said. “And we’ll need a needlesmith down here. With good
tools, there’s just a chance”
Seth’s eyes had been darting back and forth from one to
the other. With a sudden chattering scream, he bounded out
of the bottom of the basket, soaring over their heads in a
long, flat leap, and struck the high knee at the base of the
nearest tree, an immense fan palm. As he hit, his legs doubled
under him, and almost in the same motion he seemed to rocket
straight up into the murky air.
Gaping, Honath looked up after him. The young needle-
smith had timed his course to the split second. He was already
darting up the rope from which the Elevator was suspended.
He did not even bother to look back.
After a moment, the basket tipped upright. The impact of
Seth’s weight hitting the rope evidently had been taken by the
windlass team to mean that the condemned people were all
out on the surface; a twitch on the rope was the usual signal.
The basket began to rise, bobbing and dancing. Its speed of
ascent, added to Seth’s, took his racing dwindling figure out
of sight quickly. After a while, the basket was gone, too.
“He’ll never get to the top,” Mathild whispered. “It’s too
far, and he’s going too fast. He’ll lose strength and fall.”
“I don’t think so,” Alaskon said heavily. “He’s agile and
strong. If anyone could make it, he could.”
“They’ll km him if he does.”
“Of course they will,” Alaskon said, shrugging.
“I won’t miss him,” Honath said.
“No more will 1. But we could use some sharp needles down
here, Honath. Now, we’ll have to plan to make our ownif