that age could not be long deferred. He could not observe the changes directly from his prison within D'ni, but he could note them on a fundamental level and understand that there was now no way the decay could ever be reversed. Catherine might well be doomed, and all of the inhabitants of Riven as well.

And then...a miracle. Someone, a stranger from another world, another reality beyond the Star Fissure, found the lost Myst book, used it to go through to the Isle of Myst, and, ultimately, managed to free Atrus from his prison on D'ni. The stranger seemed willing to help with the problem of Riven, although what he was being asked to do was extraordinarily dangerous.

Atrus would send the stranger into Riven carrying only a specially designed trap book, one that would appear to be a linking book back to D'ni. Atrus knew that Gehn could scarcely resist such a temptation—a means of escaping from Riven once and for all! Once the stranger had trapped Gehn, he would send a signal which would summon Atrus, bringing a real linking book to D'ni.

The stranger agreed.

And with this acceptance began the final chapter of the saga of Riven.