Silas lets go of the statue and finds himself standing in an enclosed court yard. St Peters and the black and white buildings have gone, replaced by steal and glass facades. Fortunately no one seems to have spotted his unusual arrival.
“Where the hell am I?” He whispers.
“Can I help you sir.” The voice comes from a short dark haired  woman dressed in a red waist coat and gold trousers. She looks at him quizzically.
“Ermm. I’m just a little disorientated.” He explains.
“Yes the mirrors some times do that to people.” She explains.
He looks at the statue, a mass of swirling reflective surfaces spiralling around a central pillar. “Yes.” He manages. “I think I just need some fresh air.” He heads for the door.
“Oh sir.” She runs after him a look of concern. “I really wouldn’t do that.”
He looks back confused.
“It would be very dangerous to leave the dome, especially to day. The pH is down to 2.5.”
“Ok.” He says, trying not to look totally confused.
“Here.” She hands him a small aerosol with a face mask attached. The label reads “Nu Air”
Silas takes it off her and she mimics putting it on. He obliges her and is hit by a blast of pure oxygen that leaves him feeling light headed. He coughs.
“Don’t worry sir. Visitors often get over whelmed by the home world. I mean it’s such and honour to be allowed back here isn’t it.”
“Yeah.” He grasps at the straw she offers. “May be you could tell me a little about it.”
She giggles. “Oh I’m not a guide. I just look after the mirrors.” She gestures to the statue. “I could get you a guide if you want me to.”
“No I’ll be ok. May be if I just go back to the hotel for a lie down.”
“Where are you staying?”
“Erm.” He gestures. “Near east gate.”
“The Bradshaw.” She sounds impressed, Silas is a little relieved the Dorchester is still a top hotel in this world, even if the name has changed. He can only hope that Charles is still on the desk. “Well sir if you take the lower passage way the Bradshaw is right at the end.”
He smiles at her. “Thank you.”
“Pleasure to be of service sir.”
Some how she even manages to sound as if she means it.
+*+
Charles brings Silas up to speed as quickly as possible. It seems that the environment of this earth has collapsed and most of humanity is now out in the stars. He also breaks the news that, thanks to the construction of the Dome protecting the city, the walls have been disrupted and it is impossible to access Caester and walk back.
“Realistically you have one option. With the environment gone the lea died so you are left with U-space. Fortunately this world has discovered U-space travel. If you can get yourself up to the Space station I can get a message out and get you a lift.”
Silas thanks him and then heads up to his suite to clean up. It is only after he recalls Aaron’s request that he doesn’t leave Caester’s walls; and orbit is about as far away as you can get. Still he has little options unless he wants to set up shop here. A few moments staring out of the window at the dead world beyond persuades him that he really, really doesn’t want to do that.

+*+
Aaron adds the data about the cross to the wall as Paul swans in whistling. He stops mid note as he sees the velum.
“Where did you get that?”
“Rae gave it Silas.”
He walks over and peers at it.
“Care to enlighten us?” Aaron asks.
“No. But give me twenty minutes and I’ll be back with the answer.”
He turns for the door.
“If you find Silas on your travels can you bring him home?” Aaron asks as lightly as he can.
“You lost him?”
“No he lost himself.” Prydan states. “The cross. It seems it can act as a lay gate or something. Silas used it.”
“And he’s not back yet.”
“No. But he may have become distracted.” Aaron states. “And given how central he is to this case I’d really rather he was here.”
“Ok I’ll fetch.” Paul leaves.
Prydan waits until the door closes and then turns to Aaron. “And then there were two?”
“Well I’m hoping they are coming back.”
“So what did I miss?”
“Amy is a descendant from Silas.”
“yeah got that one.”
“Via Silvia.” He gestures to the velum, “Who was also attacked but will survive thanks to the fact that Paul and Rae have just gone to save her.
“Ahhh.” Prydan nods.
“Our murderer is also a descendant of Silas, but I’m guessing from one of his other kids, other wise they could have wiped themselves out if the attack on Silvia was successful.”
“How many kids does he have?”
“None yet.” Aaron responds.
“How many does he have?”
“Well that we have to go and look it up. Coming?”
“Back to the records office?” His expressions makes it clear he is not thrilled at the idea.
“I wasn’t thinking of using Caesters.” Aaron assures him.
6+*+
Aaron leads Prydan down the path. The watchman is not impressed at having to climb over the iron gate at Allen, street, balance along the wall above the alley where the body was found, or slide down the tiled roof of the outhouse near the Yatch.
“So this is the route the murderer used is it?” He asks incredulously.
“Yeap.”
“I see what you mean about it being well hidden and difficult.”
Aaron reaches down to help him up onto the wall. “But it’s not going to be recorded on any gate documents is it; which was kind of the point.” He leads him down the steps at East gate and down a narrow alley to the car park.
Prydan pauses when he sees the vehicle Aaron is heading for. A large black four by four, some variant of a landrover that must exist in this world. But it’s not the vehicle itself that bothers him. It is the spirit he can sense overlaying it. This is a creature he has encountered before, only then it proved to be a rather bad tempered war horse. “Ka.” He mutters the name almost kike it is a swear word.
“She wont bite.” Aaron assures him.
“You said that last time.” Prydan protests.
“Yeah well now she knows what you taste like to the mystery is over.”
Cautiously Prydan gets into the black landrover, he is sure that the seat shifts into a bucket seat only after he opens the door.
“You know they do have car rental on this world. I saw one just through east gate.” Prydan suggests desperately. “I’ll cover the cost and every thing.”
“Don’t be silly she a perfectly adequate spirit of transport. Besides she blends in.” Aaron assures him.
Prydan’s seat belts transforms into a five point harness.
Aaron reaches for the ignition with a dark “Ka behave.”
+*+