Ancient Shores

All eyes turned toward the tribal chairman. “I think we will insist that this world not be turned into a second North America. And we will control the use of the port to that end. Beyond that, yes, we will be proud to help.”

The Horsehead Nebula was in the northern sky, out over the sea. The illusion that it was an approaching storm was very strong.

“We’ll have our hands full,” said Schirra.

They looked at the stars, listened to the wind coming off the sea, felt the warmth of the fire on their faces. “I wish we could all have made it,” said LeGuin.

Wilbur nodded. His eyes were lost in shadow. “I have Asquith’s notes on this project.”

“Enough to publish?” asked Hawking.

“Oh, yes.” Wilbur reached behind him for a jacket and pulled it around his shoulders. “And it’s pretty good stuff. Maybe, in the end, he’ll outlive us all.”

EPILOGUE

April Ca

She turned to Max. “You’re sure you don’t want to come?” She was lovely in the green-tinged light.

“No,” he said. “I don’t like surprises, and I think you’re going to find a lot of them out there.”

She touched his arm. “We’ll be careful.”

They were pla

“Max,” she asked, “what are you going to do? Buy an island in the Bahamas and retire?”

He gri

She shivered. “It seems to be gone now,” she said. “I’d let it be.”

“I think we have an obligation to try to find it.”

“An obligation to whom?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe to the creature. I have a certain fondness for it.”

“It might be dangerous.”

“Maybe. But we know it has a sense of humor. And it rescues kids. I’d like very much to talk with it.”

Harvey signaled her. Ready to go.

“Be careful, Max,” she said.

“Sure.” He was having a little trouble with his voice. “You too. Come back, okay?”

“Count on it.” She moved suddenly, unexpectedly, into his arms, warm and yielding, and turned her face up. He kissed her, long and deep and wet.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Lake Agassiz existed. I’ve taken a liberty or two with the shoreline, but other than that I’ve tried not to assault the facts unduly. Anyone who cares to may fly over the western limits of the valley of the Red River of the North, up near the Canadian border, and the ancient coast will be quite visible.

“Lightnings in the Sky,” in Chapter 2, is quoted from P—38 Lightning in Action, by Larry Davis. Reprinted courtesy of Squadron/Signal Publications.

Native-American poetry epigraphs are from American Poetry Volume Two: Melville to Stickney, American Indian Poetry, Folk Songs and Spirituals (New York: Library of America, 1993); George Copway, Life, History, and Travels of Kah-Ge-Ga-Gah-Bowh (1847) (Chapter 25); John Mason Browne, “Indian Medicine,” Atlantic Monthly (1866) (Chapter 26); Fa

Excerpt from “So

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express special appreciation to those who graciously allowed their fictional alter egos to be flown into a desperate situation during the closing chapters. Also, I am indebted to Galen Hall and Brian Cole for their comments on an early version of the manuscript; to Major Jim Clark, U.S. Air Force (retired), and John Goff, for technical advice; to Lorna Sharp, at the Devil’s Lake Sioux reservation in North Dakota; to Christopher Schelling at HarperCollins, and Sue Warga for editorial assistance; to my wife and in-house editor, Maureen, who maintains a sense of humor about it all. And to Jim Karas, who first called Lake Agassiz to my attention.

About the Author

JACK MCDEVITT is the author of A Talent for War, The Engines of God, and numerous prize-wi