And that’s why I should have the top job, whether you like it or not.”
Jansten looked over at Geoff coolly, then back to Harrison. “All right, let’s see how he does.”
Geoff grinned. “I knew you were still in there.”
Help him!” Geena cried. She turned back to Geoff and Jansten. “He’ll listen to you, and you know he can’t climb that.”
“He may surprise you,” Geoff said. “Besides, it was his choice.”
She put her hand to her mouth, trying to restrain herself. Then her emotions broke through. “Like hell. He told me what you said in that bar. Like hell.”
Others were coming at that point. Keiler, Jacobs, Barnaby, Urlich, Nickerson, and Lane showed up, their wives trailing them. Geoff didn’t know any of the men all that well, but Harrison himself had confirmed that not one of them would take a piss without consulting the others about their read on Jansten’s opinion. So Geoff didn’t expect any real challenge as long as Jansten was sitting there quietly beside him.
And indeed, after Keiler took in the situation, Harrison’s climb and teary-eyed wife, he smoothed his black mustache, looked at Jansten, looked at his compatriots, and said, “Didn’t know Harrison had it in him.”
Dern was rappelling down the rockface behind them. Lisa was already down.
“What’s going on?” one of the guides called from the top of Dern’s rise. “What’s that guy doing?”
Jansten smiled at the guide calmly, but didn’t answer.
The guide turned, apparently speaking to his partner behind him. “One of these idiots is trying to free-climb a five-eight. Get your ass over there, see if you can hike up the back way and get him a top rope.”
Dern was already down before the guide finished yelling. He and Lisa hurried over, coiling their rope. Dern stepped around Keiler and said directly to Geoff, “This is your guy. Does he know what he’s gotten himself into?”
“We’ll see.”
Geena grasped Dern’s arm. “They must have made him some offer. Believe me, he wouldn’t do this on his own.”
Dern looked at Geoff, who smiled back blandly. Let’s hear the speech, Geoff thought.
Just then, Harrison slipped. He scrambled frantically, trying to regain his footing.
He did, but when he looked down afterward it was obvious he was wild-eyed with fear. He was over a hundred feet up from the ground.
“Belay me,” Dern said to his wife.
He started up the rockface immediately. He trailed a rope and Lisa moved quickly, setting several chocks between boulders and crevices at the base. She hooked herself into these and then put his line through a figure-eight on her harness. Steve set his first chock just as he got past the ledge and continued climbing straight up.
Geoff watched Lisa quietly, noticing the skill with which she moved. He couldn’t imagine Kelly being of any help in such a situation, and he had to admire Lisa a bit. But that didn’t change the fact that the Derns were intruding in his plans. Geoff didn’t mind all of the hysteria: Harrison’s crying wife was perfect. But this competence on the part of Dern and his wife was a pain in the ass.
Geoff saw Harrison was moving again. Geoff wasn’t surprised. He had Harrison’s abilities—and ambitions—figured within inches. The man would make it to the top, hard as it was. Geoff felt a calm excitement inside. His point and his future would be proven by a man far weaker than he.
If Dern didn’t fuck it all up, that was. Dern was moving up the rockface with a dexterity and assurance that Geoff knew would rival his own.
The first guide came running up to take over the belay from Lisa. He called Geoff and several of the other executives over. Jansten hitched himself up on a rock and said, quietly, “Go on, Geoff.”
The guide was a big kid with a wispy beard. “Steve is looking good, and I hope to hell he can get this line onto Harrison. If he does fall, both of them are going—so we’re talking upwards of four hundred
Jansten looked over at Geoff coolly, then back to Harrison. “All right, let’s see how he does.”
Geoff grinned. “I knew you were still in there.”
Help him!” Geena cried. She turned back to Geoff and Jansten. “He’ll listen to you, and you know he can’t climb that.”
“He may surprise you,” Geoff said. “Besides, it was his choice.”
She put her hand to her mouth, trying to restrain herself. Then her emotions broke through. “Like hell. He told me what you said in that bar. Like hell.”
Others were coming at that point. Keiler, Jacobs, Barnaby, Urlich, Nickerson, and Lane showed up, their wives trailing them. Geoff didn’t know any of the men all that well, but Harrison himself had confirmed that not one of them would take a piss without consulting the others about their read on Jansten’s opinion. So Geoff didn’t expect any real challenge as long as Jansten was sitting there quietly beside him.
And indeed, after Keiler took in the situation, Harrison’s climb and teary-eyed wife, he smoothed his black mustache, looked at Jansten, looked at his compatriots, and said, “Didn’t know Harrison had it in him.”
Dern was rappelling down the rockface behind them. Lisa was already down.
“What’s going on?” one of the guides called from the top of Dern’s rise. “What’s that guy doing?”
Jansten smiled at the guide calmly, but didn’t answer.
The guide turned, apparently speaking to his partner behind him. “One of these idiots is trying to free-climb a five-eight. Get your ass over there, see if you can hike up the back way and get him a top rope.”
Dern was already down before the guide finished yelling. He and Lisa hurried over, coiling their rope. Dern stepped around Keiler and said directly to Geoff, “This is your guy. Does he know what he’s gotten himself into?”
“We’ll see.”
Geena grasped Dern’s arm. “They must have made him some offer. Believe me, he wouldn’t do this on his own.”
Dern looked at Geoff, who smiled back blandly. Let’s hear the speech, Geoff thought.
Just then, Harrison slipped. He scrambled frantically, trying to regain his footing.
He did, but when he looked down afterward it was obvious he was wild-eyed with fear. He was over a hundred feet up from the ground.
“Belay me,” Dern said to his wife.
He started up the rockface immediately. He trailed a rope and Lisa moved quickly, setting several chocks between boulders and crevices at the base. She hooked herself into these and then put his line through a figure-eight on her harness. Steve set his first chock just as he got past the ledge and continued climbing straight up.
Geoff watched Lisa quietly, noticing the skill with which she moved. He couldn’t imagine Kelly being of any help in such a situation, and he had to admire Lisa a bit. But that didn’t change the fact that the Derns were intruding in his plans. Geoff didn’t mind all of the hysteria: Harrison’s crying wife was perfect. But this competence on the part of Dern and his wife was a pain in the ass.
Geoff saw Harrison was moving again. Geoff wasn’t surprised. He had Harrison’s abilities—and ambitions—figured within inches. The man would make it to the top, hard as it was. Geoff felt a calm excitement inside. His point and his future would be proven by a man far weaker than he.
If Dern didn’t fuck it all up, that was. Dern was moving up the rockface with a dexterity and assurance that Geoff knew would rival his own.
The first guide came running up to take over the belay from Lisa. He called Geoff and several of the other executives over. Jansten hitched himself up on a rock and said, quietly, “Go on, Geoff.”
The guide was a big kid with a wispy beard. “Steve is looking good, and I hope to hell he can get this line onto Harrison. If he does fall, both of them are going—so we’re talking upwards of four hundred
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