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to start the signal fire, a spear and a water bottle.
When they reached the riverbank, Con asked. How far do you think it is?
See that bluff near the river?
Con gazed into the distance. Snow was falling again and the bluff looked faint
and far away, a gray hump near the horizon. I think so, she said.
I saw the shore from the top of that bluff.
So the sea s behind the bluff?
Well . . . no, said Rick, but I could see it from there.
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Oh, said Con with disappointment.
Soon after they started out, it became clear that their progress would be
slower than Rick had planned.
He had underestimated the difficulty of dragging Joe s body. Despite having
lost many pounds, Joe was a heavy and awkward burden. Rick s muscles had
shrunken and the weight of the poles on his now bony shoulders chaffed and
bruised them. When the pain became unbearable, he had to halt and rest. As the
journey wore on, the halts became more and more frequent.
They reached the riverbank below the bluff after hard hours of travel. The
view from there was unchanged, offering no hint of the tsunami debris mounds
that Rick had spied from above. Instead, the bleak, burnt forest spread out as
before. The cold land looked empty of life, a place where even the
nightstalkers had departed.
With the bluff behind them, there was no visible goal for them to reach. Their
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pace lagged and, after a while, even Rick was beyond caring. In his
exhaustion, it took all his effort to keep moving. He set little goals for
himself. First, they were to reach the next bend in the river. Then, they were
to reach a blackened tree trunk a few dozen yards ahead. By the time it
started to grow dark, his goals had been reduced to taking the next step.
We have to stop, said Rick. I can t go on.
Con wordlessly dropped her pack. Despite her tiny load, she looked every bit
as exhausted as Rick felt.
Rick realized that his urgency to finish their journey had clouded his
judgment. He had pushed himself and
Con too hard and still failed to reach their goal. Now, they were at the end
of their strength and would spend the night in the open. If his miscalculation
was not to be fatal, he would have to think more clearly.
I m going to look for driftwood, said Rick. Will you be all right?
I ll help you, replied Con in a tired voice.
They walked along the riverbank looking for wood. It proved just as scarce as
at the last camp. Though they moved as quickly as their exhaustion allowed,
racing the gathering darkness, it was soon clear they wouldn t find enough
wood to burn all night.
We ll have to dig a snow cave, said Rick.
A snow cave? I thought we wanted to be warm.
It s better than being out in the open. We ll snuggle close to keep each
other warm.
From a log cabin to a snow cave, said Con. You sure know how to lower a
woman s expectations!
But I like the snuggling part.
Rick smiled and felt encouraged that Con still had her sense of humor.
As they walked along the bank, Rick spotted a charred trunk of a large fallen
tree. On one side, the snow had drifted to the height of the four-foot log.
There s a likely spot, he said.
You d better get Joe and our stuff, then, said Con. It s really getting
dark. If you tell me how to make the cave, I ll dig it.
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It s not hard, said Rick. Dig a small entrance tunnel at the base of the
drift and enlarge the interior cavity to fit the two of us. Just don t
collapse the roof while you re digging it.
The snow feels pretty firm, said Con. I don t think that ll be a problem.
Rick dumped the wood near the drift and hurried off to retrieve Joe. By the
time he returned, it was getting difficult to see. Rick started a small fire
with some of the driftwood, setting aside the rest for the next morning. While
Con warmed her frigid hands, he finished the snow cave. Afterward, they
crouched over the tiny blaze until it was only embers, then retreated to the
cave.
It was so dark by then, as Rick huddled with Con beneath the snow, he could
not see her face inches from his. Con, he whispered, I love you. I loved
you even back on the island.
You re not saying that because you think we re not going to make it?
No, he said. I just want you to know how I feel.
I already know, whispered Con. This sounds like a cliché, but I think we
were destined for each other. I ve the strangest feeling like I ve always
known you. Rick, we re going to spend the rest of our lives together.
Rick softly kissed Con and prayed that the rest of their lives would be longer
than one night.
A FAINT, GRAY
light filtered through the snow. Rick woke, stiff and frigid. The first thing
he did was to see if Con was breathing. Con, wake up. It s our last day. Con
opened her eyes.
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How do you feel? he asked.
Cold, Con replied groggily.
I m going to get the fire started, said Rick as he pushed his way through
the outer wall of the snow cave. The morning air was colder than the inside of
the cave, but no snow fell from the dark sky. He brushed the night s snow off
the driftwood and grabbed some down and tinder from Con s pack. By the time
Con stretched and hobbled over to Rick, flames were spreading from the tinder.
What a night, said Con. My left foot tingled and hurt after you went to
sleep and kept me up. Do you know you snore?
I do now.
Well, my foot s fine this morning. It s not even cold.
Rick anxiously glanced at Con s sandaled foot. The outer sock on it looked
icy. Can you wiggle your toes? he asked.
Con looked upset. No.
Rick gently felt her foot. It felt hard and cold beneath the frozen socks.
You have frostbite.
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What should I do? asked Con in a frightened voice. Rub snow on it? Thaw it
by the fire?
Just leave it alone. As long as it s frozen, you can walk on it. When we re
rescued, it can be treated.
It ll be fine.
And if we re not rescued? Con looked at Rick and caught him wiping his eye.
Well . . . she said in a very quiet voice, then it won t really matter.
They lingered by the fire, trying to get warm and to steel themselves for
their last day of travel. Finally, Con said, Let s go.
Rick walked over to Joe, who was covered with a thin shroud of snow. He hefted
up the two poles. As soon as they touched his shoulders, he felt as if they
had been there for hours. The slow march to the sea had begun.
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