Shad was leading—suddenly he stood toe to toe with a tall, heavy man with a double chin and puckered lips and a scowl that could curdle milk. Peeking over the big man’s shoulder was a chinless man with a large crooked nose and corn-kerneled teeth, wearing an orange stocking cap. There was room for only one on the ledge—passing each other wouldn’t be easy.

“Who are you?” the big man demanded of Shad. “Why are you going this way?”

“We’re walkers of the red road, servants of the King. We’re going this way because … it’s the right way. Why are you traveling the wrong way?”

“Don’t test my patience, old man. I could toss you off this cliff.” I put my hand on Shad’s shoulder and tried to look intimidating. Frodo, poking his snout out my jacket, let out a low sustained growl.

“Are you the ones who put up these stupid rails?” the big man asked.

“Stupid?” I asked, looking at the guardrails. “What do you mean?”

“They keep getting in the way,” he said. “They bruise my legs and hips. The steel cables cut my arm. And when I touch them, my fingers stick to the icy metal. Look, it tore the skin off me.”

He held up his hand. I didn’t need to look, since my hands were in the same condition.

“But what’s the alternative?” I asked. “They’ve saved our lives—if not for the guardrails we’d plunge over the cliff.”

“Do you think I’m stupid? I can stay on the path without these rails. All they do is get in the way.”

“Have you crossed the chasm?” I asked.

“Chasm? I should have known. You’re one of those. Funny, you didn’t strike me as a total imbecile.” Thanks.

“Why would you want to believe in a chasm?”

“Want to believe?” I asked. “If a sword were poised over my neck, I wouldn’t want to believe it. But if it was, I’d better believe it! The chasm is real. You’ll know that eventually. The question is whether you’ll find out about it too late.” I pulled the book out of my coat pocket and opened it, fumbling with my frozen fingers. “The TravelGuide says—”

“I’ve lived here all my life. If there was a chasm, don’t you think I’d have seen it?”

“But there is a chasm. It was hard for me to see at first too. But I crossed it with the Woodsman.”

“I’m sure you think you did. Anyway, stand aside and let us by. We have to keep moving.”

“Keep moving, yes. But take the time to make sure you’re going the right direction! Wait just long enough for me to tell you about what really matters. Give me five minutes, okay? Here goes—all men die once, are judged once, and are relocated once. Now the Chasm-crosser—”