Our trio sat dejectedly at the entrance to the cave dwelling sipping tea and nibbling on tinned food and biscuits. The exhausted new mother and child lay sleeping fitfully within the darkened back area but still within earshot. Hours had passed since the blessed event and no visitors had shown up to take over. John, Joanna's husband, had been gone now over twenty-four hours and they were all worried about him, but the teachers were more concerned with their own personal fate. Would they ever get home?

- Egads, I'm sick of this place, Adele complained. It's cold here and it stinks. That makeshift loo outback is too horrible for words. I'm dirty and tired and hungry and my feet hurt. And believe it or not, I'm dreadfully bored.

- Anything else? Patricia asked, looking at her over the top of her glasses. She too felt awful, probably every bit as much as Adele, but pissing and moaning about things just wasn't her style. Her clothes were grimy and so was her body, even her spirits were low but she'd be damned if she'd give in to those feelings.

Adele ignored her question and posed an equally unanswerable one.

-Will we ever get out of here? I'm afraid we'll catch our death of something straightaway and end our lives in this absolutely godforsaken place.

- Adele, get a grip! Patricia demanded.

-Well, it's true. This place reminds me of Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The horror of it! Here we are waiting for who knows what. I don't think we'll ever see England again. Two tears silently made their way down Adele's dirty cheeks. She brushed them away with the back of her hand. Patricia continued to glare at her without commenting further.

-I'm sorry, Patricia. Pour me another spot of tea, would you?

Patricia nodded and picked up the kettle from the camp stove and poured off a small amount of hot water over the teabag they were sharing. As the ladies finished up and tried to tidy up a bit, Henry came running up to them.

-I think I heard something. Everybody be quiet until we know for sure who it is. 

They all froze in place as Henry slipped deeper into the cave and blew out the candle. Then he returned to the entrance and motioned the teachers to be ready to flee if they had to. They nodded that they understood. 

-We can't just leave her, can we? Adele whispered.

-We could if we had no other choice. Now be quiet, Adele, Patricia shushed her.

Then they all heard the murmur of voices off in the distance. Henry grabbed his walking stick and crept to the darkened entrance with his weapon poised over his head. The women braced themselves against the wall.

-Hello in there! I'm back! It was John. The trio all breathed a sigh of relief.

John had finally returned. And he brought help with him -- a midwife for Joanna and a guide for the trio. John was overjoyed to learn that he'd become a father. He embraced Henry warmly and hugged both of the teachers in a rather awkward fashion, amidst laughter and good cheer all around. Even the baby woke up and started crying. It all had a rather homey feel to it despite the miserable surroundings. John broke out a bottle of the local wine and passed it around. Suddenly things didn't seem so bad.

Henry and the guide began talking. They discussed where to cross the chasm in order to reach safety. It would be a long a difficult walk to get to the place where they could do it. Once they started down, the gravest danger would be the descent itself. The path was worn and washed out in places. Few people used it because of the stories that drifted back to the villagers about people who'd gone down into it and never returned. The stream at the bottom was running fast now and they'd have to swim. And then there were the rebels, who were roaming from village to village reeking havoc and raising hell, shooting off their rifles into the sky as if they were at war with the clouds themselves. There were checkpoints everywhere with guards dressed in disguises so nobody could tell which side they were on. Most checkpoints were set up just to rob unsuspecting travelers. They'd need money or goods for bribes.

The guide looked at the women and shook his head. 

-I'm afraid it will be very difficult for you, he said.

-Why? Patricia asked. We're strong. We can handle ourselves well enough. We've come this far. And we've got to get home. You must help us. You promised. She looked over at John who was listening in on their conversation.

-Don't worry. This is my friend. He will help you.

-It would be better if we had a car, that's all. As it is, you'll be very tired from the long walk and it will take many days. There is danger everywhere. I only mean to warn you.

- I know where there's a car, Adele said softly. Patricia and Henry nodded.

-You do? 

-Yes, we had a jeep but we had to leave it. I think it's out of petrol. Henry explained what had happened and where they had left the jeep. The guide's eyes lit up. He knew the place that Henry was describing.

- I'll go get us some petrol. You wait here while I do it.

-No, said Henry. We're going with you. Come on, ladies. We're all leaving.

Henry wasn't about to let the guide go anywhere without them. Too late he realized he shouldn't have told the guide exactly where the jeep was. A car was like gold in these parts, especially if a person had access to petrol.

Patricia and Adele gathered their belongings quickly and bid farewell to John and Joanna. Henry kept an eye on the guide who stood perplexed.

- Do you not trust me? He asked, as they quickly prepared to leave.

-Well, let's just say we're ready to go and there's no use waiting around any longer, Patricia said. I don't think we could stand hanging around here a minute more. Besides, we want to show you exactly where we've hidden the jeep. It will be difficult to find, you know.

The guide nodded and they all started down the hillside. Adele gave Patricia the high sign. They weren't going to let this guy out of their sight until they were safely on the other side of the chasm. They quickly retraced their steps in the shadowy evening. The guide moved fast, as he was accustomed to the area. Patricia and Adele struggled to keep up and Henry herded them along as best he could. When they reached the fork in the path, the guide motioned them off the trail.

-But this isn't the way we came, fretted Adele. I believe we went that way, just over there.

-That's all right, Adele. Maybe he knows a shortcut to the jeep. Not to worry. Henry shook his head and motioned her to carry on.

They stumbled over rocky outcrops and slipped along the muddy trail that eventually took them to the gently rolling pastureland that they had left earlier. Adele wasn't sure they'd ever find the jeep now that they were so far off track, but she needn't have worried. The land began to look more familiar as they trotted on in silence, with Henry and the guide nodding and pointing their way. And then, over a slope and, they came upon it again, sitting forlorn and barely hidden, just where they'd left it.

-Oh, good! The major's jeep. The guide's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands in amazement.

-Are you sure it's out of petrol? He asked as he quickly pulled the blanket covering off of it.

-I don't know for sure, but it wouldn't start when we tried it last time. We gave up after a few tries. Henry kicked a tire and tried the door.

-Did you check to see if there was any reserve petrol supply, the guide asked as he surveyed the jeep. He started round the backside, looking it over carefully. He opened the tailgate and looked into the debris-strewn back end.

-See, here. What's this? He pointed to a large petrol can strapped to the side of the back panel. It was nearly invisible standing there, at least that's what the teachers decided when all four of them looked at it.

-But is there any petrol in it? Patricia asked skeptically.

-We'll soon find out. Henry and the guide quickly went to work unstrapping it.

-I think we're in luck. It's heavy!

-Yes, indeed. The major's jeep always has extra petrol!

They finished emptying the can into the tank and then Henry tried starting the jeep. After a few coughs and some grinding noise, the engine turned over and sprang to life. They all piled in.

-Only one big problem driving this jeep, the guide cautioned, as they climbed out of the ditch and headed back again towards the highway. Because this is the major's jeep, everyone knows it on sight. Not many jeeps on the road, only rebels now patrolling the area. We must be very careful.

-Sounds like we're right back where we started, Adele whispered to Patricia. But at least we're not walking. I don't think I could have gone much farther.

-Yes, but this time we have a guide with us, and it sounds like he knows what he's doing. Patricia clutched the grab bar as the jeep lurched over the rutted ground.

-We'll have to hurry and hope nobody recognizes us. Villagers usually run and hide at the sound of a jeep. So hang on. Here we go.

The trio hung on for their lives as the jeep bounced over the rolling terrain, steering clear of the main roads. What their guide lacked in driving skill he made up for in enthusiasm. The landscape whizzed by in a blur but the driver seemed to know where he was headed. The long twilight hours slowly turned darker as they continued along the strange course their driver had set for them over narrow backroads and winding rocky trails.

Adele mumbled and cursed as they jounced around in the backseat. Patricia gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, while Henry, up front with the driver, watched their flank and reported obstacles to the busy driver.

Then mysteriously, they began slowing and the engine noise quieted. The jeep began creeping along what appeared to be a somewhat different kind of terrain. The vegetation was lush, no longer the pastureland and rocky areas they'd been driving through. Trees and tall grasses, over-grown shrubbery became dense as the teachers peered out the dirty windows.

-Are we there yet? Adele wondered.

At that moment, the jeep pulled into the bushes and the driver whispered to them: quickly now, get your things together and go quietly. Don't slam the doors. I'm going to leave you off here.

-What! You're leaving us?  You can't. Adele's alarming cry was quickly shushed.

-Yes, madam, I am. You must go quickly. You'll find a path just there. He pointed to a huge boulder near the jeep.

-Follow the path down into the Chasm. Be careful as it is very narrow in places. When you reach the bottom you can rest, but watch for others. This is a sacred place but some who go down there have evil intentions.

-I thought you were going to guide us through the Chasm, Henry inquired in a quiet but stern voice. I thought it was part of our bargain with John.

-Not so. John knows I never go down there. I promised to take you to the path but I never go down there. It's your choice to take the path of many days, not mine. Good-bye and good luck to you.

The trio hoisted their daypacks and strode off without a word of thanks to their guide. They heard the jeep moving off as they made their way to the path. Henry took the lead as usual. The teachers filed behind him. Neither said a word as the shadowy darkness enveloped them. The path was indeed narrow and rocky. Luckily, in the darkness they couldn't see much except a black void off the edge.

-I hate hiking, Adele spewed through clenched teeth as the path narrowed and grew steep. Then she slipped and lurched forward into Patricia, threatening to topple them both off the edge…

(Go to Chapter 12: the finale)

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