Incarceron (Incarceron, Book 1) by Catherine Fisher

want the crystal, Sim. The one you found in the lost hall."
    "Maestra ..."
    "Give it to them."
    Sim hesitated. It was only for a second, though through his nausea Finn saw it strike the Maestra like a blow. Then the man put his hand into his shirt and pulled out an object that caught a glimmer of light, so that a brief rainbow rippled in his fingers. 'We've found out something," he said. "Something it does ..."
    She stopped him with a look. He tossed the crystal slowly down onto the pile.
    The needle touched the mark.
    At once Keiro shoved the woman away. Sim grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the second bridge. "Run!" he yelled.
    Finn crouched. Saliva welled in his throat as he picked up the crystal. Inside it an eagle spread wide wings. It was the same as the mark on his wrist. Finn.
    He looked up.
    The Maestra had stopped and turned, her face white. "I hope it destroys you."
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    "Maestra!" Sim had her arm but she shook him off. Gripping the chains of the second bridge, she faced Finn and spat words at him.
    "I curse the crystal, and I curse you."
    "There's no time," he said hoarsely. "Just go."
    "You've destroyed my trust. My compassion. I thought I could tell truth from lies. Now I'll never dare show kindness to a stranger again. For that I can never forgive you!"
    Her hatred scorched him. Then, as she turned away, the bridge lurched.
    The abyss swung crazily. In a second of frozen horror the Maestra screamed and he gasped, "No!" staggering one step toward her. Then Keiro had hold of him and was shouting and something was cracking and as if the pain in his head had slowed them down he saw the chains and rivets that held the bridge snapping and jerking out, heard Jormanric's great howl of laughter and knew this was treachery.
    The Maestra must have realized too. She stood upright.
    She gave him one look, her eyes to his; then she was gone, she and Sim and the others were gone, down and down, and the bridge was a crazy contraption slamming and shedding wrecked ironware in a clattering uproar against the side of the cliff.
    Screaming echoes faded.
    Crumpling to his knees, Finn stared, appalled. A wave of nausea shuddered through him. He clutched the crystal, and through the roaring in his ears heard Keiro say calmly, "I
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    should have guessed the old rogue would do that. And a lump of glass doesn't look much for all your trouble. What is it?"
    Then Finn knew, in a second of sour clarity, that he was right, that he must have been born Outside; knew it because he held in his hand the one object that no one in Incarceron for generations had ever seen or would even guess the purpose of, and yet it was familiar to him, he had a word for it, he knew what it was.
    It was a key.
    Darkness and pain roared up and swallowed him. He fell into Keiro's firm grip.
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    UNERGROUND, THE STARS ARE LEGENDS
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    ***
    The Years of Rage are ended and nothing can be the same. The war has hollowed the moon and stilled the tides. We must find a simpler way of life. We must retreat into the past, everyone and everything, in its place, in order. Freedom is a small price to pay for survival.
    ---King Endor's Decree
    ***
    Finn felt himself fall for a thousand miles down the abyss before he crashed onto a ledge. Breathless, he raised his head. All around, darkness roared. Beside him, leaning back against the rock, someone was sitting. Finn said instantly,
    "The Key ..."
    "At your side."
    He groped for it in the rubble, felt its smooth heaviness. Then he turned.
    A stranger sat there. He was young and had long dark hair. He wore a high-collared coat like a Sapient s, but it was ragged and patched. He pointed to the rock face and said, "Look, inn.
    In the rock was a keyhole. Light shone through it. And Finn saw that the rock was a door, tiny and black, and in its transparency stars and galaxies were embedded.
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    "This is Time. This is what you must unlock," Sapphique said.
    Finn tried to lift the Key, but it was so heavy he needed both