But in the center they could see the white wake of a large marine creature. A wake that had paced them for several marches. Bedside, with his ingenuity, might have prepared chemicals to repulse the thing. This party had to find other means.

Bossman did not take long to make up his mind. “The lots.”

Garnet approached. “I know what you want,” she said dully. “I’ll do it. I can swim good.

Bossman brushed her aside. “I didn’t tell you to do nothing! The lots.”

She refused to move. “You can’t spare any more men. I can swim good. I want it.”

Bossman studied her for a long time. He turned away. “You stay here,” he told her over his shoulder. “Five—come with me.”

Aton accompanied him to a place away from the group, where the wall curved back briefly to make an open room bounded on one side by the river.

“I been meaning to talk to you, Five,” Bossman said, laying his axe down near the water and divesting himself of all other armament. Aton, knowing what was coming, discarded his own stone weapons.

“We’re all of us down here for our own reasons,” Bossman continued. “Ain’t none of us good enough to talk about none of the others. But we got to have a settlement, now.” He stood with hands on hips. The muscles, firmer now than they had been before the trek, shone with light sweat. “I don’t know what you done to get shipped down here, and I ain’t asking.” This was standard courtesy only; the word about Aton’s minionette had long since circulated. “But you been more trouble than any ten men since the mines were started. You’re slick, you’re tough—but I know you. I saw the sign long time ago.

“If I’d had my way, you’d’ve been tied decoy to that stone for the chimera, stead of that scared little man who never had the guts to make real trouble. You’d’ve been the one stuck in that hole, waiting for the axe, ’stead of the only man with brains enough to get us through. You’d be the one to take that lonely swim coming up.”

Bossman was not quite as ignorant as Aton thought. How much did he suspect? “Are you accusing me of Framy’s crime?”

“I ain’t smart,” Bossman said. “I don’t know what goes on in people’s minds, and I take a long time to figure things out. But I know that Framy wouldn’t’ve fingered his only friend. He didn’t work that way. He’d’ve named his worst enemy, to save a guilty friend.