17

It's a very young Dr. Sabbatine, but the likeness is unmistakable, especially because the statue's one remaining hand holds up a doll-like figure. There's still a bit of red paint on the doll's jacket. It looks like a huge stone ring once surrounded the statue, like the circle of fire around a dancing Shiva, but it fell and broke to pieces a long time ago.

"Control!" Alexius shouts, and when you look back you see the controllers keeping their distance as if frightened. "Get over here!"

"I'm not here to indulge in wild speculation," Control says. "Look, Crowchar has exposed an old road, perhaps made by a civilization more developed than this one, and we can use it to avoid the damp forest."

Control is right about the road, but Alexius just keeps looking at the statue. Are those snakes at the base of its gown? Or wires?

You've never seen Control so overtly emotional. She looks sincerely frightened, her brown eyes wide, her metallic pupils shrunk to pinpricks.