even sounding reasonable.

"Give me the crystal, Ivan, and I'll let them all live."

"How can I trust you?"

"You'll have to take my word for it."

"Doesn't sound like a bargain I'm willing to make." Ivan's grip tightened on his pulse rifle, but he sensed-no, he knew-Kyros had to have some kind of defensive shielding.

He was brave enough in battle, but he wouldn't risk such a confrontation ... not without protection.

"I will have the crystal." The high note of insanity was back. "One way or another."

Ivan inched forward, a few steps closer.

Kyros didn't react.

Ivan sensed Jordan moving farther to the right. Not wanting to betray him, Ivan didn't glance at the gunner. He knew he could trust him to size up the situation and do what he had to do.

Then more movement. Annie. Shifting to the left.

The others-Ruth, Sinjira, and Rodriguez-remained perfectly still. This was their battle, too, but what could they do, unarmed?

Then Sinjira started moving away, slowly ... distancing herself from the other two.

Kyros glared at them, his smile broad and toadlike.

When he moved, though, he didn't bring up a weapon.

Instead, his hand brushed something on the hovering control panel. Ribbons of arcing blue light glowed above the machine.

"Why do you want the crystal?" Ivan said.

"Why?" Kyros laughed to himself.

His hand now pointing straight up. The writing blue energy, looking incredibly like shimmering water, surrounded his hand like a glove. The energy rose toward the ceiling, snapping, twisting.

A sizzling hiss filled the area.

"Because of this, Ivan! This is what you and I and all of us have always dreamed of."

Ivan looked up and said as casually as he could, "And what would that be?"

Truth was, he was both amazed and confused by the weird energy that Kyros seemed-somehow-to control.

Or did it control him?

But as the blue plasma continued to rise, Ivan-never taking his eyes off his brother-got a first wave of understanding.

Intuition.

The amazing truth of what Kyros was pointing at ...

He held his breath as Kyros laughed softly and then spoke.

41.

THE ENDLESS ROAD.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of," Kyros said.

Ivan looked up at him.

Overhead, more of those subtly waving vines.

Humming louder now, and gradually lengthening as Kyros stood beneath them. Was he also getting larger? Or was it an illusion?

He stared at his brother.

"What is this place, Kyros?"

Ivan was aware that Annie and Jordan had each moved even farther to the right and left.

Had Kyros noticed as well?

So far, Kyros appeared to be unaware anyone was moving.

Even when Ivan started walking up the wide, stone steps toward him. Gun in hand.

His brother took another step away from the chair and the floating console and came down a step toward him.

He nodded to the dazzling array above them.

"The Road, Ivan. This entire thing. Right there. It's what we always-"

He moved even closer to Ivan.