17
THE BLACK SUN
They landed at noon in the glade of Airlee, with no thought of concealment now. Alvin wondered if ever in human history any ship had brought such a cargo to Earth-if indeed Vanamonde was located in the physical space of the machine. There had been no sign of him on the voyage: Theon believed, and his knowledge was more direct, that only Vanamonde’s sphere of attention could be said to have any location in space.
As they left the ship the doors closed softly behind them and a sudden wind tugged at their clothes. Then the machine was only a silver dot falling into the sky, returning to the world where it belonged until Alvin should need it again.
Seranis was waiting for them as Theon had known and Alvin had half expected. She looked at the boys in silence for a while, then said quietly to Alvin:
“You’re making life rather complicated for us, aren’t you?”
There was no rancor in the words, only a half-humourous resignation and even a dawning approval.
Alvin sensed her meaning at once.
“Then Vanamonde’s arrived?”
“Yes, hours ago. Since dawn we have learned more of history than we knew existed.”