Where would he find himself if he vanished? Would he find himself again? Or did these people slide forever into nothingness, into some dimensional interspace where there was no Earth, no moon, and no stars?
Only he and Nedra were left along the walls.
The others had vanished.
The lieutenant had gone completely crazy. Sputtering a mixture of Chinese and English, he was jabbing his rifle against Nedra's stomach and was yelling at her.
"Tze! Go away. I will kill you if you do. N-oten. Where did they go? I demand an answer. Speak!"
"I do not know," the girl answered.
"Speak! I command it. Cuso will have my throat slit if I let all of you get away!"
"I have already—"
The lieutenant jabbed the muzzle of his rifle against her stomach.
"If you go away, I will kill you."