Preparing her!

Mandy froze as knowledge hit her like lightning.

It was a game, a trick, and she’d walked into it with her eyes open. He’d probably taken a bet with himself that he could lure her into dropping her defences. And she’d fallen for it. Nearly.

‘Shaking in your shoes, hmm?’ she mused. ‘Well, I think that’s a very good idea. If you knew what I was thinking right now, you’d really shiver.’

‘Mandy-’

‘Don’t treat me like a fool, Renzo. I know what you’re up to, and I’m ahead of you. You did it well, I admit, but not quite well enough.’

‘You think I’m-’

‘Just fooling. Admit it.’

‘Well-’he seemed to consider ‘-since you saw through me so easily, I guess that’s it. I might as well give up.’

‘You and Henry both,’ she said firmly.

After that there was nothing to do but walk casually back indoors, bid a cheerful goodnight to everyone, go to bed, and lie staring into the darkness wondering if she was going mad.

The sun rose on another bright day and, to Mandy’s relief, the ghosts of the night before were dispelled. He’d laid a trap, she’d weakened but seen the danger in time. The world was good again.

Renzo seemed to have forgotten about the night before. He had some words of advice for each of them.

To Mandy he said, ‘Don’t rush it. You climb as if you’re always trying to prove something. Just take it easy.’

They all set out cheerfully, taking deep breaths of the clear air, relishing the day to come.

As they trod carefully along a narrow ridge, Mandy began to fantasise about reaching the top. How incredibly blue the sky was, how wonderful it would feel to be there! Entranced, she let her thoughts drift.

Suddenly the ground, so firm beneath her a moment ago, simply ceased to exist. For a blinding moment the steep slope stretched away, yawning into the depths of infinity. Snow and sky became one, swirling sickeningly back and forth. Then the world steadied again. She was being drawn upwards, supported around her waist by an arm that seemed to be made of steel.