“We'll untangle it, that's what!” Ruth jumped to her feet. She was furious with herself, and with whoever had jolted her concentration with that mean negative thought. She kicked off her boots and ran down to the edge of the water.

In a moment she was up to her knees. It was colder than she could believe, like being stabbed all over with sharp knives, and the current pushed her so that she staggered at each step.

The rope. That was Luke's voice in her mind. She saw that they had pulled the slack in so that the rope lay just above the surface of the water. She grasped it with her right hand and walked forwards, telling herself that now she was perfectly safe.

Just ahead was a smooth stretch of water, dark and free of foam. She walked towards it. The bottom suddenly fell away from under her and she stum bled forwards. The water closed over her head and she fought her way up, spluttering, her right hand clutching the rope so hard that she wondered if she would ever be able to loosen her grip.

The Web is whole again. The Web is holding you.

With a great effort of will Ruth stopped thinking about how she would manage, what she would do. The Web is holding me up, like a golden net. It is carrying me safely across, she told herself, and kicked and hauled herself across the river.

Something hit her right knee hard. Later on that's going to hurt, she thought vaguely. Now it was only a numb ache. She stumbled to her feet and staggered forward, still hanging on to the rope. Waist deep. Knee deep. Ankle deep.

Now she was ashore and turning to wave to the others. Then her knees gave and she had to stop and rub her legs before she could stagger over to the tree. The branch around which the rope had tangled itself was less than shoulder high. In a minute the knot was undone and she had walked around the tree and back to the water's edge. She tied the rope to her waist and looked at the water.

How cold it is. How deep. And now the rope is no longer taut, but lies slackly along the current. I can't go. I can't.

Nonsense, it's perfectly safe, she argued with herself. If they haul in the slack and let it out slowly as I cross I'll still be able to hold on. I can't possibly drown. It's easy. She forced herself ankle deep into the water.

But I'm so tired. The water's so cold and I have no energy left.

Come on, Ruth, you can do it. That was Luke's voice again. We’ll keep the rope taut for you.