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“You mean, more interesting than what we just went through?” asks Jorry.

Nodding, James finishes a mouthful of food before continuing. “At the end of the passage, a narrow stairway leading down has been carved out of the rock. It descends for several hundred feet before coming to a stone platform next to an underground river.”

“Is that where you’ll be needing the boat?” asks Illan.

“That’s right,” he tells them. “You’re going to hold the rope against the rushing of the water, preventing Jiron and me from being sucked along with the torrent. I’ll hide the box somewhere in the tunnel, and when I’m done, you just release the rope and let us go.”

“Isn’t that going to be dangerous?” Fifer asks.

“Some,” he admits. “But Miko and I came through here earlier this summer and survived.”

He can see those around him have their doubts about his plan, but he can’t think of anywhere that would be as good a place to hide it as here. Who would even think to look in such a place?

“You all must swear to keep the secret of where this is hidden all the way to your graves,” he says. Looking from one to another, they nod saying they’ll never tell. “I’d hate to think what would happen should this ever be found.”

“You can trust us,” Illan says. Glancing at the others, he says, “Right?”

“Sure.” “Right.” “You can count on us.”

When everyone is through having a small bite to eat, they shoulder their packs and the four again lift the boat. With Jiron in the lead, they cross the remainder of the cavern until they come to the narrow passage.

Flipping the boat again on its side, they carry it into the passage. The floor of the passage is slick with slime, water runs along the bottom in the same direction they’re going. At the end of the passage, the roar of a waterfall can be heard from somewhere in the distance.

Jiron goes to the edge and says, “I’ll go down and help with the boat as you lower it down.”

“Good idea,” agrees James.

Nodding, Jiron takes the stairs and soon all that can be seen is the glowing of the orb as it descends into the darkness below. As the men with the boat approach the end of the passage, they suddenly hear Jiron’s voice holler from below. “James! You need to see this!”

“Wait here,” he tells the others before he descends the stairs to see what Jiron is talking about.

Before he reaches the bottom, he sees Jiron still standing on the stairs. His breath catches in his throat when he sees what it is that Jiron is talking about. There is no longer a stone platform. The water level has risen from the rains and now has completely covered the platform.

“What are we to do now?” Jiron asks over the thunderous roar of the waterfall.

James stares at the water a moment then throws the orb toward where he and Miko had left through the tunnel on the boat last time. The orb arcs through the air and before it hits the water, they can see the opening where the water is rushing out.

There’s barely enough room for the boat, in fact, there may not be enough at all.

“What do you think?” he asks Jiron. “Can we make it through in the boat?”

“Man, I don’t know,” he says shaking his head. “It could be possible. Depends on how much our weight will cause the boat to sink into the water.”

From up above, they hear Illan holler, “What’s wrong?”

“We better go up and tell them,” James says. Jiron nods his head and they begin to climb back up. Once up there, they explain the situation to Illan and the others.

“Do you still mean to go through with this?” he asks.

“I have to,” he stresses. “This is more important than I can say.”

“Alright, what do you want us to do?” he asks.

“Fifer, you and Yern make your way down to the water lever,” he explains. “Take the last eye ring and a sledge hammer. As close to the top of the water as you can, pound in the eye ring then return here.”

“You got it,” he says as they get the equipment and head down the stairs. Jiron hands Fifer his glowing orb for light before they go. They watch as the orb makes its way down into the darkness.