Even light was not too much of a problem in the chimney. When its opening was wide enough light filtered in to make their going easy, but when it was narrow they found that some of the rocks possessed something of a glow themselves. Lulah said it was crystal specks buried in the rock's surface, and that such stone fetched a high price back in Mancoseria. Ramus did not care. It lit their way, and that was priceless.

They heard occasional noises from the rear of the chimney, issuing from the darkness where the fault penetrated the cliff. Whispers and sighs, squeals and grunts, and Lulah attributed them to the wind. Ramus was not so sure, but nothing threatened them, and nothing emerged. Whatever lay within the cliff preferred to maintain its mystery as it watched them climb.

Toward the end of that first full day, it became apparent that the chimney was fading out. The walls were closing in, the darkness of the crevasse was no longer so deep and the slice of Noreela that had been visible through the cliff opening grew narrow. They decided to find somewhere to stay for the night before venturing out onto the cliff-face proper the following morning.

“How far do you think we've come?” Ramus asked.

Lulah was chewing on another grub, and she nodded at the opening before them. “It's a long way down,” she said.

Ramus saw light fading from the wedge of Noreela before them. Grasslands, that was all he could see, and even the texture of hills and valleys was uncertain from up here. We must have come a long way, he thought. I wonder whether Nomi has started climbing at all?

Lulah clambered up a steep scree slope, moved around for a while and returned with an armful of twigs and dried moss. “The chimney even gives us a fire,” she said, grinning. Ramus thought it was the first time she had smiled in days.

“Good,” he said. “These grubs are fine, but I'd prefer their guts hot and cooked.”

_____

NEXT MORNING THEY emerged out onto the cliff face for the first time, and the whole view of Noreela was opened to them. They hung there for a while, trying to take everything in, but it was a sight neither of them could have prepared for. Distance was only swallowed by haze.

“On the clearest day, we could see forever,” Lulah said, and Ramus nodded.

Whoever or whatever lives up there, they have Noreela set out before them, he thought.

“We should tie on,” Lulah said. “You climbed well yesterday, and we've come too far for one of us to slip away because of a stupid mistake.”

Ramus raised his eyebrows and tried not to show the pain he was suffering. Every time he blinked it was like a pulse of fire behind his eyes. “You're sure?” he asked.