The Silver Sphere Read Online Free

brown leather. Squires used to wear such clothing, he recalled
from his readings, but that had been a long time ago.
    Other things had changed. For one, he'd grown taller—now the
trunk of the tree was a head shorter than he. He felt stronger, too. Cold despair
quickly replaced awe.
    He collapsed against the fallen timber and pulled his knees to
his chest. A tear crept down his face.
    I'm not Zach anymore, he thought.

 
    "Shelby, are you okay?"
    "I'm right here. The door just slammed shut."
    Mr. Dempsey bumped into a box as he stumbled toward her. "We're
close to the exit. Let's get some light back, eh?"
    His voice reassured Shelby and gently rallied her. "Yes,
please," she said.
    Mr. Dempsey guided her forward.
    She expected to reach the door soon, but they kept walking. Ten
steps, fifteen steps, then thirty steps later, and still they had not found the
entryway. She pinched herself to check whether this was all a bad dream or not.
The pinch hurt and she didn't wake up.
    "That's strange," Mr. Dempsey said. "I can't see
a darn thing, but I know this room like the back of my hand. We should've hit the
door by now."
    The temperature dropped further—or did her cold fear make it
seem so? Shelby shivered even more and, in an attempt to stay warm, wrapped her
arms around herself.
    "Do you feel cold, Mr. Dempsey?"
    "Right through my bones, Shelby. Let's go this way."
He eased her in another direction.
    They tiptoed forward one careful step at a time. The darkness
remained complete.
    "I can't understand this for the life of me," Mr. Dempsey
whispered. "Walls don't just vanish!"
    The ground underneath Shelby's shoes had changed. The pull of
gravity seemed different. No longer did the familiar, even hardwood floors of the
library support them; rough stone and loose gravel now made the walk bumpy. The
smell of the air changed too, as old printer's ink and paper had been replaced with
the scent of rock and water.
    "Mr. Dempsey, the floor...."
    "I feel it, too. This is so strange."
    Her eyes adjusted to the easing darkness, and she could just
make out the shadowy outlines of some type of corridor. As they advanced, Shelby
strained her ears. The steady trickle of water echoed from somewhere far off.
    An orange glow appeared up ahead. Every muscle in her body tensed,
and her heartbeat sped up.
    Mr. Dempsey stopped and touched her elbow, and Shelby halted
as well.
    "I don't quite know what's going on here," he whispered
in her ear. "I actually thought I dozed off at the front desk and this was
a dream. I even pinched myself."
    "Me too," she said, glad he was present to protect
her. If anything went wrong, Mr. Dempsey would help her.
    "We're in some sort of cave. The message on your computer
drew us here. We should proceed cautiously, so keep quiet."
    Shelby nodded, calmed by his logical evaluation of their situation.
Mr. Dempsey knew everything. As long as he was with her, nothing could hurt her.
    The light guttered as they crept forward. The scent of fresh
air entered the cave and Shelby sighed. Its essence was refreshing.
    "Shhh...." Mr. Dempsey put his forefinger in front
of his nose.
    The murmur of voices rose ahead of them. She glanced at Mr. Dempsey,
and he again pressed his finger hard up against the tip of his nose. She nodded.
    They moved forward a few more paces and halted. The cave ended
and bright light shone outside. Shelby examined her surroundings as she listened.
They were in a forest, where thick trees and foliage encompassed them.
    The voices sounded clearer, and she could make out the conversation.
    "Now, now, we will find her, Sculptor. You worry too much.
Only ten minutes have passed. Give her time."
    "I can't understand how after all these years the great
Achernar has not perfected the mobile portal. I mean, really now, Barrick. We should
be right in front of the entrance, ready to greet our guest. They're always frightened
as it is."
    The first person, Barrick, said, "Many energies are at work
in the portal,