Gateway Read Online Free PDF Page B

deeplyburied, that responds to the call for more adventure. That is what our friend saw in you when she offered the ring.”
    “And then, how did I get here? One minute I was standing under the Arch—”
    “You were at a gateway,” Ombri interrupted.
    “What? You mean the Gateway to the West? But—”
    “The Arch you know is more than a symbol of man’s exploration of the western reaches of your continent,” Ombri said. “It is a magical portal to worlds beyond worlds. Every iteration constructed by every god contains a doorway in that very same spot.”
    “The red gate,” Daiyu whispered. “I saw it when I first lookedaround.”
    “Exactly. In another world it is a small wooden framework that leads between two simple gardens. In another, it is a massive gate built of towering stone. In every case, for wayfarers who know how to traverse it, it leads to other worlds.”
    “That doesn’t make sense,” Daiyu objected. “I’ve walked under the Arch a hundred times—”
    “You have to be carrying the talisman that will bring you to the world you want to visit,” Ombri said.
    Suddenly, Daiyu remembered the necklace that the old woman had asked her to deliver to “her friend” at the fair. “The pink stone...”shes aid, and glanced around as if looking for it. “I must have dropped it when I came through.” She opened her eyes wide.“ Does that mean someone else might find it? And go through the gate and end up in my world?”
    Ombri shook his head. “That particular talisman can only bring someone to this specific iteration, and only if that person walks through a gateway. In this world, no matter who picks it up, it is harmless—just a pretty bauble. Though an expensive one.”
    “And how do I get back to my own world? Is there a talisman for that?”
    Ombri nodded. “Normally we would give you a small piece of rose quartz, a stone that is only found on your world, and send you through the gateway. You would arrive back on Earth in the place where you left, with no memory of your experience here—”
    Daiyu blinked at him. “Wait. You mean I won’t remember any of this?”
    Ombriwavedahand. His dark finger swere long and elegant. “One of the peculiar attributes of planet Earth is that it erases your memory of previous iterations. Every sojourner who goes there arrives with his mind blank of time spent anywhere else. Even the servants of the gods have trouble crossing to your iteration. We adjust, but the effort is immense. It is unlikely that you will remember anything more of your time here than an image or two, dreamlike indeed.”
    “That’s not going to bother me,” Daiyu assured him. “So you’ll give me a piece of rose quartz and send me through the gate—”
    “That is what we would normally do,” Ombri corrected. “But because we think it is possible you might be in danger when you confront Chenglei, we will craft a powerful talisman that will instantly transport you back to your world, no matter where you are in this one. You will not need to go through the gateway to activate it.”
    “That sounds good,” Daiyu said, holding her hand out. “Let’s have it.”
    “It’snotreadyyet. Aurora must shape it to the uniqu emake- up of your particular body. If you would entrust me with a few strands of your hair—”
    Daiyu closed her eyes for a second. Now he was asking for DNA. It was getting more and more surreal. But . . . “Anything to be able to go home again,” she said, opening her eyes and quickly yanking out a couple of hairs. Ombri took them carefully and folded them into a piece of paper that he stowed in a pocket of his black pants. Daiyu said, “So where is this Aurora?”
    “She’s working,” Kalen answered.
    “If you’re really who you say you are, it seems odd that any of you would need a job,” Daiyu said.
    Ombri gave her that serious smile. “We don’t need money,” he said. “We need entrée into the society that governs this particular city in