"It leads outside our world!"
The chief priest waited until the echoes died before his deep voice rolled on in the ritual.
"Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"
Ennis, edging desperately closer and closer to the line of victims, felt the mighty response reverberate about him.
"They Beyond the Door taught them!"
Now Ennis was apart from the other priests on the dais, within a few yards of the captives, of the small figure of Ruth.
"To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"
As the high priest uttered the words, and before the booming answer came, a hand grasped Ennis and pulled him back from the line of victims. He spun round to find that it was one of the other priests who had jerked him back.
"We bring them to Those Beyond the Door!"
As the colossal response thundered, the priest who had jerked Ennis back whispered urgently to him. "You go too close to the victims, Chandra Dass! Do you wish to be taken with them?"