e, you will deliver
a Megabuck radio unit to Shannon and Briotti. Then you will return
without attracting attention. That will be time enough for us to plan
the rescue, in conjunction with our friends on the cliff."

Rick had to admit Zircon's plan made better sense, even though he
disliked the idea of another day's delay in rescuing their friends. He
nodded.

Scotty rose, his pleasure at the plan evident in his wide grin. "Let's
go!"

Fifteen hours later the _Swift Arrow_ withdrew to the open waters to the
south as the sun slowly fell below the horizon. The four adventurers
gathered around the chart table and studied the island of Shan,
comparing notes.

Zircon used a pair of dividers as a pointer. "This cove on the eastern
shore looks like the best possibility for anchoring the vinta, and I'd
say the climb up the volcano from there is no harder than from any other
place."

Rick agreed. "It looked that way to me, too. We'll call that cove our
back door. The only real puzzle is, does the volcano have a crater? If
so, we'll have to go around it. Climbing down into the crater and up
again would use up too much time."

Zircon shrugged. "We have no way of telling. Did anyone notice a
preferred way around the cone?"

"The southern slope looks a little less steep," Scotty volunteered.

Chahda nodded agreement. "I also think this. To me, big trouble is place
right above cliff. Is pretty steep, I think."

The Hindu boy was right as usual, Rick thought. He had seen through the
long glass that the area above the steep cliff was only slightly less
vertical than the cliff itself, with an occasional shelf of rock. Not
only would that be the hardest part of the trip, he guessed, but the
most dangerous, since they would be in sight of the village part of the
time.

"It's steep," Scotty agreed. "I'd say it's not a place to pick for a
casual stroll, but I can't think of any other way to get our friends off
that shelf. Can you?"

The others shook their heads. They had discussed it at length during the
daylight hours while they floated patiently in the waters south of Shan,
alternately sleeping and preparing for the night's work. Since no other
plan seemed even remotely feasible, Rick and Scotty were to make the
first try in about two hours.

The time passed swiftly with last-minute preparations. The boys carried
rope, heavy spikes to be used as pitons on particularly difficult
places, flashlights taped so only a pinpoint