“I want to ask our new and caring friend where the exit from the cave is.”
“It…,” David wanted to answer, but Jean-Pierre’s own answer overtook him.
“It was near the pile of firewood, but it’s not there now. Not!” repeated Jean-Pierre louder and extended his hand toward the other room, inviting everyone to check his observations.
Everyone moved into the other room. Only Jean-Pierre, Bhrigu, and Debby remained in their places, motionless.
Debby lowered her eyes to the floor, standing next to Bhrigu. And he just stared at Jean-Pierre’s emotions, which were very simple – resentment.
“What have you done to us?” Jean-Pierre asked quietly and angrily in French.
Tulu-Manchi, Yulia, and David entered the hall in quick strides and looked alarmed.
“Bhrigu!” Dr Capri began to speak in a loud and anxious voice. “Bhrigu,” he switched to Nepali. “Please tell us what is happening. We cannot find the exit from the cave.”
The hermit hesitated and said:
“Interesting. Very interesting,” Bhrigu replied in English. “Place this is not usual. Sacred place. To understand its motion very difficult. But I can help to understand you. Seems to me, you are connected and have to find important something.”
“Where… is… the… exit?” Jean-Pierre repeated, pausing between words.
“Exit?” the hermit thought again. “You need exit?”
“Yes,” the Frenchman answered, looking at him sternly.
“I show you the exit. It is on the other side,” and Bhrigu pointed to the dark part of the hall on the other side of the lake.
“What?” blurted out Jean-Pierre and all the others.
“But that’s impossible,” David concluded.
“Yes?” answered Bhrigu with a smile.
Jean-Pierre turned to Debby and said to himself:
“How do we get there?” he shook his head. “What am I talking about? The gateway is gone. We went in there yesterday. How is that possible?”
“Wait, Jean-Pierre. Stop,” Dr Capri said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “Bhrigu, how is it possible? Is it you? Do you know anything about the signals from Voyager?”
Bhrigu raised his eyebrows in surprise as a sign that he did not know what the doctor was talking about. He thought for a moment and turned in the direction he had just pointed to the travelers.
“Boat is there,” Bhrigu said, pointing to the right.
Jean-Pierre went in the direction indicated.