It was the kind of slow grinding climb designed to take the heart out of anyone, he thought, trying to blink the sweat out of his eyes. Better not to think, he told himself. There were a lot of things he had better not do. Like looking up or down. Up was bad because the sight of how far he still had to go could destroy his will to go on. Down was bad because the fear of falling could set in.

The best was just to concentrate on the next step. You don’t have to climb all the way, he told himself, just the next step. You can swim an ocean, one stroke at a time. No, you can’t. That’s not progress, it’s megalomania, he contradicted himself. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about anything except the next step. Lots of pain in fingers. Cramping badly and it’s much too soon. Don’t panic, he argued back. It’s only one step. Now bend the right knee sideways. Keep it close to the rock, otherwise leaning out puts too much weight on the fingers. Feel for the next notch with the toes of the right foot. Don’t try to look down. You couldn’t see it anyway. Can’t find it. Where is it? It has to be there. Move the toes left and right. Find it fast! Fingers giving way. Ya Allah! Can’t hold it. Have to. Hurry!

“It’s there. Just to your left,” Kelly’s voice called out.

Desperately, his toes scratched at the lip of the notch to the left. He found the notch and with his last strength, jammed his toes into the notch, let his toes take his weight as he pushed up, grabbed the higher handhold with his right hand, stuck his left foot into the foothold and once more, he clung by all fours to the rock.

His left hand was slippery with sweat. He started to wipe it on what was left of the thaub around his waist, but it felt sticky. He glanced at his hand and instantly regretted it. His left hand was curled into a claw and slick with blood. His fingers were raw and bleeding.

The Scorpion started to straighten his fingers, then changed his mind. Leave it alone, he told himself. The hand is more useful as a claw. He grabbed at the notch with his left hand and began to chop away with his right. He pulled himself up like a crippled monkey, one link at a time.