I didnt wait to see if Pilgrim had changed his mind about killing me now, I just leaped back across to the southside walkway, threw myself flat on the ground, and rolled til I hit the wall. As long as I kept down and away from the edge of the walkway, Pilgrim couldnt see me from below. And if he couldnt see me, he couldnt shoot me. But I was only safe for a moment. Pilgrim knew I was unarmed, so all he had to do was cross over to the steps and climb up here---

I heard him moving – his boots clacking quietly across the turret floor---

I jumped up and ran for my knapsack – keeping low, running on all 4s---streaking along the stone ledge, leaping across the corner – and as I landed on the westside walkway, just a few yards away from the knapsack, I saw Pilgrim coming up the steps at the opposite end of the ledge. He was moving slowly, cautiously, edging his head up over the ledge to see where I was. He saw me, then I saw his eyes flick down at the Beretta on the knapsack, and just for a moment he hesitated. I dived headlong for the pistol, grabbing it in my outstretched hand as I hit the ground, and as I rolled quickly to my left and opened fire – working the trigger as fast as I could – I saw Pilgrim ducking down out of sight. I stopped firing, and in the sudden silence I heard his bootsteps hurrying down the steps, and I knew then that he still wanted to keep me alive. He didnt have to run from me. He had an MP40 submachine gun and 2 Colts – he could have fought back. And whatever he was, he wasnt a coward. He wasnt running from me, he was retreating, saving himself so he could take me alive---saving my life as a gift to the Dau.

His footsteps had stopped now, but I could still hear some kind of movement – a faint shuffling, a grunt of breath, a single muffled step---

I crawled across to the rim of the walkway and very cautiously peered down into the lower section, and the first thing I saw was the top of Pilgrims head disappearing down into the hole in the floor. I jumped to my knees and fired off a couple of quick shots, but I knew I was wasting my time – I could already hear his bootsteps clomping rapidly down the spiral steps. They slowed after a while, then faded completely, and for a moment I wondered if hede stopped on the steps somewhere and was waiting for me to come after him, or if he was still going down but simply wasnt hurrying anymore. And if he wasnt hurrying---

Dont think about it, my heart said.

It was my mothers voice, loud and clear and true. She was very close now.

Just do what you have to do, she said.