Liora, leaning against the wall with her arms folded, gave him a doubtful look. "For how long?"
"I can manage several minutes."
Maerin sighed.
The first attempt produced static.
The second produced smoke.
The third produced an ancient error tone so piercing that everyone in the room flinched except Veska, who had invited herself to the process and declared that the sound was "less rude than expected."
The fourth attempt gave them one word.
HORIZON.
It appeared on the cracked screen in pale, flickering letters.
No one spoke.
Even Rohan, who had not been born under the shadow of that name, felt something settle in the room.
Tavin covered her mouth with one hand.
Bryan gripped the arm of his chair.
Liora's eyes grew bright.
Maerin stood utterly still.
Then the screen went black.
Orrel swore so violently that Maerin had to tell him to remember he was in the presence of the crash ledger's lower archive, which apparently made profanity worse.
