Pearced (40 page)

I see much waving of arms and pointing, animated conversations, Nigel lecturing, Daniel listening, Kurt yawning.

I sit quiet for two songs, sipping more tea, feeling calmer about being me.  The group are hunched over the map still and pointing and talking excitedly amongst each-other.  I see flashes from photos being taken and assume something interesting must be afoot.

I can see something, I take my headphones off. “It’s a contour map,” I say with a definite tone, the once animated group now still and quiet looking up at me.  Bloody hell.

Suddenly everyone sees it! “Exactly” Nigel says “it’s contour of the mountain.”

“And the river that runs on the surface!” Says Kurt.  We have all stared at the map long enough in the past few days we know it inside out. Except me of course, it just looks like a jumble of wavy lines to me.  “I’ve got a headlight like that,” I say to Nigel.

That’s another thing I can do, my mind will put complex problem solving to one side, while it works on it, and I can be my usual random self.  So coming finally over music turned off, happier now, and quieter now.  “I use it for doing the horses in the dark.” I glance quickly at the Professors discovery laid out on the ground. “X marks the spot after all then?” I ask.

“What?” Says the Professor.

“The map you have found, it's a location.” I drink my tea, it's not tasty but it's good nevertheless.

“Location?” He peers up at me not understanding.  They haven't noticed then? Bloody hell.

“About twenty miles down from here.” I say matter of factly, pointing to what I mean as down, since down is not a legitimate geographical form of reference, “I judge to be significant because it must have taken a great deal of time to lay this clue out.”

Everyone is now staring at me, and I’m beginning to wonder if I am speaking in a foreign language.  I can’t speak those. A plain looking girl with horses and a peculiar way of looking at the world, nothing special.  “What location, where?” Nigel asks me.

“I thought that’s what you'd found?” I’m sorry, I say aloud frustrated but used to it, I begin to explain the thread that only I can clearly see.

“Please tell us what you see, because all we see is the shape of the mountain and river with a star map on top.”

“Yes, but look at Orion’s sword, it's pointing to a specific location, it's the next clue.” Thank you Marilyn Manson.

After a few seconds Daniel face begins to show a flicker of understanding as his brain catches up, “it definitely does Tharie's right.” Daniel says, “
Let’s plot a course tomorrow as soon as we're clear of this place.  I check my phone whilst they make their plans, I don’t do plans, I’m more of a now, seat of my pants type of girl.

TC: “How’s the love life?” What time zone am I in?

PF: “Have you any idea what time it is!” Oops!

TC: “Why are you sleeping with your phone?” Good one.

PF: “I’m on a plane, one where we can use our phones, it’s awesome!” Just like Daniels plane.

TC: “Where did you two decide to go after all?” Paris? NYC? She loves to shop.

PF: “Somewhere unpronounceable but Jim told me to pack sunblock and shorts” sounds nice.

TC: “Jim now is it? Ever thought he just wants to see you in hot pants and smear you all over with cream?” Sounds great doesn’t it?

PF: “It’s what I’m counting on honey” I have taught her well.

TC: “Take care darling, see you soon” and tell me everything.

PF: “I’ll tell you
everything
” bingo!

Putting my phone away my brain has finished the first part of the task I set it.  And once I can work out the correct leg and seat position for a flying change from H to C, which will be resolved too.  I am in a trance state, I am looking, and trying to see.  A notch here, a marking there, some scratches and a placement of stones, there's a connection. It's vague, it's like something just out of reach, then suddenly I can grasp it, it's tangible to me.

Standing up and moving away from everyone noiselessly and unnoticed, I begin to climb some of the layered pancake stones headphones back on, Soft Cell.   The rocks are more massive up close than I’d realised, but I hold onto the overhanging lips of warm smooth stone and heave myself up. It would have been an incredible sight once, swirling with erosive water, with this little island proud of the surface. Looking once behind me, everyone is engrossed in the Prof's discovery, I am on my own.  It's how I roll. I reach the first notch, run my fingers along it, and inside invisible to the naked eye, I can feel with my fingertips a succession of smaller notches, I’m doing maths in my head, that'll give the brain something to concentrate on! Bloody hate maths.

PF: “Who said a Martini should be a glassful of gin waved in the general direction of Italy?” OK, she's either doing a quiz, a crossword or just being random?

TC: “Famously, Noel Coward, I’m scared to ask” maybe she's had too much vermouth?

PF: “Jim’s barman puts too much vermouth in it” thought so.

TC: “That'll be the newer recipe then I expect” I read it in Harper’s Bazaar, I prefer a tea.

PF: “Thank you, and always stirred too eh?” With an olive, yes.

TC: “Yes, Mr Bond ruined Martini's for an entire generation” true Bloody Mary story.

PF: “Thanks petal,” petal? Pissed! I was right.

Along the wall a certain number of paces and another mark, this one longer with further tiny notches I can feel inside.  More counting, up another level of stone three from the top. A tiny version of a standing stone, a crouching stone I say to myself.

More markings and notches.  My head takes me up another layer, I am now standing on the penultimate layer, eye level with the top most stone. 

HX half-pass to the left.

I edge round the perimeter looking, noticing, and there a certain amount of finger lengths distance is an almost imperceptible opening under to ledge between the two huge rocks.  There is a feint marking here, you wouldn’t see it unless you were right up here where I am.  I take a deep breath and reach in, my fingertips touch something cold and smooth.  I explore its surface with my fingers, I may just be able to extract it from this crevasse with millimetres to spare all round.  Whoever put this here, didn’t want it found.  Slowly I wrap my fingers around the object and pull it out. It slides easily despite its weight, its heavy, and as I pull I get a quiet feeling in my head, finally the voices are asleep!  Shhh, don't wake them please.

I recover the item and hold it for ages in my hand moving it around in my palms, it's very heavy but I’m quite strong for my size.  I put it down after a while to appraise it, gaze at its intricate detailing.  Feeling the surface, the temperature and texture is surprising, I have never held such a great chunk of solid metal like this, and surprised at how much it weighs. A third the size of a house brick, solid bright yellow gold, quite soft and pure, a religious icon?  Not having the necessary experience to judge the artefact, I put it in my back pack and climb back down with some difficulty because the extra load I’m carrying is heavy.

I wander over to the professor, and pulling the object out of my bag it catches the light quite dramatically, so shiny and reflective is its surface. I hand it to him, “what do you make of this Nigel?” Casual and disaffected, it's just another beautiful thing, not worth the lives it has cost, or those put in harm’s way either, thinking of course about myself and that bloody tunnel.  If they'd been sitting on chairs we would have heard loud scraping and wooden seats falling over, they all stand up in astonishment.

“Where?” He shakes his head like there’s water deep in his ear canal, “where did you find this?” Asks Daniel. I give him a disappointed look, he should know by now how surprising things happen around me.

“Where the clues led me, up there hidden in the rock.” I tell them calmly, not really understanding why everyone is so excited.  It’s hardly a rosette.

True story people, true bloody story. 

I can see it clearer now every torch available is pointing directly at it, bored already.  I'll go and fix dinner.  “Nice chap though isn't he?” I say over my shoulder, “a golden eagle I think, don’t you?” Silence. They didn’t notice that either, what must it be like in their heads I wonder? I try not to think about it.

I build a great fire and when dinner is ready we all sit round and marvel at the last twenty-four hours. 

“What a great team!” Kurt says. With a mouthful of stir-fry.  I have fried up some  cooked chopped potato with peas and bean shoots, chopped leek and red pepper, mushrooms and some sage I gathered from outside as we came into the cavern. I sloshed some white wine in there too and we drank the rest, a Cloudy Bay I had sitting in the river to cool.  It might be like camping we must remain civilised eh?  We sip from our flask mugs, but it still tastes good, really good.

Tomorrow we climb.

And real tea properly brewed, in a pot is promised in my future, this thought makes me happy.

Chapter thirty-one, Monday
:
4thnovember2013, out

We wake, and our blazing inferno has transformed into cold pale grey ash overnight with sections of charred black planks sitting at odd angles to each other. It reminds me of a kids game where you had to take away each stick in turn without disturbing the rest.     It’s chilly and the first rays of light are invading our space illuminating the roof of our cavern. I pull on my James Perse hoodie amused I know a real James Pearce...Spelling is different but....I wonder...?  Daniel stirs beside me, he’s the last to wake, this whole story must be a very anxious time for him, it must drain him of energy, I gently stroke his hair, “tea?” I whisper.

“I love that you wake me with a question, I’d love a tea please, I don’t think I slept very well.” he winks at me and I blush, remembering I didn't either.  I dismantle the last of the crate that had contained the box and start another fire.   I make a fresh pot of tea and we have fried tomatoes and mushrooms on oiled toast for breakfast, followed by orange segments and sliced apples.   Everyone's tea flasks are filled to the brim and we all feel very satisfied that our bodies are ready for the climb out of here.  We all stand in a semicircle looking upward into the shaft of stunning light streaming into the cavern, reflecting off all the craggy surfaces below light permeates every dark corner and crevice.

In this early morning bluish light the glistening spray from the pouring water sends sparkly gems down around us below and the green lichen and moss velvety covering of the surfaces shines healthily like botanical grotto. Its magical light show stops us all in our tracks, it’s like the feeling when you visit a cathedral for the first time and light pours in through the stained glass, breath-taking and magnificent.   Its high vaulted ceiling so far above our heads, and any in our posse who prayed, did so right then.   An appropriate humbling quality falls over us as we ready ourselves for our escape.

Stan speaks first, “lets climb up onto this pile of rock, it looks quite easy.” He glances at the Professor, “would you agree Nigel? Naturally we all look at Nigel, longing for his opinion to the affirmative, we were not disappointed.

Looking up at the elliptical opening high above us, “yes,” he pushes his glasses onto his face, “I can work my way up the south side, I see some finger and toe holes I can use.”  He pushes his glasses back up his nose again, his head moving side to side to spot the best route.  Then he points up, “I can use anchor points there, and there, use a ‘camming’ device on the overhang there and round there.”  I wonder if he knows nobody is actually listening?  I’m too polite to point it out.  He carries his dialogue along, “use some ‘wires’, or ‘nuts’ as they are sometimes called,” he scans the group as if he’s in a lecture hall.  Looks forward, we all pretend to care, “I’ll fix a ‘daisy’ between those two fixes,” then his voice trails off into a whisper, all to himself, “and we’ll have ‘cord’ all the way up to make it easier for everyone to follow.”

“Will it take everyone's weight?” Asks Kurt. “I’m not a small man.” Liza laughs at him, jabs him jokingly in the ribs with her elbow, flipping her ponytail enjoying herself.  He mock steps back in pain, and between them love is blossoming.

“its tensile strength should lift a baby elephant without a problem, so a few of us in series should be fine.” He answers so matter of factly that we all trust his judgement implicitly, and we do, because what other option do we have?

TC: “Boys OK?” Please be by your phone.

JG: “All fine here, sunny today, rug-less and muddy horses.” they'll be having a ball.

TC: “Thanks Jinni Tx” I miss home.

Stash phone, try to concentrate. Look up, bloody hell, where's my flask?

I cannot wait to be topside.  To see the vast sky, smell the air, hear the birds. “We will go up first to set the ‘nuts’” adds Stan gesturing at Nigel, “we’ll get everything roped, pull our way out and anchor the rope ends, on the surface.” Looking baffled but prepared to try I pay attention to all the climbing lingo, but I only have a five second attention span unless its horse, Daniel, curry or denim related, so I don’t remember anything, and definitely wouldn’t pass a multiple choice test.

“Here, I’ll pass ‘karabiners’ out to everyone,” as indicated by Stan, “and you can fasten yourselves onto the main ‘cord’ and we’ll show you how to work it as you climb.” he continues.  After a quick demonstration, and a physical demonstration speaks a thousand words to me, monkey see monkey do.  We all get the gist and pack all our stuff into our backpacks, attach everything to our bodies with all the clips and straps those things invariably come with so we are single secure units.