imals so they would not stray too far, and left ample
food for them, and cached all but the most necessary of light trail
gear. As we prepared to start upward on the steep, narrow track--hardly
more than a rabbit-run--I glanced at Kyla and stated, "We'll work on
rope from the first stretch. Starting now."

One of the Darkovan brothers stared at me with contempt. "Call yourself
a mountain man, Jason? Why, my little daughter could scramble up _that_
track without so much as a push on her behind!"

I set my chin and glared at him. "The rocks aren't easy, and some of
these men aren't used to working on rope at all. We might as well get
used to it, because when we start working along the ledges, I don't want
anybody who doesn't know how."

They still didn't like it, but nobody protested further until I directed
the huge Kendricks to the center of the second rope. He glared viciously
at the light nylon line and demanded in some apprehension, "Hadn't I
better go last until I know what I'm doing? Hemmed in between the two of
you, I'm apt to do something damned dumb!"

Hjalmar roared with laughter and informed him that the center place on a
3-man rope was always reserved for weaklings, novices and amateurs. I
expected Kendricks' temper to flare up: the burly Spaceforce man and the
Darkovan giant glared at one another, then Kendricks only shrugged and
knotted the line through his belt. Kyla warned Kendricks and Lerrys
about looking down from ledges, and we started.

The first stretch was almost too simple, a clear track winding higher
and higher for a couple of miles. Pausing to rest for a moment, we could
turn and see the entire valley outspread below us. Gradually the trail
grew steeper, in spots pitched almost at a 50-degree angle, and was
scattered with gravel, loose rock and shale, so that we placed our feet
carefully, leaning forward to catch at handholds and steady ourselves
against rocks. I tested each boulder carefully, since any weight placed
against an unsteady rock might dislodge it on somebody below. One of the
Darkovan brothers--Vardo, I thought--was behind me, separated by ten or
twelve feet of slack rope, and twice when his feet slipped on gravel he
stumbled and gave me an unpleasant jerk. What he muttered was perfectly
true; on slopes like this, where a fall wasn't dangerous anyhow, it was
better to work unroped; then a slip bothered no one but the slipper.
But I was finding out what I wanted to know--what ki