RODNEY MUMBLED SOMETHING, and Martin told him to shut up.
Wass said, more quietly, “Remember that metal band? It’s all clear now, and glittering, as far as I can see. I can’t get across it; it’s like a glass wall.”
“We’re trapped, we’re trapped, they are—”
“Shut up, Rodney! Wass, I’m only two sections from the edge. I’ll check here.”
Martin clapped a hand on Rodney’s shoulder again, starting him moving, toward the city’s edge, past the black, silent buildings.
The glittering band was here, too, like a halo around a silhouette.
“No go,” Martin said to Wass. He bit at his lower lip. “I think it must be all around us.” He was silent for a time, exploring the consequences of this. Then—“We’ll meet you in the middle of the city, where we separated.”
Walking with Rodney, Martin heard Wass
