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reluctance and looked down at his watch. The rainbow had disappeared. The stone was once again dark gray. She studied his dreamprints on the quartz floor. The signs of exhaustion were obvious.
    “You burned a lot of energy getting us through that thing,” she said. “You’re right. You are going to need to rest soon.”
    “Do I look that bad?”
    “I can see it in your prints.”
    He gave her a very unamused smile. “You really are good.”
    “Hey, they didn’t make me the head of J&J because I was only average on the Jones scale. I may not be a chaos-theory talent, but when it comes to reading dreamlight, I’m off the charts.” She frowned. “No offense, but you are close to the end of your physical as well as psychical reserves. Are you sure that just a couple of hours of sleep will be enough?”
    “I’ve been living on two hours of sleep at a time for the past month. I can handle it. But like I said earlier, I’ve only got about forty-five minutes before I crash.” He glanced down at his watch. The stone heated a little. “Looks like we’ve got a four-hour walk to the nearest exit plus an additional two hours for my nap. Let’s get moving.”
    She glanced into the chamber where Gibson had disappeared. “We’re leaving, pal.”
    He chortled, dropped the small quartz tomb mirror he had discovered, and dashed out of the room to join her.
    They started along a corridor that curved away into the distance. Marlowe did some calculations in her head. “Six hours before we get out of here. That should put us back in Frequency around six o’clock tonight.”
    “If we’re lucky.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “No telling what we’re going to find in the way of civilization when we finally do get back to the surface. These mountains are sparsely populated and traffic is minimal, especially at night. No cell phone service, either. We’re going to have to hitchhike back to the city, which means that we won’t get home until we find a ride.”
    “What about your car?”
    “I told you, the guy with the rifle probably made sure it’s nonfunctional, like your bike.”
    She groaned. “I need to get back by the time the office opens or at least call my assistant to let him know I’m okay. If he calls my mother and it turns out no one knows where I am, the whole family is going to panic. Uncle Zeke, being a conspiracy theorist of the first order, will assume the worst. The next thing you know, every member of my family and every J&J agent will be out looking for me. I’ve only been on the job for two months. It will be humiliating.”
    “Not a good move for a Guild boss to disappear, either. If I don’t show up back in my office pretty damn quick, the rumors will start flying.”
    “What rumors?”
    “That I’m either dead or looking for a wife.”
    “A wife?”
    “It’s a Guild boss thing.” His watch brightened. “We’re in luck.”
    “What?” she said.
    “This indicates that there’s a jungle gate not far from here. That means we’ve got access to all the comforts of the rain forest. You won’t have to sit here on the hard quartz floor while I nap.”
    “What good will that do? It’s a heck of a lot harder to trek through the rain forest than it is to walk the catacombs.”
    “It will make a good rest stop. I’ll be able to sleep off the burn, and there will be water. When we leave we’ll take some with us. It’s never a good idea to get dehydrated in the tunnels. It has a disturbing effect on the senses.”
    “How do you plan to collect the water?”
    He tapped the small black pouch attached to his belt. “Collapsible canteen.”
    She smiled. “A Guild boss is always prepared?”
    “That’s the rule.”

Chapter 4

    HE COULD FEEL THE EXHAUSTION CREEPING THROUGH him like a virus, making it tough to stay alert and aware. It was never a good idea to relax in the catacombs. Illusion traps and the small energy storms known as ghosts were constant threats. The only defense was