Kate and George walked over, and George said, “I don’t mind coming.”

Kate added, “I’ll come too.”

Tom shook his head directly at them, even as Joel was saying, “No, we have enough people for now. We’ll travel light, and we’ll be back before dark.”

Shen came closer now and said, “How far is this fire?”

“Not far, less than an hour’s walk.”

Alice looked skeptical. “I don’t think so. I’d say an hour and a half at least, if the ground’s easy.”

“I agree,” said Tom.

Shen nodded and said, “Then you should take your backpacks.” Joel responded with a puzzled expression, making clear he thought it an outlandish suggestion, but Shen was deadly serious. “It sounds far enough that you could get lost. Of course, I hope that doesn’t happen, but if it does, you should have your backpacks with you.”

Alice said, “Good point. I’ll take mine.”

“Me too,” said Tom, giving Joel no chance to argue.

As they prepared to leave, Tom approached Kate and George, and said, “I didn’t want either of you to come.” He looked over his shoulder to make sure Joel wasn’t listening, but he was talking to Mila like some dignitary visiting a hospital. “I intend to come back, no question, but if something does go wrong, I know I can rely on you two and Barney and Shen to get everyone downriver.”

“You have to come back,” said George, so earnestly that Tom could only nod.

But Kate said, “You heard him, Tom. We need you back here, and I’m not coming looking for you a second time.”

Tom smiled. He doubted they needed him as much as they thought they did, but he was touched that they felt like that. “I’ll do my best.”

There was some rearranging of the supplies in the backpacks as Shen made sure each group had a first aid kit and that the exploratory party had enough of the food and drink supply.

They set off then, with Joel in front, then Chris and Nick, and Alice and Tom following up the rear. They climbed quickly away from the beach, following the path they’d already cut and making quick progress to the bluff. The smoke was still rising up in the distance, a faint but steady ribbon against the sickly sky.

Chris smiled broadly and said, “This is it.”

Tom wasn’t sure what he meant but Joel nodded in agreement and pointed to the left-hand side of the bluff. “It looks like we’ll be able to walk down that way, then we need to head diagonally—”