Brett started across the floor. One of the sticks snapped underfoot. He kicked a melon-sized stone. It rolled lightly, came to rest with hollow eyes staring toward him. A human skull. * * * * * The floor of the cave covered an area the size of a city block. It was blanketed with human bones, with here and there a small cat skeleton or the fanged snout-bones of a dog. There was a constant rustling of rats that played among the rib cages, sat atop crania, scuttled behind shin-bones. Brett picked his way, stepping over imitation pearl necklaces, zircon rings, plastic buttons, hearing aids, lipsticks, compacts, corset stays, prosthetic devices, rubber heels, wrist watches, lapel watches, pocket watches with corroded brass chains. Ahead Brett saw a patch of color: a blur of pale yellow. He hurried, stumbling over bone heaps, crunching eyeglasses underfoot. He reached the still figure where it lay slackly, face down. Gingerly he squatted, turned it on its back. It was Dhuva. Brett slapped the cold wrists, rubbed the clammy hands. Dhuva stirred, moaned weakly. Brett pulled him to a sitting position. "Wake up!" he whispered. "Wake up!" Dhuva's eyelids fluttered. He blinked dully at Brett. "The Gels may turn up any minute," Brett hissed. "We have to get away from here. Can you walk?" "I saw it," said Dhuva faintly. "But it moved so fast ..." "You're safe here for the moment," Brett said. "There are none of them around. But they may be back. We've got to find a way out!" Dhuva started up, staring around. "Where am I?" he said hoarsely. Brett seized his arm, steadied him on his feet. "We're in a hollowed-out cave," he said. "The whole city is undermined with them. They're connected by tunnels. We have to find one leading back to the surface." Dhuva gazed around at the acres of bones. "It left me here for dead." "Or to die," said Brett. "Look at them," Dhuva breathed. "Hundreds ... thousands ..." "The whole population, it looks like. The Gels must have whisked them down here one by one." "But why?" "For interfering with the scenes. But that doesn't matter now. What matters is getting out. Come on. I see tunnels on the other side." They crossed the broad floor, around them the white bones, the rustle of rats. They reached the far side of the cave, picked a six-foot tunnel which trended upward, a trickle of water seeping out of the dark mouth. They started up the slope. * * * "We have to have a weapon against the Gels," said Brett. "Why? I don't want to fight them." Dhuva's voice was thin, frightened. "I want to get away from here ... even back to Wavly. I'd rather face the Duke."