Again the voice, further away this time. ‘Jesus Christ is here. He will save these women. He loved them.’

Mora could hear the blood pounding in her ears. She was struggling for breath. ‘Yeshua,’ she murmured. ‘Save Petra. Save me. I can’t do it alone without you.’ She could see the shadow growing larger. There was someone out there.

‘Who in Hades are you?’ Flavius’ voice rang out, sharp with fear, then she heard him scream.

As she subsided into unconsciousness she heard quick light footsteps running towards her and Lydia’s voice, gentle in her head. ‘Hold on Mora. I am here, my dear. Hold on.’

‘Kier?’ The silence in the room had lasted for several long seconds before Ben rose to his feet again. ‘Are you all right?’

Kier had fallen back in his chair. The stone had rolled from his hands onto the floor, falling onto the hearth rug where it lay inert, the crystal faces gently reflecting the flicker of the flames from the fire. Ben moved towards him and took his arm, shaking him gently. ‘Kier?’

Greg stood up. He walked over and stood for a moment looking down at him with a frown, then he reached out and put his hand to Kier’s throat, pressing his two forefingers below the jaw. ‘His pulse is steady.’

‘Thank God!’ Ben glanced up at him. ‘For a moment, I thought the worst…’

‘That was his voice we heard. With Flavius and Mora. There. In the past,’ Greg said thoughtfully. ‘It was. Wasn’t it? I’m not imagining it?’

Both men turned towards Justin. He stood up. He moved over to Kier and took his wrist, also testing the pulse. ‘That is amazing,’ he said quietly. ‘You are right. We heard his voice from the past. He is a walker between the worlds. A natural shaman.’ The other men looked at him sharply, but to Abi’s surprise no-one said anything.

It was several seconds before the bishop rose to his feet and moved over to join the other men looking down at Kier. ‘We shouldn’t have allowed him to do this. Will he be all right?’

Justin nodded. ‘He should be.’ He looked troubled. ‘In theory he should sleep it off and wake naturally after a time, only…’ He paused and put his hand on Kier’s forehead.

‘Only?’ Bishop David prompted after a moment.

‘He is untrained.’

‘Meaning what?’

‘Meaning that he could get lost; not know how to return, am I right?’ Greg looked across at Justin.

Justin chewed his lip for a moment. ‘He used the crystal as a signpost, or an access point, but then he dropped it.’

‘Then give it back to him!’ Abi elbowed her way passed the bishop’s chaplain who seemed to be incapable of movement as he sat beside her, and pushing between the men, she scooped the crystal off the floor and put it between Kier’s hands, trying to fold his fingers around it. They were inert. The ball rolled off his lap again.

She stood back in horror. ‘Go after him!’ She looked across at Justin. ‘You can, can’t you?’

Justin nodded doubtfully.

‘Well then?’

‘It’s not that easy, Abi.’

‘Of course it is. You have to.’ Instinctively she had put her hands over Kier’s. She could feel the healing warmth flowing out of her. Closing her eyes, she pictured Yeshua. ‘Help me help him,’ she breathed silently. For a few seconds there was silence in the room then Greg reached forward and put his hand on her shoulder.

‘Leave it for now,’ he said. ‘I think Justin’s first idea was the best one, to let him sleep it off. With luck he will wake naturally and remember only that he has had a dream of the past. You, take the crystal again, Abi. We need to know what has happened.’

Abi hesitated. She was looking down at her hands. Justin stood up and came over to her. ‘You have the gift of healing Abi,’ he said quietly. ‘I sensed it. But this is not the right time. Kier has something to do, or somewhere to go. Over there, in the past.’

She met his eyes doubtfully, then quietly she nodded and turned away.

Bishop David shook his head. ‘I don’t believe any of this!’

‘Of course you do.’ Greg managed a quick grin. ‘Come on. You’re known for your broad-mindedness. Let us pray together, then Abi can look and see what has happened to Mora.’ He paused and looked at them thoughtfully. ‘And Kier.’

When Mora woke she was in her own bed. Her father was sitting on a stool at her side holding her hand in his. He saw her eyelids flicker and he leaned forward with a gentle smile. ‘At last. You have slept for a long time, my Mora.’

She moved uncomfortably and felt a tight restriction round her middle.

He nodded slowly. ‘Addedomaros has been looking after you. He has strapped your ribs and stitched the wound. You lost a lot of blood but you are on the mend.’

‘And Lydia?’

‘She is all right. She is staying here on Ynys yr Afalon. She has been helping us.’ His eyes sought hers. ‘There is nothing left for her on the mainland.’

Mora closed her eyes, feeling hot tears slipping out onto her cheeks. ‘Petra?’ There was a long silence.

‘Petra sleeps,’ he said at last. ‘Between life and death. We have tended her wounds and Addedomaros has dripped life-sustaining drinks between her lips, but her spirit has fled.’

‘But she is still alive?’ Mora struggled to sit up.

He shrugged. ‘She still breathes. Addedomaros says – ’

But Mora was not listening. Somehow she managed to swing her legs over the side of the bed. ‘Take me to her.’

‘You’re not strong enough.’

‘I am. I am strong enough. I know how to help her.’

Her father carried her. Petra was in a small cubicle near Addedomaros’ own room. Lydia was sitting with her in the flickering light of two beeswax candles. The whole room smelled of honey.

Setting Mora gently on her feet Fergus Mor stepped back in the shadows as she stood for a moment, looking down at the unconscious figure in the bed. For several moments she didn’t move then painfully she sat down on the edge of the bed. Smiling sadly at Lydia who was seated on a stool at the far side, she reached for Petra’s hand. It was soft and supple but very cold.

‘Petra?’ she whispered. ‘Petra, can you hear me?’

There was no movement in the girl’s face. It was as still as carved stone.

‘Petra. I am going to make you better.’ Mora laid her hand on the cold forehead. ‘I want you to wake up.’ She hesitated, glancing up at Lydia, then at her father, her eyes for a moment full of doubt.

‘Do it!’ Abi whispered. ‘Do it, Mora. Heal her in Jesus’ name.’

She saw Mora turn and look back at Petra again. Had she heard her? Abi wasn’t sure. The hut was full of shadows as the candle flames danced.

‘Petra!’ Mora’s voice was stronger now. ‘In Yeshua’s name you are healed!’

There was a long pause. Lydia, Mora and her father were gazing at the child’s face. The whole world seemed to hold its breath. A sigh of wind from the doorway flattened the candle flames for an instant and, as they watched, Petra opened her eyes.

It was later, when Petra was once more asleep, this time in Lydia’s hut where she had been given a bed of her own after she had eaten and drunk for the first time in days, Mora went back to her father’s house.

He looked at her as she settled on her stool. ‘In Yeshua’s name?’ he repeated gently.

She nodded. ‘He is the greatest healer I have ever seen.’

Fergus Mor stared down into the fire. ‘I do believe he is,’ he said at last.

There was another long silence, then for the first time she remembered to ask. ‘What happened to Flavius?’

‘He disappeared.’ She heard the harsh note in her father’s voice.

‘He escaped unhurt?’

‘We don’t know.’

‘And the man who was outside?’

Her father did not reply and she gave him a glance from under her eyelashes. ‘I saw him. Or at least, his shadow.’

‘As did Lydia. He too has gone. There was no trace of him. The whole area has been searched, but both men have vanished. There were no footprints. No clues. No trace at all save this one thing.’ With a sigh her father heaved himself to his feet and walked across to the table. He picked up something and brought it back to her. It was a silver cross on a broken chain.

Dry-mouthed, Abi stood up and went back to Kier’s side. Reaching under his jacket she pulled his shirt open. ‘He wears that cross all the time – ’ She broke off, staring down at his throat. ‘Nothing,’ she whispered. ‘It’s gone.’

Greg moved over to her side. He pointed to Kier’s neck. ‘See that mark? And here, a raw tear in his skin, as though something has been pulled off.’

Abi looked up and they held each other’s gaze. ‘The cross is still there, in the past,’ she whispered. She threw a pleading look back at Justin who was still seated at the table. ‘Help him,’ she whispered.

Justin rose to his feet. He came over and stood looking down at Kier’s face then he reached for the man’s hand, his eyes full of compassion. ‘I will try and go after him,’ he said after a moment.

‘No!’ Bishop David’s voice was firm. ‘We don’t know what has happened or what is happening, but I do not want to risk anyone else’s safety.’

Justin narrowed his eyes. ‘Thank you for your concern, but this is my job.’

‘And mine is the welfare of my clergy.’

‘Then let me help him. He is lost in another world. He doesn’t know where he is or how to return. He doesn’t know the byways between the worlds.’

‘And you do?’ Bishop David fixed him with a steely look.

Justin nodded. ‘I have been trained to do this, David.’

The bishop opened his mouth to retort and changed his mind. He shook his head. ‘I am uncomfortable with all this. You are a pagan – ’

‘And I am dealing with pagan times and with pagan people and with pagan concepts.’ Justin paused. ‘These people were the friends of Jesus Christ. They risked everything for him. Your colleague has gone into the past in Jesus’ name.’