She could feel the weight of it in her mind, sagging towards the hungry river. If the current gets it, we could never hold on: the thought jumped into her mind. The rope sagged. She gasped and imagined it stiff, as stiff as an iron rod. For a few seconds she and Luke struggled. The rope stiffened and moved, coil after coil, across the river.

There was a low bough on the left side of the tree they had chosen on the farther shore. Above that, Ruth thought. Or had the idea come from Luke? It didn't matter. They worked as one. The rope looped over the bough.

“Take a rest,” Luke said aloud. “I'll hold it for a minute.” Ruth put her head in her hands. It ached and felt as if it were swelling inside, pressing against the bones of her skull. She groaned.

“You're doing splendidly. Now listen. The next bit is going to be more difficult. We have to get the end of the rope around the trunk and back to the right side. You won't be able to see it, and that always makes PK more difficult. If you'll concentrate on keeping all this part of the rope rigid, I'll guide the limp end around the tree. Once we can get the tip around to the right side it'll be easy. All right?”

“Yes. Yes, I think so.” “Ready if you are.”

Once more Ruth concentrated. There was a sledgehammer inside her head, pounding at the skull. All I have to do is to keep the rope stiff, she told herself. It's easier than lifting a pencil or a book off the floor, and I've done that lots of times. She could feel Luke's power tingle in her hand. Once he sighed and muttered, “It's like threading a needle blindfold.”

There was the end of rope around the tree trunk! At the very instant of its reappearance Ruth felt a sudden jolt up her right arm and into her head. You can't hold it!

The rope sagged. She stiffened it at once, but the damage had been done. It was as if an invisible hand had tugged so that the free end had fallen back and flipped round and round the bough on the left hand side of the tree.

“Oh, Luke, I'm so sorry.”

“Not your fault.” He spoke between his teeth, his con- centration amazingly unbroken. “I heard what happened. Keep the rope stiff, Ruth, and I'll try to unwind that end.”

He struggled for what felt like hours, but at last he sighed. “Let go, Ruth, it's no good.” At once the rope sagged and the river caught and tugged it. The far end held firm.

“Our only long rope,” said Bryan regretfully. “What do we do now?”