After three more maneuvers like the first, Jenny finally found herself in a place where there was enough room to turn around. Her back against a slab of dripping stone, she looked out over a wide sloping area of rocks and gullies that led to the bottom of the bluff and the low scrubby bushes that grew at its base. This time, the tears did come. Ahnost there, she told herself. Almost safe.

But there was still David-to take care of, so Jenny wiped her muddy hands, sat down on her rear, and started scooting. Going forward felt absolutely wonderful.

The storm seemed to be fading a little; the breaks between thunderclaps were getting longer, but the rain kept coming steadily, and Jenny knew there wouldn't be any last-minute clearing of the skies like she'd seen on other days. The darkness that had closed in was there to stay, at least for the night. That would make it harder to find David, she

thought. But the town of Rimrock had to have some special rescue crew; this couldn't be the first time somebody had gotten lost or hurt up here.

The picture flashed into her mind again, of David lying helpless, and she scooted faster, barely feeling the bruising bumps she was taking in the backside. After a couple of minutes, she finally reached the part of the slope where she could stand and walk.

She took a step on the rocky, gentle slope, and then stopped so suddenly she fell backward again, banging her elbow painfully.

"Jenny!" David said. "Hey, you made it down okay!"

It was definitely David, dark eyes, lanky build, and all. He was wet to the skin, like she was, and he was muddy. But he wasn't bloody. Relief flooded her, followed almost immediately by anger. In his hand, she saw that he was clutching a sopping mass of twigs and weeds. An empty bird's nest.

Jenny scrambled up, wiped her hair out of her eyes, and hollered at him. 'Where mere you?! Didn't you hear me calling? Was that stupid nest so important you left me stuck up there in the middle of a storm?"

"Wait, wait." David held up his hands. "I didn't leave you up there, at least I didn't mean to," he said. "I admit I'd gone a Uttle farther than I'd planned, and I was just about to come back for you when the storm got really wild. It took me a while, but I made it." He gave her a curious look. "You weren't there."

"Of course I was there!" Jenny said. * Where else would I be?"

"That's what I wondered."

Jenny couldn't believe it. Did he really think she'd decided to go exploring on her own? In the middle of a storm? "You probably went to the wrong place," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "Or else you got there after I'd already left."

"Yeah, I guess. Maybe."

Maybe, nothing, Jenny thought. "Anyway, why didn't you answer me?" she went on. She wasn't hollering anymore, but her voice was still plenty loud. "I called and called, and then I thought I heard a scream." The tears were back, and she wiped at them furiously. "I was scared out of my mind. I thought you were dead! Why didn't you answer me?"