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I’d like to rest for a few hours, give myself time to recover after the climb up the vine and my exertions on the lock, but Inez insists we push on immediately.
“We don’t know how long it will to take to scale the cliff,” she says. “Plus the longer we sit here thinking about it, the more we’ll freak ourselves out.”
That makes sense, so I agree to proceed despite my weariness. That just leaves the matter of whether or not Pol accompanies us. Inez starts to tell him why he shouldn’t come, but he stops her short.
“You don’t have to convince me,” he says. “You’re mad if you tackle that cliff, but since you’re determined, I’ll leave you to it.”
Inez smiles. “We wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”
“You’d have been better off,” Pol sniffs. “I don’t fancy your chances out there.”
“We have to try,” Inez says. “At least if we fall, the end will be quick.”
“Do you want me to wait here for you?” Pol asks.
“No,” Inez says. “Succeed or fail, we won’t return this way.”
“What about the Mischief?” he asks. “Want me to carry any messages back?”
Inez shakes her head. “What are we to the Mischief? They’ve probably forgotten us already.”
Pol nods approvingly and turns to leave.
“Pol,” I stop him. “Will you say goodbye to Guido and Lena from me, in case I don’t see them again?”
“Goodbyes are for the Born,” he jeers, and shoots into the vine.
“Do you really think we can do it?” I ask.
Inez shrugs. “Have you ever climbed a cliff before?”
“No.”
“Me neither.” She laughs. “That means we’ve never failed.”
“It means we’ve never succeeded either,” I note.
Inez thumps my arm. “Be positive.”
“I’ll try,” I mutter.
“But bear this in mind...” she adds softly.
I stare at her, expecting her to say something to inspire me to greatness.
“If you fall, nobody but me will hear you, so feel free to scream the whole way down.”
“Thanks for nothing,” I grumble as she pushes through the borehole. Then, with a worried sigh, I lean forward and haul myself out onto the cliff.