threw itself from the cliff nearly two hundred feet above
and slid in foaming white sheets only to vanish a third of
the way down. Then, like some conjurer’s trick, the falling
river reappeared from a spout after twenty-five feet of
sheer, burnished cliff face and finished its headlong dash
into the narrow lake.
The mist was as thick as rain on the shore and as
drenching. Though Keli and Tas were tied to the base of a
thin spire of rock, all the thirst and heat of the day seemed
to vanish beneath the soothing kiss of the vapor.
Keli sidled as close to Tas as he could. He sent a quick
glance over his shoulder, assured himself that Tigo and
Staag were well occupied refilling their water flasks, and let
a long, gusty breath speak of the almost solemn wonder that
filled him at the sight of this wild and glorious falls.
“You knew,” he whispered, “you knew this was here.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve been here before.” Tas frowned a little,
then shrugged. “Although it’s not exactly where it’s
supposed to be.”
“What?”
“Well – it isn’t the place Flint knows. The trail looked like
the one to there. But I guess it wasn’t. This must be” – he
squinted at the setting sun – “sort of east of it. Or north. Or -”
Keli’s heart sank and with it any hope he might have
nourished for rescue. “They’re not coming,” he said bleakly.
“Oh, yes, they are. It – just might take them a little
longer to get here. But that’s all right. Things will work out
if you stick with me.” Tas winked, something Keli was
beginning to recognize as a sign that more trouble was on
the way. “All the way.”
“All the way?”
“All the way to the top.”
“The top of the FALLS?” Keli’s mouth went suddenly
drier than it had been all day. “I don’t – I’m not sure – ”
“Don’t worry!” Tas’s eyes were bright with expectation.
“Really, Keli, you worry more than anyone I’ve ever met.
Except Flint. Now, there’s a worrier. How old are you,
anyway?”
“Twelve.”
“Twelve! Far too young to be worrying as much as you
do.”
Keli closed his eyes against the sight of the roaring
falls. “Tas, I’m sorry you got caught by those two . . .”
“I got caught?!” Tas was indignant. “Why, it’s more
like they got caught by me! After all, they didn’t even know
where I was taking them! Ha! Of course, as it turns out, I
didn’t know either, but that’s a small point. By the way, can
you swim?”
“Yes,” Keli said warily.
“Good! That’s the last problem solved.”
“The last? But – ”
“What are they doing, can you see?”
Again Keli looked over his shoulder. “They’re still at
the lake. I can see Tigo, but not Staag. I hear him, though.”
“Good enough. Now, look.”
Tas twisted a little so that his back was to Keli.
Clutched in the kender’s bound hands was a small dagger.
“Tas! Where did you get that?”
Tas shrugged. “Oh, well, you know, sometimes people
are a bit careless about where they put things and I … just . .
. find them. This,” he said, grinning again, “I found in
Staag’s belt this morning. He’ll miss it sooner or later. But
by then I think we’ll be too far away to give it back. Now,
turn around and stand very still. I don’t want to nick you.”
He cut Keli’s thongs blind, his back to the boy. The
patience to unknot the most tangled puzzle and nimble, firm
hands were a kender’s gifts. Keli was free before he could
worry that Tas would sever a wrist rather than a thong.
“There. Now do mine.”
Keli worked carefully, his fingers still numb, his hands
aching with the sudden rush of blood in veins. Soon the
kender, too, was free.
“Now,” Tas whispered, “follow me!”
With one glance backward, swift and silent as a hare on
the run, Keli followed the kender. They made distance,
angled sharply north and then abruptly west to the stony
shore of the lake. When Tas skidded to a halt on the rocks,