The Energy Crusades by Valerie Noble Page B

Tiergan and I used to encourage each other with during a tennis match. We helped each other to only focus on the point at hand, never worrying about future points. Letting your mind jump too far ahead was often a costly mistake. Ajax smiled, understanding the reference. When we trained, he took his role as my mentor seriously, and did not wish for me to fail. When we trained, we let our resentments fall away.
    "One point at a time," he agreed, and then began to ascend.
    I concentrated on matching where Ajax placed his hands and feet, pulling my body up the rocks as the sun beat down on my face. It was slow going and took a long time to haul my body a short distance up the slope. The quiet pressed against me until all I could hear was the hot sound of my breath and the movement of Ajax above me. It felt like mere minutes had passed before I was sweating profusely and struggling to keep my concentration. Sweat poured into my eyes and clouded my solar glasses, making it even more difficult to find and grasp the holds. Droplets of perspiration dripped down from Ajax ' s body, and if he stopped to shake the hair out of his eyes, the moisture from it would fall onto me until I couldn ' t discern his sweat from my own.
    My legs began to burn with fatigue from the constant climb, but I knew I could overcome it. I was accustomed to pushing my body to physical extremes, and shaky, exhausted legs were common on the tennis court. Placing my feet correctly proved easier than finding the right indentions with my hands, which grew slick with sweat the longer we climbed. At times, I couldn ' t decide whether to wipe my glasses or dry my hands, and as my vision became more clouded, I could no longer see Ajax ' s feet above me, and had to rely on my own senses more heavily. Our bodies were soaked in the red dust of the mountain, and I finally had to keep my eyes closed entirely, in order to keep the dust from blinding me.
    My throat began to ache from the dry, dusty air. I felt the holds with my feet carefully until I sensed the correct one, and then found a place for my hands to lift me up. With my eyes closed and the heat pressing around me, I felt totally alone on the rocks. I could hear Ajax ' s movements above me, but I could no longer depend on his steps to guide me.
    Just when I thought I would choke from all the dust, the rain began, lightly at first, which felt glorious on my skin. While my eyes were closed, I hadn ' t noticed the clouds approaching. The water washed the dust from my face, allowing me to see the dark, ominous weather closing in around us. With it came a little breeze and some cooler air. I paused on the rocks and held my face out, letting the drops of rain clear the dust and sweat away. Finally, I was able to look up and find Ajax. He was right above me, struggling to clean his face as best he could. I ' d managed to keep pace with him, even without my eyesight. It was enough of an accomplishment to boost my energy. Ajax looked down momentarily, but I gave a little nod and he continued up.
    The rain, which had been refreshing at first, began to hammer us relentlessly. We could hold out our tongues to drink a few drops, but it was a small comfort. Dust became mud and it slid down around us, dragging all sorts of rocks and debris with it. As the rain pounded down, the mud fell more violently, and I was pelted with rocks. One of the larger ones hit me in the arm, tearing the skin and leaving a gash in my suit. It began to gush with blood. I pushed the pain from my mind and kept as close an eye on Ajax ' s feet as possible, holding my concentration the best I could while we continued the climb.
    I was keeping up, despite the avalanche of mud flowing all around us, but I made the mistake of lifting my head too far. A sharp rock struck me savagely across the cheek, opening a large gash just under my left eye. The pain of it took my breath away, and I lost my train of thought. My foot slipped and I grasped at a hold with my