“We have some lightweight line,” Konrad said. “We’ll hammer an anchor into the stone, and tether each jumper-just in case.”
We struck the spike deep into the tunnel floor and fastened to it a good length of rope. The other end we looped into a kind of harness that each of us would wear during our jump.
I went first. I removed my pack, tightened the harness below my armpits, and backed up. I ran for it. I made sure to push off well before the edge, and sailed over the crevasse, blinking through the waterfall’s spray. I saw the tunnel floor coming and knew I had made it. I hit the floor, skidding a bit.
“Excellent!” called out Konrad.
“A good foot to spare,” I said as I removed the harness. I coiled it and threw it back across. Konrad tossed me a lantern, which I relit so the next jumpers could better judge their landing site.
Elizabeth was ready now. She took a good long run. As she jumped, I caught my breath, for her arc seemed too low. Konrad, I saw, watched tensely, his hands encircling the line, prepared to grip. Elizabeth’s eyes were fixed on me with fierce concentration. She touched down, just, on the rim of the tunnel.
“Ha! Made it!” she said with satisfaction.
And on the slick stone, her feet went right out beneath her.
“Elizabeth!” Konrad cried.
She toppled back toward the chasm. In a second I had both hands around her forearm, pulling her to me with all my strength. I crashed to the floor with her atop me. For a few moments she just lay there panting, her breath hot in my ear. I held her tighter. I did not want to let go.
“Thank you, Victor,” she said, sitting up and rubbing at her bloodied knees. She sounded more angry than grateful. “You’ve saved my life.”
“Perhaps you’ll forgive me, then,” I whispered.
“Are you all right?” Konrad called out.
“Yes, it was a close thing, though,” said Elizabeth.
Konrad threw across the rest of our gear before making his own jump. It went well, and after he’d landed and was taking off his harness, Elizabeth burst into tears. Konrad enfolded her in his arms.
He looked at me over her shoulder. “We should not have brought her. It is too much. We were foolish and selfish.”
Elizabeth pushed free of his embrace, and her wet eyes now blazed.
“I’ve had a bad fright, and a cry-yes, tears come more easily to young women than men perhaps-but now I’m done, and I’m ready to carry on.” She wiped at her eyes. “Which way now?” she asked, her voice steady.
And so we continued on.
We went farther. We went deeper. My clock told me it was nearing noon.
Our tunnel gradually contracted, and we had to crawl single file, dragging our packs behind us. I felt a new sympathy for Henry. I had never before been bothered by small spaces, but this rat’s maze threatened to rob me of breath.
“Did Temerlin make any mention of this?” Konrad asked behind me.
“Nothing. Maybe he was too busy blinking dust out of his eyes.”
“You’re sure we are on the right path?”
I gazed again at the map. “I’m sure of it. I’ve missed no turn.”
Konrad sighed. “Then, on we go.”
A sense of responsibility crushed down against me, as powerfully as the stone. I could not let myself be wrong. But after a few more minutes, as if to confirm my worst fears, the walls of our tunnel shrank even tighter. I stopped.
“Is it a dead end?” Konrad asked.
“Not quite.”
I pressed myself tightly against one side of the tunnel so he might see the slit-shaped hole directly before us.
I stuck my lantern through. “It widens quickly on the other side,” I reported.
“But can we reach the other side?” he asked.
“How could a grown man have fit through there?” Elizabeth demanded when she saw the opening.
“Temerlin must’ve been very thin,” I said. I would not voice my fear, but it beat wildly in my chest.
“I’ll have a try,” said Konrad. “If I can do it, you can do it.”
I did not argue with him this time. There was something about the gash that terrified me.
“And if you two can do it,” Elizabeth said, “I will surely have no problem.”
We both watched as Konrad tried to push and twist and fold his body through the gap. It seemed he would never fit, and then suddenly he was on the other side.
“It’s not so bad!” he called back to us. “Hand me a lantern, Victor, and come.”
“I’m coming,” I said, and sipped some water from my flask, willing my stomach to stop churning.
There was only one spot wide enough for my head, and I had to twist it most unnaturally to push it through.
“It’s like… being born again,” I gasped as I narrowed my shoulders and tried to ease them past the bony contraction of rock. I could not. I tried to fold myself even tighter, shoved with my feet. I hated to think of the spectacle I must be making to Elizabeth, my feet scrabbling, bottom waggling. But my embarrassment quickly became panic.
“I’m stuck!” I said.
“You can do it,” Konrad said. “Our bodies are the same.”
“ You have lost weight,” I said. “You’re skinnier!”
I felt a sudden crazed anger in me. I was an animal snared in a trap, knowing escape was impossible. Konrad had tricked me! He had lured me into this!
“I can’t move!” I bellowed. “I can’t breathe!”
“Be calm, Victor,” I heard Elizabeth say behind me. “We will ease you through.”
My left arm was pinned tightly, and my right flailed about uselessly. I was as helpless as a newborn. There was a sudden warmth around my hips and I wondered in horror if I’d wet myself. Then I felt Elizabeth’s hands around my waist.
“What’re you doing?” I cried out.
“Applying grease,” she said.
“You brought grease?”
“For just such a thing. I found a very informative book on cave exploration in your father’s library. Now, Konrad, can you pull?”
Konrad seized my upper right arm, and I felt Elizabeth shoving from behind.
“Now!” she said. “Pull him, Konrad!”
For a moment I didn’t budge. Then I shot forward, tumbling upon my brother in a heap. As we disentangled ourselves, I began to laugh hysterically in relief.
“Are you all right?” he asked me.
“I feel wonderful,” I gasped. “Who wouldn’t?”
“You maniac,” he said, but soon we were both laughing uncontrollably.
“When you boys are quite finished,” Elizabeth said, passing our gear through the opening. Then she eased her slim figure effortlessly through. We sat for a moment, putting our things to rights, eating some food.
“It’s strange,” Konrad said, chuckling, “because Mother always said I was born easily but you took your time.”
“Two minutes only,” I objected.
Elizabeth shook her head. “No. You got stuck.”
Both Konrad and I looked at her in utter surprise.
“Really, Elizabeth,” he said, “this is a rather indelicate subject for a young-”
“Honestly, Konrad, don’t be such a prude,” she said.
“Did I really get stuck?” I asked her.
“Boys never remember these stories properly,” she said with a sniff. “Girls do because we know it awaits us. You,” she said, looking at me sternly, “nearly killed your mother.”
