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loved the light golden color, the way it smelled after double conditioning, and the sensation as it tickled her neck. Concentrate, Amanda, focus. "Ready?"
    "As ready as I'll ever be. Shall we do the book first, just so it's done with? You do know we're about to jump into a world that won't make any sense, right? This Chamber sounds mad, but I gotta say I'm quite looking forward to seeing it."
    "Remember what it said in the book Tellan left us though: no hanging around. If we get caught, or meet ourselves in there, then we change the future and anything could happen. You know, I keep expecting this to be some kind of bad joke. You can't time travel, it's too nutty."
    "I know."
    Amanda walked over to the table where the Hexad still stood. She glanced nervously at Dale, who nodded his agreement. Amanda picked it up. "Well, at least I haven't just exploded or anything." It felt warm to the touch, the opposite of what she expected. The whole thing felt alive, like it was almost sentient. Amanda peered closely at the domed top of the device, the warm blue somehow reassuring. A 6 flashed slowly, rhythmically, and she couldn't help feeling that the device truly belonged to her somehow, like a part of it contained what made her who she was. Silly, but the feeling wouldn't go away.
    Amanda felt Dale's arm on her shoulder. She turned to him and smiled. "You okay?" he asked.
    "I'm fine. A little scared. Well, a lot scared. You?"
    "About the same. Okay, are we going to do this?"
    Amanda nodded then fiddled with the Hexad. It felt almost too familiar — watching as her fingers made the adjustments. Now all she had to do was think really hard. That was right, wasn't it? "Oh, don't forget the book." Dale picked it up off the table and watched as Amanda worked the Hexad. She had to set the dials to no place, no time — Tellan had explained that this type of jump was all about your connection to a place, not to a time. Amanda focused, felt the Hexad almost come alive in her hands, like it was connected to her, and her to it. There was something about it, something that linked her to the machine. What could it be? "Ready?" she asked.
    "No, but—"
    Amanda grabbed Dale's hand and pushed the dome against her chest. A 5 flashed a split-second before they blinked out of existence.
    Just as they disappeared, Amanda noted that the leftover sausages that were in an open Tupperware container on the counter top had gone. They were there a moment ago, she was sure. Weird.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Sausages? Really?
    Time Unknown
     
    "Dale, did you eat the leftover sausages?" asked Amanda, putting a hand out, feeling comforted and steadied by the rough bark of a tree.
    "What? Seriously, we jump through time to who knows where and when and you are asking about sausages?"
    "It's just, well..."
    "No, I didn't eat the sausages. Oh, wow!"
    Amanda looked up to see what Dale was excited about. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. Tellan had explained it to the other Dale, who'd told her, and Tellan had told her and this Dale too what to expect, as well as it being in the notebook he'd left them, but still, when you actually saw it... It was the difference between having food explained to you and then eating a burger: no comparison.
    "It's real, look at it." Amanda craned her neck back to stare up through the canopy of the trees at a world that carried on right above their heads, making a mockery of gravity and all the mind had learned to accept as truth. This was too awe-inspiring to get your head around.
    "Big, isn't it?" said Dale, making the understatement of the century.
    "You could say that. It's hot, too. Really humid." Amanda couldn't take her eyes off the topsy-turvy world. She could see it through the trees above them and curving up on all sides whatever direction she turned and managed to get a glimpse. It hurt her head; it shouldn't be possible. She put the Hexad down and pulled her hair back behind her — she was already sweating and