Kate’s legs, whether tugged by gravity alone or by some new inexorable force as well, pulled her downward toward the lake at a rapid clip. Her thigh muscles strained at the steep descent, and several times rocks slid from under her feet, causing her to leap to safety before twisting an ankle or a knee. At one point she turned to see Laioni, moving down the slope with the ease of mist rolling across the rocks. Though shoeless, she stepped over the jumbled and jagged terrain with confident ease. Monga bounced along behind, stopping every so often to thrust his long nose into a small crevice where some tiny newt or beetle had scurried to safety. Arriving at the edge of the lake, Kate peered into the fog. No island could be seen, only splotches of shimmering blue through occasional windows in the whirling mist. Bending down, she touched the water with one finger. It felt warm, like a steaming bath. As she stood again, her vision roamed the shoreline for anything that might conceivably be used as a boat.
