Still there was nothing. Tom could see in the faces of those who weren’t rowing, even in Shen’s face, an increasing sense of hopelessness. And looking at the size of the river, thinking back, seeing Nick’s leg snap under his body, even Tom began to doubt.

But Nick had waved, he’d been alive, and they had to focus on that. As long as he was afloat, there was still time.

Kate seemed to pick up on Tom’s thoughts, because she said now, “Is Nick a good swimmer?”

No one answered, presumably because no one knew, and because they’d all seen what had happened to his body on those boulders.

And then the dog barked and they all rose to attention and stared forward.

It was Jess again who pointed. “Yes! It’s him, it’s him!”

She was right, but without pausing, George said, “He’s not waving.”

Only Nick’s head was visible above the slick surface of the water, and he was facing them, but he didn’t wave. Alice and George managed to find even more speed from somewhere, angling the raft at the same time, so their position in the river shifted, moving them onto a collision course for Nick.

When they were only a short distance away, they stopped rowing, then put the oars back in to slow themselves down. And still, Nick appeared unresponsive.

“Maybe he’s just exhausted,” said Emma.

George shouted, “Okay, get ready, we’re on him!”

George dropped his oar back in the raft and leaned over so violently, it looked like he was trying to dive into the river himself. He grunted and strained with the effort then, the side of the raft crumpling under his body weight. Tom jumped up next to him, grabbing hold of the first thing that came to him. As it cleared the water he saw it was Nick’s leg and he almost dropped it in response before realizing this was the good leg.

Between them, they heaved him over the side and now that he was out of the water he screamed. The other leg hung down at the knee, sickeningly limp, as if it had snapped clean in two and might simply fall out of his pant leg into the river.

As they lay him down on the floor of the raft, he screamed even louder, a sound so disturbing that everyone but Shen recoiled slightly. Shen jumped forward, moved the broken leg—another piercing scream—gave some short, sharp orders, got the medical kit, and got two or three people working for him.

And still Nick screamed, but Shen glanced back at Tom and said, “Screaming is good.”

Tom guessed he meant it was better than silence, and now Tom handed the oar back to George and said, “Get us to the shore as soon as you see a safe place. I said we’d wait for the others.”