Page 74 of A World Enough

“It’s a satchel,” Camber said in a defensive tone.

“Definitely sounds like a children’s story. Children have satchels.”

Camber let out a big sigh. “Just when I think I can talk normally to you, you open up that great big wolf mouth of yours and bloody annoy me.”

“Oh, that was an outburst. Okay, well, you carry on, and I’ll get the picnic bag.”

Camber took a big deep breath and put her hand on the RR room controls.

“Danus, about five hundred yards from the temple.” The doors opened, and Camber saw the familiar sights of green grass and a beautiful blue sky, but with a large moon hanging in the sky above.

“That’s gorgeous,” Brogan said behind her.

“It is. It’s where I grew up, mostly.”

“The moon is so big that it’s out during the day?”

“Yes,” Camber said, “it should be causing all sorts of gravitational effects, and it doesn’t. We don’t know why. Let’s go.”

They walked from the bedroom onto the grass. Brogan followed Camber and took a big intake of breath.

“Oh, fresh grass, the scent of flowers in the air, the wind blowing through the trees. It sounds and smells beautiful. If I had one of these in my Paris apartment, I don’t think I would ever leave the house,” Brogan said.

“But remember, we are very lucky. Ziggy put us in her penthouse apartment, with the best amenities. Only rich people have one of these in their house. It’s not for the likes of you and me, unless you go to an RR arcade and buy an hour or two. Ziggy has some on a lower floor.”

“I suppose it’s just as well, it could become addictive,” Brogan said.

“It is. Ziggy’s machines only allow people to purchase so many hours a month. But there are less reputable gaming rooms that just take the money and don’t care, and people’s lives in the real world fall apart because they just want to get to their fictional reality, leaving partners and children abandoned,” Camber said.

“I can see how that would happen. We have the same sort of problem on Earth. We have social media. It’s not as advanced as yours, but some people only live for the false life they create online.”

“Let’s get going,” Camber said.

Brogan felt the gentle breeze. It was a very special place. There was almost a thrum in the air, electricity at a very low level that humans would not notice, but wolves were very attuned to nature and feeling the delicate changes.

“What is that?” Brogan asked.

“What’s what?” Camber said as they were walking up to the temple.

“There’s an electricity…I don’t know how to explain it, it’s like a thrum. My wolf feels it deep inside its bones.”

“You can feel that?” Camber asked. “It is magic. The ancient ones left protection here.”

When they reached the top of the hill, Brogan saw a large stone circle. “We have things like this on Earth.” Brogan was excited. “And we’ve no idea how ancient man got the stones there from so far away.”

“Maybe they’re from the time the ancient ones went to visit Earth and became involved with your people. They could have easily built them,” Camber said.

“Yeah, you said that Danu and the other gods came to Earth but realized the harm they were doing, when humans wanted their technology. So they left,” Brogan said.

“Yes, that happened on most worlds, apart from the ones that were near their level in technology, which was hardly ever. They left us all. I don’t know where they are now,” Camber said. “But they are alive somewhere, and as their Map Keeper I can feel it. They left the map to a group of people, who are now monks here, and the portals. I think they left the map to us so we could find them one day. When we are all ready.”

Brogan put her hand on the stone and pulled it back quickly. “It feels like electricity.”

“Everything is alive here,” Camber said. “We don’t understand it all. But it’s here for a reason.”

“Where is the super junction I came through?”

“At the bottom of the hill, where we came into the RR room. You have to know your way around to use it and have intention. You described pools in a forested area?”