SpellofCatastrophe.docVIP

 PAGE 38 Mayer Alan Brenner SPELL OF CATASTROPHE  PAGE 7 Spell of Catastrophe by mayer alan brenner 1. MAX ON THE ROAD T he air was thick and the heat oppressive. Outside the flap of canvas that covered the doorway, a vast range of beige desert overlaid by a scattering of scrub ran to the horizon. The line of dust raised by the approach of the caravan hung motionless in the air, stretching south from the oasis into a cluster of low hills. Max dropped the flap, turned, and descended the short flight of steps, his eyes still smarting from the desert sun. Each stair had the solidity of ro