At precisely 11:59:59 pm in Port Avalon, darkness comes at the same time to all nations and all time zones. The sun has retired itself, the moon has curtained its light demurely with slow-moving clouds, and the stars have dimmed behind an ethereal haze.
To most, this change in the environment merely denotes the transition from day to night. And they eagerly anticipate the hour of midnight when they will join together around the world to celebrate a new era for mankind. They do not consciously note that all corners of the globe are experiencing the same phenomenon, the obliteration of time zones. They are all too caught up in their own local revelry to see that time has stood still at 11:59:59 pm.
David has climbed to the top of the clock tower, with the three sacred pieces in hand. He ha
