sneered.
‘Nope,’ said Malvery. He was looking at Frey. ‘Just don’t fancy trustin’ my life to a piece of rope. Not when I don’t see the point of it.’
Frey saw the defiance in his eyes. There wasn’t much discipline on the Ketty Jay ; it was loyalty that made them work well together, not fear of punishment. But Malvery’s loyalty had been eroded of late, with the civil war and all of that. The doc was giving him a push, to see what he’d do.
Frey recognised a man who was trying to start a fight. Malvery’s battle wasn’t with him, but with himself. And Frey wasn’t about to make anyone do anything they didn’t want to.
‘Fine,’ said Frey. ‘Stay. That goes for anyone else who doesn’t want to come. We’ll pick you up on the way back.’
‘Wait, he gets to stay?’ Pinn complained. ‘Alright then, I’m staying too.’
‘Scared of heights?’ Ashua asked sweetly.
Frey made a noise that indicated he didn’t much care whether Pinn came or not. ‘Anyone else?’
Ashua looked at the rope bridge and shrugged. ‘Looks pretty safe to me.’
‘Ain’t much of a thing,’ said Silo.
‘Between certain death and Pinn’s conversation, I know which one I’d choose,’ quipped Crake.
‘You’ve got sick in your beard,’ Pinn returned spitefully.
Jez took a running jump and cleared the chasm in a single bound. That shut them all up. Frey let his head sink into his hand.
‘Jez,’ he said. ‘You remember we had that talk about keeping your, er, condition under wraps?’ He waved a hand vaguely towards Pelaru, who was wearing a look of amazement on his face.
‘Sorry, Cap’n,’ she said, her eyes white discs in the dark. ‘Thought I’d save some time.’
Pelaru opened his mouth and closed it again.
‘Don’t ask,’ said Frey. ‘Let’s go.’
He left his lantern with Malvery and Pinn and walked over to the rope bridge. Not long ago he’d have let someone else take the risk of going first, but of late he’d developed a certain doggedness that surprised even himself. Anything that got between him and finding Trinica was an obstacle to be overcome, and the faster he got on with it, the better. He had a promise to keep, a purpose at last.
It was just a rope bridge, after all. With what he’d been through, it wasn’t that much of a challenge, surely?
The chasm wasn’t wide, but the black drop beneath his feet made it seem wider. He held on to the upper rope, which was taut, and tried the lower one with his feet. It was thick and as stable as he could hope for. Shuffling carefully side-foot, he made his way along it, hanging tight to the upper rope in case he slipped.
‘Don’t look down!’ Pinn called helpfully.
Frey, being a contrary sort, did exactly that. He regretted it immediately. The abyss sucked the courage out of him. He felt the heat drain from his body, his strength leaking away. Suddenly he was weak and frail and his position seemed terribly precarious. Until that moment, it had been possible to ignore how slim the margin for error was. Now he was reminded that one misstep would see him plunge into the chasm. And it was a long, long way down.
He tore his eyes away, doing his best to keep his face composed. The most important thing was not to look scared for the others. He knew they were watching him.
‘No problem!’ he said, with a forced cheeriness that sounded fake even to him.
His steps became miniscule, shifting his boots centimetres at a time. His hands clutched hard, and refused to let go, so that he had to drag them along the rope and burn his palms on the hemp. He felt very cold, and yet he was sweating.
Centimetre by centimetre. Don’t look down , he told himself, echoing Pinn. And then, just to be bloody-minded, he did so again. It was even worse the second time. He swallowed and faced forward.
‘Go on, Cap’n!’ said Pinn. ‘You’re almost halfway there!’
Frey felt his heart sink. Almost halfway. He’d thought he was nearly at the end.
‘Nope,’ said Malvery. He was looking at Frey. ‘Just don’t fancy trustin’ my life to a piece of rope. Not when I don’t see the point of it.’
Frey saw the defiance in his eyes. There wasn’t much discipline on the Ketty Jay ; it was loyalty that made them work well together, not fear of punishment. But Malvery’s loyalty had been eroded of late, with the civil war and all of that. The doc was giving him a push, to see what he’d do.
Frey recognised a man who was trying to start a fight. Malvery’s battle wasn’t with him, but with himself. And Frey wasn’t about to make anyone do anything they didn’t want to.
‘Fine,’ said Frey. ‘Stay. That goes for anyone else who doesn’t want to come. We’ll pick you up on the way back.’
‘Wait, he gets to stay?’ Pinn complained. ‘Alright then, I’m staying too.’
‘Scared of heights?’ Ashua asked sweetly.
Frey made a noise that indicated he didn’t much care whether Pinn came or not. ‘Anyone else?’
Ashua looked at the rope bridge and shrugged. ‘Looks pretty safe to me.’
‘Ain’t much of a thing,’ said Silo.
‘Between certain death and Pinn’s conversation, I know which one I’d choose,’ quipped Crake.
‘You’ve got sick in your beard,’ Pinn returned spitefully.
Jez took a running jump and cleared the chasm in a single bound. That shut them all up. Frey let his head sink into his hand.
‘Jez,’ he said. ‘You remember we had that talk about keeping your, er, condition under wraps?’ He waved a hand vaguely towards Pelaru, who was wearing a look of amazement on his face.
‘Sorry, Cap’n,’ she said, her eyes white discs in the dark. ‘Thought I’d save some time.’
Pelaru opened his mouth and closed it again.
‘Don’t ask,’ said Frey. ‘Let’s go.’
He left his lantern with Malvery and Pinn and walked over to the rope bridge. Not long ago he’d have let someone else take the risk of going first, but of late he’d developed a certain doggedness that surprised even himself. Anything that got between him and finding Trinica was an obstacle to be overcome, and the faster he got on with it, the better. He had a promise to keep, a purpose at last.
It was just a rope bridge, after all. With what he’d been through, it wasn’t that much of a challenge, surely?
The chasm wasn’t wide, but the black drop beneath his feet made it seem wider. He held on to the upper rope, which was taut, and tried the lower one with his feet. It was thick and as stable as he could hope for. Shuffling carefully side-foot, he made his way along it, hanging tight to the upper rope in case he slipped.
‘Don’t look down!’ Pinn called helpfully.
Frey, being a contrary sort, did exactly that. He regretted it immediately. The abyss sucked the courage out of him. He felt the heat drain from his body, his strength leaking away. Suddenly he was weak and frail and his position seemed terribly precarious. Until that moment, it had been possible to ignore how slim the margin for error was. Now he was reminded that one misstep would see him plunge into the chasm. And it was a long, long way down.
He tore his eyes away, doing his best to keep his face composed. The most important thing was not to look scared for the others. He knew they were watching him.
‘No problem!’ he said, with a forced cheeriness that sounded fake even to him.
His steps became miniscule, shifting his boots centimetres at a time. His hands clutched hard, and refused to let go, so that he had to drag them along the rope and burn his palms on the hemp. He felt very cold, and yet he was sweating.
Centimetre by centimetre. Don’t look down , he told himself, echoing Pinn. And then, just to be bloody-minded, he did so again. It was even worse the second time. He swallowed and faced forward.
‘Go on, Cap’n!’ said Pinn. ‘You’re almost halfway there!’
Frey felt his heart sink. Almost halfway. He’d thought he was nearly at the end.
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