She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them she was still on sand, but it was the fine black sand of the small lake where Gaby had made love to her on the day Adam was taken. She turned her head, and saw Gaby standing beside her. She reached up and Gaby took her hand. Once more there was a feeling like being pulled away from a sticky surface, then she was on her feet. She hugged Gaby. “You’ve been away so long,” Cirocco said, on the edge of tears. “I know, I know. Too long. And we don’t have much time now, and there is much to see. Will you come?” Cirocco nodded and, holding Gaby’s hand, followed her into the lake. She knew the water was shallow, yet felt the bottom drop away quickly until they were floating with just their heads out of the water. Gaby made a movement with her head, and they dived. It wasn’t like swimming. They went straight down. Cirocco did not need to propel herself in any way; they simply moved. She could feel the water rushing past her. And it wasn’t water.
