The road end right on the bank of a very wide river, swollen of brown-chocolate fast flowing water.
“The Amazon?” I ask.
“One of his branches” says Chance. And then, looking at Crasher and Drake: “Any clothes for Euro you didn’t find?”
Crasher grins, in his usual manner: “Why? He looks fantabulous this way!”
Drax’s eyes rotates upward. Chance shakes his head.
“I am perfectly fine this way” I say. The only thing that covers me is the scabbard with Ladnikia.
“You are getting stranger day by day, Ed” whispers the Swede, getting off the car. He walks right to the border of the bank. “What we can do? From here we can go only by boat, upstream. And we have not a boat.” He turns to face us.
“Marc has not brought any spare Gaia Unit” says Crasher. “It seems there is a problem with the powering gem. My dad has suspended any use of it, for the moment”.
“Drax is too weak to transport you, guys. Maybe in a few hours he will be fine. Maybe we shhould just wait for when he is ready” explains drake.
“Sitting down while the Omikrons have the map AND the hovercraft? Thy will be at the Lost City in hours, if not in minutes” says Chance. He turns to me. “Ed, fly up, and see if there is any trace of civilization. We need a plane, or the book is lost for us!”
I look at my… lower parts. “If I have not to impress any lady, I think I need your trousers, Kristopher” I say, smiling. Crasher says: “Oh, no!” The chemist, reluctantly, take his away and hand them to me.
I put them on, and then run toward the rim of the bank, dive down sporeading my feathers, caressing the surface of the river, and then begin to rise, slowly, in ample circles, like a buzzard.
Soon, the forest is just a green carpet, fractured by shining veins. Far on the east is the Tower of Cuccubao, which is on flame, covered by clouds of smoke. On the opposite direction, far far away, there is a big clearings, with what seems roofs. A village of settlers.
