In stunned fascination Max watched as the warrior and horse disappeared inside River Dog. Horse and rider vanished like a mirage, fading out of existence. The dust cloud that the horse's hooves had turned up rolled over River Dog. Then an electric pulse exploded in front of the shaman, strong enough to make Max's hair stand on end. River Dog left his feet and flew backward as if a bus had struck him.

River Dog stared up at the cerulean blue sky with unseeing eyes. His body lay relaxed. The sand around him was pristine, smooth as new-fallen snow. Max guessed that the force of the warrior and horse disappearing had blown the sand smooth.

Fearing the worst, Max put his fingers against the side of the shaman's neck. There were no wounds on the man's body. Not even a bruise.

But there was also no pulse.

I he electrical discharge must have stopped his heart, Max reasoned as he stared down at River Dog, struggling to control the panic that threatened to engulf him. His own body still tingled with the ionized force that continued to dissipate.

Frantic, knowing that he was working against the clock, that every second River Dog's heart refused to beat was causing the shaman's body to shut down, Max laid his hand on the man's chest. He felt for the warmth, for the connection that would bind him to River Dog. He shifted his hand, sliding his palm over the area where he thought the heart would be.

Feeling the power building within him, Max pushed the force through him, willing River Dog's heart to resume beating. At first he was afraid that his efforts weren't going to be enough, that he was going to be left there with River Dog's corpse.

Then, intermittent at first, like a worn starter dragging on a cold morning, River Dog's heart lurched into an irregular beat. Max felt the uneven thumping vibrate against his palm.