‘You know, without your friends, we would have perished by now.’ Moss said, looking at the only remaining water bag, and that was only half full.
‘We should thank them, and that includes me,’ he added.
‘I told them already,’ Jay said sweetly, ‘I thought you want me to.’
Momentarily, Moss wondered if she really could see his thoughts, dismissing the idea, as a more comfortable option.
Low on the horizon, a faint smudge appeared, growing more distinct as they sped on through the day. By early evening, towering snow capped mountains could be seen high above the massive cliffs and hills which formed the edge of the new land they were to visit.
Jay said that it would be wise to wait until the Greater Sun had risen before trying to make landfall, as it was not an easy place to reach.
They had one last meal on board the trough, drank the last drop of water all bar a mouthful each saved for the morning meal, and settled down for the time of the Lesser Sun, guarded by Jay’s flotilla of friends.
They slept well that night, and were well refreshed next morning when a gentle nudge from one of the dolphins signalled that it was time to move in closer to the cliffs.
They were towed in until they had almost reached the actual cliff face, and then the lead dolphins dropped the vines, and another pair came up behind the trough, gently nudging it into a deep cleft in the rock face. As they went deeper into the cliff, the natural light began to fade, to be replaced by a gentle glow from the surface of the cleft, mainly coming from some strange moss like marine growth.
‘How much further in do we have to go, and how will we be able to get up to the cliff top from here.’ asked Moss, beginning to get a little worried.
‘They know this way well, it is not far now.’ Jay replied, obviously still in contact with her friends.
The trough was nudged round a bend, scraping the sides of the natural split in the rock, the noise of metal on stone setting their teeth on edge for a moment, and then they were in free water again.
The Island
Just ahead of the craft was a long ledge of stone, and leading up from it were steps, winding their way up into the darkness above.
As the craft ground up against the stone jetty, the dolphins held it in place while the crew scrambled ashore, Moss passing their possessions across the bobbing side of the trough as the gentle swell of the ocean reached into the underground fissure.
‘I think we should tie it up, just in case we should ever have to leave here.’ Moss suggested, and did so, making the vine fast to a handy projection of rock on the quay side.
‘This isn’t all the work of nature.’ Kel called, his voice echoing around the huge cavern. ‘I think the giants had a hand in it by the size of those steps.’ It wasn’t until they had picked up all their equipment and actually reached the steps, that they realized just how big they were.
‘We shall have to help each other up these, for if we slip and fall, that would be the end of us.’ Kel said, trying to heave himself up the first one.
Jay had said goodbye to her friends, telling them where they hoped to go, and why, but was saddened by their parting as she felt she had an affinity with them which was just as strong as the one she had for Kel, but of a different nature.
The luminous growth on the walls of the cleft gave them just enough light to make their climb in reasonable safety, but they were dismayed by the effort required and the seemingly never ending steps.
Kel called a halt part way up, as he was out of breath, and assumed that the others would be as well.
‘I could do with a good drink.’ panted Moss, as he hauled up the larger of the equipment sacks, and tried to get his breath back.
Jay paused a moment, then handed him a small water bag, ‘There one mouthful each. It got left behind when we leave the bot.’
Moss couldn’t make out how anything could have been left behind. Taking the bag, he then changed his mind and said,
‘You take the first drink, you have earned it.’
They continued on up the steps, the light being a little fainter now as the conditions on the walls of the cleft must have been less favourable to the luminous growth, and their main fear was that it would die out altogether before they reached the cliff top.
At last the steps came to an end, and so did the light giving moss on the walls. They were just about able to see a tunnel heading back into what they assumed to be the direction of the cliff, but they couldn’t see very far into it.
‘Is there any water left.’ asked Kel, wishing he hadn’t drunk his portion earlier on.
‘A small mouthful.’ answered Jay, passing the bag across to Kel.
‘Where do you keep getting the water from?’ asked an astonished Moss, ‘I thought we had drunk it all long ago.’ She didn’t reply.
Kel went back to the edge of the steps where there was a little more light, and rummaged about in one of his equipment bags. Withdrawing the transparent insect case from its pouch, he tipped the last of water from the bag into it, added a small portion of the two magic powders Mec had given him, and shook it up.
A soft glow appeared in the case, and then a pale violet light began to shine out from it, and they could see quite well as their eyes had by now got used to the darkness of the foreboding tunnel ahead.
‘I don’t know how long it will last, so we had better
