CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Oh man, my head hurts,” Phoenix groaned, sitting up.
He looked around, squinting against the too-bright sunlight. Where was he? It looked vaguely familiar. Slowly, sights and sounds that were, indeed, both familiar and strangely alien began to filter through the fog of disorientation. Recognition set in. He clambered unsteadily to his feet, staring about in disbelief. They were home.
He drew a deep breath of air, smelling rain and the acrid tang of smog. Nearby, a car engine revved followed by the strident beep of a horn. He jumped in surprise, turning circles in an effort to see everything. The skyline was jagged with houses and highrise officeblocks behind the trees that surrounded him. He was in some sort of public park.
He rubbed his eyes, finding it
