THE WAY OF ALL THINGS

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 by James Hampton

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author, except for the brief inclusion of quotations in a review. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

THE WAY OF ALL THINGS

1

“Welcome,” the old man said, “to the end of the universe.”

The words made no sense to Jason Chandler. But asking for clarification from the one who had just spoken them—whoever he was—ranked low on the young man’s priority list right now. Infinitely more important was the condition of his wife, Maggie: she lay beside him on the cold slate gray floor of the vast, dark, and unfamiliar chamber in which they now found themselves. She was flat on her back, eyes stunned, jaw slack— but as soon as Jason put his hand on her arm she drew a deep breath; as if his touch alone were enough to bring back her sense of herself.