Time Wakes "healed themselves" after primitive time travel excursions were halted. Until that time, however, they presented themselves as shimmering blue-white rings. People could step directly into the rings and be transported to wherever the Wake took them. The sign of a Wake closing was a gradual constriction of the circumference of the ring. It was possible for Time Wakes to be lethal, if one attempted to enter at a point where the circumference could not accommodate one's personal size. Tasq, for instance, died because he tried to step into a Time Wake that had closed too far. (PROSE: Time Wake)