There was darkness all about. Her gaspings mingled with Smhee's.
He said, between the wheezings, 'There's plenty of air-space between the waterand the ceiling. I dived down and came up as fast as I could out of the water,and I couldn't touch the rock above.'
After they'd recovered their wind, he said, 'You tread water while I go back. Iwant to see how far back this space goes.'
She didn't have to wait long. She heard his swimming - she hoped it was his andnot something else - and she called out softly when he was near.
He stopped and said, 'There's plenty of air until just before the tunnel or cavereaches the pool. Then you have to dive under a downthrust ledge of rock. Ididn't go back out, of course, not with that creature out there. But I'm sure myestimate of distance is right.'
She followed him in the darkness until he said, 'Here's another downthrust.'
She felt where he indicated. The stone did not go more than six inches beforeceasing.
'Does the rope or your boots bother you any?' he said. 'If they're too heavy,get rid of them.'
'I'm all right.'
'Good. I'll be back soon - if things are as I think they are.' She started tocall to him to wait for her, but it was too late. She clung to the rough stonewith her fingertips, moving her legs now and then. The silence was oppressive;it rang in her ears. And once she gasped when something touched her thigh.
The rope and boots did drag her down, and she was thinking of at least gettingrid of the rope when something struck her belly. She grabbed it with one hand tokeep it from biting her and with the other reached for her dagger. She wentunder water of course, and then she realized that she wasn't being attacked.Smhee, diving back, had run into her.