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Paul studied the open desert questing in his president memory probing the mysterious illusions to thupers and maker hooks in the framing kit manual that had come with their escape pack

He found it all that all he sensened was pervasive terror at thought of the worms

He knew as though it lay just at the edge of his awareness

That the worms would to be respected and not feared

If

If he shooke his head

It would have to be sounds without rhythm

M

Jessica said

What Oh Yes

If we broke our steps

The sand itself must shift down at times

Worms can't investigate every little sound

We should be fully rested before we try it though he looked across at that other rock wall

Seeing the passage of time in the vertical moon shadows there

It would be daorwn within the hour

Where we spend the day

She asked

Paul turned left pointed the cliff curves back north over there you can see by the wei's wind cut

That's the wind would face they'll be crevaces there deep ones

How do we better get started

She asked he stood helped her to her feet are arrested enough climb down

I want to get as closeas possible to the desert floor before we camp enough

She had noted for him to lead the way

He hesitated ated then lifted the pack

Settled it under shshoulders

And turned along the cliff

If only we had suspenses

Jessica thought itit'll be such a simple matter to jump down there

But perhaps suspenses are another thing to avoid in the open desert

Maybe they attract the worms

The

The where shield ld does they came to a series of shelves dropping down

And beyond them saw official with its ledge outlined by moon shadow leading along the vestibule

Paul led the way down moving cautiousabberd hudgying

Because it was obvious

The moonlight could not last much longer

They wound down into a world of deeper and deeper shadows

Hints of rock shape climbed to the stars around them

The official narrowed to some ten meters with that the brink of a dim gry sanda slope

That slunted down with into darkness can we go down

Jessica whispard

I think so he tested the surface with one foot

We can slide down

He said i'll go first wait until you here me stop cavl

She said he stepped onto the slope and slid and slipped down its soft service onto an almost level flawd of packed sand

The place was deep within the rock walls

They came the sound of sand sliding behind him

He tried to see up the slope in the darkness was almost knocked over by the cascade

It trailed away to silence

Mother

He said there was no answer

Mother he dropped the pack hurled himself up the slope scrambling digging throwing sand like a wild man

Mother he gust mother

Where are you another cascade of sswept down on him

Buriying him to the hips

He rached himself out of it

She's been caught in the landslide

He thought buried in it

I must become and work this out

Carefully she won't smother immediately shell compose herself in bindou suspension to reduce her oxygen needs

She knows i'll dig for her in the benni jess of it way she had taught him paul stewled the savage beating of his heart said his mind as a blank slate up on which the past fuel moments could write themselves every partial shift and twist of the slide repplayed itself in his memory moving with an interior stateliness

That contrusted with a fractional second of real time

Required for the total recall presently

Paul moved slaunt wise up the slope probing cautiously

Until he found the wall of the fisher

An out curve of rock there

He began to dig moving the sand with care

Not to dislodge another slide

A piece of fabric came under his hands

He followit found an arm

Gently

He traced the arm exposed her face

Do you hear me

He whispered no answer

He doug faster freed her shoulders

She was limp beneath his hands

But he detected a slow heart beat bindu suspension

He told himself

He cleared the sand the way to her waste

Drapped her arms over his shoulders and pulled down slope slowly at first

Then dragging how as fast as he could feeling the sand give way above faster and faster

He pulled her gosbing with the effort fighting to keep his balance

He was out on the hard packed flawd of officier

Then swinging her to his shoulder

And breaking into a staggering run as the entire sandsslope came down with a loud

His that echoed and was magnified within the rock walls