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Authors: Rick Chesler
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we can get up on over there.” He jiggled the light beam off to their left. Ethan moved off in that direction, expecting to feel a powerful set of jaws tugging at his legs at any moment. But he reached Richard without that happening, and the professional explorer surprised him by handing him his torch.
“Hold this, will you, and aim it up there so I can get out. Then I’ll pull you up.”
Ethan hesitated for a split second. Wonder what he’d say if I said I would go first? But he didn’t want to prolong his stay in the lake a microsecond more than was necessary, plus the ledge was a couple of feet of razor sharp lava rock above their heads and wouldn’t be all that easy to climb out on. Ethan wouldn’t mind being pulled out, at the cost of being second. He took the light. Richard eyed him hard for a moment, then nodded and turned around.
“Right here,” he said, pointing. “Shine it right here.”
Ethan complied, and the Brit began to climb. He made it about three feet up and was stretching an arm out onto level ground when he suddenly fell back, splashing into the water next to Ethan. He cried out in pain, and Ethan’s first thought was that somehow the plesiosaur had struck Richard instead of him, even though Richard had been mostly out of the water until one second ago. But then Richard let loose a string of oaths and shrugged out of his pack.
“That was stupid, I should have known to take my pack off first. Also, let me don my climbing gloves. This stuff is like trying to climb a wall of razor blades.”
Ethan shined the light as the explorer unzipped a side pouch on his bag and took from it a pair of gloves. He put them on and shoved the pack over to Ethan. “Just hold it there until I get up, and then I’ll pull it up, okay?”
Ethan nodded. He had already removed his own pack and so now floated with two of them while shining the light. But the extra work paid off, as this time Richard scaled the ledge without incident, hauling himself out and taking a brief look around. Then he turned back to Ethan, extending a hand. He pulled up first his backpack, then Ethan’s. The photographer had to admit that as pompous as the explorer was, he was quick and efficient in his movements once he selected the proper gear. He was not leaving Ethan to dangle in the water a second longer than necessary.
“You’re going to have to brace your feet against the side—there’s a little cutout—there, yes. Now get a good grip…” He held out a hand and Ethan held on.
“Up you go…” Richard pulled, and Ethan was able to take a couple of vertical steps up until he could step up onto the horizontal ledge. He eyed the explorer in the misty, dim light.
“Thanks.”
Richard nodded, then aimed his light behind them. “Now then, where are we?”
Chapter 11
Ethan finished changing into dry clothes and then shouldered his pack. Richard had done the same, and now he took the two-way radio to the edge of the shelf. He spoke into it, trying to raise the Boat Team, but no response came. Ethan shook his head as he played his beam out across the lake.
“I don’t see any sign of the boat, either. I wonder if that plesiosaur got them, too?”
“Even if it got them, I doubt it would eat the entire raft, too. And even shredded, those rafts float, there would be some sign of things floating around somewhere.”
Ethan shrugged. “So what do you think happened to them?”
“They must have found a passage into a cave. That would also explain why we can’t make radio contact. And remember, we saw that life vest floating down here before we landed. It probably came from the Tongan party, and they came by boat, so it’s possible that there is a passage to the outside from the lake.”
“I guess we’ll have a look around, then. If we can’t find the rest of the team, then maybe we can find a way topside, which we’re going to have to do anyway at some point.”
Richard agreed, and the two men walked
“Hold this, will you, and aim it up there so I can get out. Then I’ll pull you up.”
Ethan hesitated for a split second. Wonder what he’d say if I said I would go first? But he didn’t want to prolong his stay in the lake a microsecond more than was necessary, plus the ledge was a couple of feet of razor sharp lava rock above their heads and wouldn’t be all that easy to climb out on. Ethan wouldn’t mind being pulled out, at the cost of being second. He took the light. Richard eyed him hard for a moment, then nodded and turned around.
“Right here,” he said, pointing. “Shine it right here.”
Ethan complied, and the Brit began to climb. He made it about three feet up and was stretching an arm out onto level ground when he suddenly fell back, splashing into the water next to Ethan. He cried out in pain, and Ethan’s first thought was that somehow the plesiosaur had struck Richard instead of him, even though Richard had been mostly out of the water until one second ago. But then Richard let loose a string of oaths and shrugged out of his pack.
“That was stupid, I should have known to take my pack off first. Also, let me don my climbing gloves. This stuff is like trying to climb a wall of razor blades.”
Ethan shined the light as the explorer unzipped a side pouch on his bag and took from it a pair of gloves. He put them on and shoved the pack over to Ethan. “Just hold it there until I get up, and then I’ll pull it up, okay?”
Ethan nodded. He had already removed his own pack and so now floated with two of them while shining the light. But the extra work paid off, as this time Richard scaled the ledge without incident, hauling himself out and taking a brief look around. Then he turned back to Ethan, extending a hand. He pulled up first his backpack, then Ethan’s. The photographer had to admit that as pompous as the explorer was, he was quick and efficient in his movements once he selected the proper gear. He was not leaving Ethan to dangle in the water a second longer than necessary.
“You’re going to have to brace your feet against the side—there’s a little cutout—there, yes. Now get a good grip…” He held out a hand and Ethan held on.
“Up you go…” Richard pulled, and Ethan was able to take a couple of vertical steps up until he could step up onto the horizontal ledge. He eyed the explorer in the misty, dim light.
“Thanks.”
Richard nodded, then aimed his light behind them. “Now then, where are we?”
Chapter 11
Ethan finished changing into dry clothes and then shouldered his pack. Richard had done the same, and now he took the two-way radio to the edge of the shelf. He spoke into it, trying to raise the Boat Team, but no response came. Ethan shook his head as he played his beam out across the lake.
“I don’t see any sign of the boat, either. I wonder if that plesiosaur got them, too?”
“Even if it got them, I doubt it would eat the entire raft, too. And even shredded, those rafts float, there would be some sign of things floating around somewhere.”
Ethan shrugged. “So what do you think happened to them?”
“They must have found a passage into a cave. That would also explain why we can’t make radio contact. And remember, we saw that life vest floating down here before we landed. It probably came from the Tongan party, and they came by boat, so it’s possible that there is a passage to the outside from the lake.”
“I guess we’ll have a look around, then. If we can’t find the rest of the team, then maybe we can find a way topside, which we’re going to have to do anyway at some point.”
Richard agreed, and the two men walked
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