“I’m going to the bathroom. Let me up. Unzip the tent.” He reached above me and undid the zipper to the front of the tent and I climbed out and stood up and looked around. On three sides were tall granite cliffs. In front was a mountain lake. I struck off in the direction of the sunrise and soon had climbed a hundred feet above the lake. I found a large boulder and relieved myself and then I climbed another forty feet and sat down on the path to look down on the dark green tent and the sleeping bags that held our companions. “Well, I think I’m pregnant,” I decided. “I bet I am. I know I am.” I looked off into the distance. For once in my life I was content. I didn’t want a thing. I knew exactly where I was and how I fit into the scheme of things. I wasn’t hot or cold. I didn’t want anyone to talk to me or need me or tell me anything. I just wanted to sit there and look down on the lake and think about how absolutely hysterical it would be if I was pregnant. I thought it was hysterical. I thought it was the absolutely funniest and most amusing thing I had ever heard of in my life.

After a long time I saw Avery get up from his sleeping bag and go over and start poking around in the fire. Then Malcolm came out from the tent and joined him and I decided to go on down. I wanted to climb farther up and maybe build a lean-to out of vines but I decided they’d get mad at me, so I started back down the path to the camp.

Chapter

21