The Sleepers drew to one side, as was their custom when dealing with any matter. They found a place beside the river to meet. Josh had insisted on bringing Ral along.
As soon as they got there, Josh said, “I know you’re the leader, Dave, but I think we need to talk about this.”
A stubborn look came into Dave’s face. “There’s nothing to talk about. I’ve decided Clag is right. It would be pretty close to suicide to try to help Ral’s people.”
“What about those bows and arrows you’ve been working on?” Reb demanded. “You’ve been talking about how great they are. I believe they’d stop one of those lizards.”
“And I’ve been thinking about that. In the hands of a good bowman, they would. But these men haven’t used them except for target practice. When they look down the throat of a dinosaur, I think most of them would turn and run.”
“They’ve got more nerve than that,” Jake said abruptly. “I believe we ought to try to get the chief and all the warriors to go help.”
The argument went on for some time, and finally Dave grew impatient. “No, it’s too late to try to help. I’m sorry for your father and your people, Ral, but we wouldn’t do any good if we did go.”
Ral had been listening carefully. Now he looked into Dave’s face and, without a word, walked away.
“Where are you going, Ral?” Josh called out.
Wash ran quickly to his side. “Wait. Let us talk a little more. Don’t go yet.”
Dave said, “You can talk all you want to, but we’re not going back to Mord’s country, and that’s final!” He walked off, aware that he was behaving badly.
He didn’t want to talk to anyone, so he took the river path and lost himself in the shade of the huge trees that reached high overhead. The sun was growing hot, but it was cool under here. He walked along, once noticing a crocodile or something like a crocodile that must have been at least fifty feet long. He shivered to think what those mighty jaws would do and then continued walking.
He came to a tree that hung over the river, and he leaned against it. The water was so clear he could see the silver fish. He watched them for a while, troubled and unhappy. He picked up a stone, tossed it in, and watched the fish scurry away, disappearing with a twinkling of their silver scales.
He picked up another rock, held it, looked at it, then said aloud, “I don’t want anything bad to happen to Ral’s people.” His speech shattered the silence of the place. “Maybe I’m just afraid. I wonder if that’s it.”
He thought of the dinosaurs with their rows of razorkeen teeth and those huge, sharp claws on the back of each foot that could disembowel a horse. He shuddered to think what it would be like to fall into their jaws.
Troubled that he might be a coward, Dave began to walk once again along the river path. At last he sat down on a rock, feeling even more despondent. He was about ready to get up and return when a voice said, “The hour is late, David.”
Dave jumped up and whirled—and there was Goél, standing in the shadows!
“Goél!” he gasped. “Is it really you?”
Goél did not move. Where they stood was murky twilight, and his face was indistinct.
Dave asked, rather foolishly, “How did you get here? Have you come to take us back?”
There was a silence, and then Goél said gently, “Is it time to go back, David?”
Instantly Dave felt shame running through him. He dropped his head and chewed his lip. He didn’t know what to say, and he let the silence run on. Finally he whispered, “You’d better get someone else to lead the group, Goél. I’m no good at it.”
Goél didn’t answer for a moment. When he did, his voice was almost a whisper. “You are the servant of Goél, David. You have a good name, and you have a good heart. A bit stubborn at times, and you tend to be proud.”
“I know,” Dave said shamefacedly. “I’m sorry, Goél. And I’ll apologize to the others.”
“That’s my good lad,” Goél said more warmly. “I must leave you now.” He stepped back in the shadows, and now his voice did come as a mere whisper. “Do what is right. Do what you would want someone else to do for you.”
Dave blinked. “Goél!” He followed his visitor into the dense thicket, but he found no trace of him.
“Was I dreaming?” Then his jaw tightened. “Even if I was dreaming, I know what to do. Do what is right, rather than run away like I’ve been doing!”
He raced back up the path. He stumbled into a small covey of pterodactyls, who rose up, their leather wings flapping, their long beaks opening and closing as they uttered harsh cries. Dave paid them no heed.
He found the other Sleepers and Ral in the place where he had left them. When he came up to them, he stopped and caught his breath. Then he said, “I’ve been wrong. Maybe we’ll all get killed—I don’t know—but I know what Goél wants us to do. We’ve got a chance here to show these people what helping others is. That’s what they don’t understand.” He turned to Ral. “Ral, I’m sorry that I let you down. But now I’m going to do all I can to help your father and all your people. We’re going to give your people the kind of help we’d like to have ourselves if we were in trouble.”
Reb jerked off his hat, threw it high in the air, and let out a loud Rebel yell. “Whooeee! Now we’re gonna see something! Let’s get this show on the road!”
Dave held up a hand. “First, we’ve got to convince the chief to send his men. Let’s go do it.”
“What if they won’t go?” Abigail said fearfully.
Dave looked at her and said, “Well, then, we’ll just have to go by ourselves. The Seven Sleepers have come to the kingdom, I think, for such a time as this.”