The Ancient Witnesses

Chapter 1: A Journey to Nicaea • 31

away. The sensation—that the thing was looking at me—eventually passed, and I realized I was gazing at a hologram—an image floating on a beam or column of light. I moved toward the image and, as I did, it receded until only a vertical shaft of pure light about the size of a man remained. On hands and knees, I crawled the final few feet to the light shaft, which appeared to be projected through an opening either above or below the passageway. Into the light I placed first my hand and then my arm; nothing happened. Next, I leaned my face into the light with my eyes closed. Instantly I felt lightheaded, and a low vibration pulsed in my ears. I backed out and rested for a while. I tried again, this time keeping my eyes open, but was blinded by the image of the wheel and crosses. Looking through the image, which took practice, I could see solid rock blocking my way forward. Looking up into the light shaft, however, I could see a connecting passageway above me. Being in the light shaft was like being under water: I held my breath for as long as I was in it. After several failed attempts, I managed to climb into the upper passageway. Moving down a new branch of tunnel, I paused and looked back: how I had climbed up I could not exactly recall. Shaking off the feeling that I’d missed something, I moved quickly on though the corridor which, before long, ended at another hatch. There was no handle, so I kicked the hatch as hard as I could. It swung open inside the walls of Nicaea, and as I stepped though, I saw Preacher at a distance. As soon as he saw me, he turned to call the others. At that moment, the full impact of my ordeal hit me and I felt my knees buckle beneath me. I must have passed out. I could hear my friends’ voices around me. I was lying on my back with my head