They did, indeed, only have to go three hours north to get to the designated coordinates, and they did not speak the entire time. Ava napped intermittently, and he kept staring at his hand. Ava jerked awake when he touched her shoulder. “We are here. I am not surprised that they could not find it. This is a hollow known only to the locals. This way.” He kept contact with her, cupping her elbow and supporting her when she wobbled. They walked through thick, silvery trees, past a pond and into a wild meadow with a sunken stream in it. Once they passed the stream, there was a huge crystalline oak over ten feet wide. “That is the wide oak. The crater should be this way.” They passed the oak, and once the crater was visible, Ava touched his arm. “Hold back. I am about to do something very stupid or very brave. It will mean I can’t flush anyone’s system for a few days, but if this works, the cure can start being synthesized in two days.” “What if it doesn’t work?” Kondr sounded concerned.
