Ananka's Discovery

"Poison," Ananka answered. "Well then it is a good thing I don't eat dirt," Fred smiled. "You don't have to," Ananka frowned, "just being near the poison will eventually kill you." Fred took a step back. Astra scowled, "Well then throw it away!" "I'm afraid it isn't that easy," Ananka said and closed the box. "The poison is all around us; in the sand and dirt, in the air and the water. It is this poison that is killing the people of Quaz'hawad."

"Then we are all dead," Astra said with fatal resolve.

"No, we're not," Ananka replied with hope. "Whatever this poison is, it isn't magic. Which is a good thing since I'm not a mage. I'm a doctor of natural philosophy and luckily what we face here lies squarely in my area of expertise. From what Carradene and Synizn discovered in Panaras and what Malachi and her physicians learned in Quaz'hawad, I have been able to direct my studies of both this mysterious poison and the Phage into some very enlightening directions."

Synizn's ears pricked up. Since leaving Panaras he hadn't given the Phage much thought; what had been done had been done. And then there was the problem with the slipgate, which he still hadn't come to any understanding of. And of course there was his reunion with Malachi and the adventures since. But if Ananka and her knowledge of the natural sciences had uncovered something, Synizn was most curious to find out what it was.

"Firstly this poison," Ananka began. "It most definitely was a part of the Lizard Men's attack. We now know that their weapons fell from the sky and exploded with great force wherever they landed. The poison was released with the fiery bombardment. But since that attack ended, almost a month ago, the strength and virulence of the poison has been diminishing rapidly. The grains of dirt in this box are less than 20 percent as lethal today as they were when I took them from Gilgil less than two weeks ago. In fact, they aren't lethal at all unless you eat them. And as you pointed out Fred, it's a good thing we don't eat dirt. Now as long as we stay away from those areas where the weapons actually exploded, we should be perfectly safe."

"Well that's good news," Fred sighed with relief. "And what about the Phage?"

"As far as I can tell," Ananka said with a philosopher's tone of authority, "the Phage is very much like pneumonia. Albeit a terribly lethal form of pneumonia. I've tested many different animals; none of them have any symptoms or characteristics of having the disease. I'm very confident that it is only carried by and strikes at humans. Furthermore, all those that survived the initial outbreak are completely immune. They and their children need never worry about the Phage again."

Fred smiled and his heart was glad. Humanity, though terribly decimated, would not suffer extinction after all. Life would continue and the human race would rebound from this nearly fatal blow. "And when I regain my humanity," Fred asked, "I needn't fear any affects of the Phage?"

Ananka frowned and scratched her nose uncomfortably. "Well now, that's a very good question. But I can't answer it. Without more research, I'm forced to assume that by forfeiting your manimal nature you would lose the enhanced resilience to disease that it gives you. If you become human again Fred, the odds are five to one that you'll die within a day."

Astra shook with anger as they continued to talk and suddenly she burst out and said, "But what about Willian?!" Fred, Ananka and Synizn looked at her, pity and worry in their eyes. "Fred's bite can't help him, my magic can't help him and Ananka's science can't help him," Synizn said resignedly. "I suggest you pray to your gods for a miracle."

The taut silence between the foursome was suddenly broken by a shout from the bow of the boat. "The Channel of Sueze!" Everyone rushed forward to get a look. Ahead of them the sea crashed against towering, rocky cliffs. But cut into the wall of stone and earth was a passage. On either side of the passage, fashioned from the very cliff walls, were colossal faces. The faces stared down at them and seemed to smile welcome, but Fred wondered if what lay further down the sea passage would aid them or destroy them.

1. A Ghostly Interlude

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