Grip of the Shadow Plague

"I’m surprised we didn’t fall in the hole when we were circling the mesa earlier," Kendra said, turning to the others.

"I don’t see a hole," Warren said.

"Can you lead me onto the stairs?" Neil asked.

Taking his hand, Kendra led him around the opening in the ground and along a rocky shelf until they stood together at the bottom step. Cold water gushed around their shins.

"Do you see it now?" Kendra asked.

"Lead me up a few steps," Neil said.

Treading carefully, for though the water was not deep, it was coming fast, Kendra placed her foot onto the first slick stone step. With Neil in tow, she climbed four stairs before she slipped, plunging a hand and both knees into the frigid stream before Neil hoisted her up.

"Enough," Neil said.

They carefully returned to the shelf, then walked around the crevice to rejoin Warren and Mara. "I didn’t see the stairway until you started climbing," Warren said. "And then it only seemed to go about five steps beyond the point you reached. I had to focus hard to keep my eyes on you."

"I saw fifteen steps ahead of me before the stairs ceased," Neil said.

"It keeps going and going," Kendra verified, "turning here and there, reaching landings or ledges in some places. The stairs lead all the way to the top. Will the storm be over by morning?"

"When the rain ends, the stairs will be gone," Mara said.

"That is why, even with your gifted sight, you did not perceive the stairs or the fissure earlier. None have found the Flooded Stairs in centuries. Many assumed the pathway existed only in lore."

"You have to climb the stairs in the rain?" Kendra asked. "That is going to be tough!"

"This could be our only opportunity," Neil said to Warren.

Warren nodded. "We should get the others."

"We’ll need Kendra to guide us," Neil said. "I felt the strength of the spell. It took all I had to follow her lead. Without her, we have no chance."

Warren frowned, water trickling down his face from his damp hair. "We’ll have to find another way."

Neil shook his head. "This was a long shot, a miracle. Don’t count on finding another way, not for years. Maybe we should leave whatever is up there alone. It is well guarded."

"I’ll lead you up, if you need me," Kendra said. "I’ll need somebody near me who can keep the water from sweeping me away." "No, Kendra," Warren said. "There is no imminent danger compelling us. You don’t need to do this."

"If we don’t recover what we came for, someone else might," Kendra said. "I don’t have to go into the vault. Just up the mesa."

"She could wait outside with me," Neil offered.

"There can be strange activity on the mesa during a storm," Mara warned. The wind wailed, underscoring her words.

"We’ll take refuge in the old weather room," Neil said. "I passed the time quietly there on the last trip."

Kendra looked at Warren. He did not look fully unwilling. She suspected he wanted her to do it, but not because he pushed her. "This is important," Kendra insisted. "Why am I here if not to help where I can? Let’s do it."

Warren turned to Neil. "You met no trouble on top of the mesa last time?"

"No real danger," Neil said. "That may have partially been luck. The mesa is certainly not always safe."

"Do you think you can protect Kendra?"

"I expect so."

"Will this rain last a while?" Warren asked Mara.

"Off and on, for a few hours at least."

They started back toward the Jeep. "We could round up the others and be ready to return within half an hour," Warren said. "Do you have climbing equipment? Ropes? Harnesses? Carabiners?"

"For six of us?" Neil asked. "Maybe. I’ll gather all we have." They fell silent. That was it. The decision had been made. They were going to give it a try.

As Kendra followed the others, picking her way over and around wet rocks, she tried not to picture herself frozen with fear high on a watery stairway, a magnificent desert vista overwhelming her with paralyzing vertigo. In spite of Warren’s faith in her, she wished she could retract her offer.

Chapter Ten

Shadow Wounds

Seated on a chair on the deck, Seth examined the checkerboard in disbelief. Tanu had just jumped two of his checkers, and now outnumbered Seth seven pieces to three. But that was not the cause of his amazement. Seth reexamined his potential move, put his hand on one of his two kings, and jumped six of Tanu’s pieces, zigzagging around the board.

He looked up at Tanu. The Samoan stared back with wide eyes. "You asked for it," Seth laughed, removing all but one of Tanu’s red checkers. Tanu had already beaten him twice in a row, and things had been looking grim until the coolest move he had ever found opened up. "I used to think triple jumps were the ultimate." "I’ve never seen so many jumps in one move," Tanu said, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Wait a minute," Seth said. "You set me up! You did that on purpose!"

"What?" Tanu asked with too much innocence.

"You wanted to see if you could create the biggest jump in the history of checkers. You must have been maneuvering the whole time to set that up!"

"You’re the one who found the move," Tanu reminded him.

"I know pity when I see it. I’d much rather strike out than have somebody pitch to me underhand. Is this your way of getting back at me for always going first?"

Tanu grabbed a handful of popcorn from a wooden bowl. "When you’re black you say ‘coal before fire.’ When you’re red you say ‘fire before smoke.’ How can I keep up with that?"

"Well, even if you staged it, jumping six guys felt pretty good."

Tanu’s smile revealed part of a kernel caught between his teeth. "The longest possible jump would be nine, but I’m not sure I could make that happen during an actual game. Five was my previous best."

"Hello!" came a voice from the edge of the yard, made smaller by the distance. "Stan? Seth? Are you there? Hello?"

Seth and Tanu both looked toward the woods. Doren the satyr stood beyond the perimeter of the lawn, waving both arms.

"Hi, Doren," Seth called. "What do you think he wants?" Tanu asked.

"We better go check," Seth said.

"Hurry!" Doren urged. "Emergency!"

"Come, Mendigo," Tanu said. The overgrown puppet followed as Seth and Tanu vaulted the deck railing and ran across the yard to the satyr. Doren’s face was red, and his eyes were puffy. Seth had never beheld the jovial satyr in such a state.