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. I was hoping she'd halt there and tell me she'd reconsidered the
necessity for this expedition. Hut she didn't. She turned and kept right on
going. The wind stole my sigh and bore it to some storybook cave reserved
for the plaints of the imposed-upon.
Still, I couldn't help but look down upon occasion; and whenever I did
I thought of my father fighting his way up along these steps. It was not
something I'd care to try-at least, not until I'd exhausted all of the more
sneaky alternatives. I began to wonder how far we were below the level of
the palace itself. . . .
When we finally came to the landing from which the stairway widened, I
hurried to catch up with Coral so that we could walk abreast. In my haste, I
snagged my heel and stumbled as I rounded the turn. It was no big deal. . I
was able to reach out and stabilize myself against the cliff s face as I
jolted forward and swayed. I was amazed, though, at Coral's perception of my
altered gait just on the basis of its sound, and by her reaction to it. She
cast herself backward suddenly and twisted her body to the side. Her hands
came in contact with my arm as she did this, and she thrust me to the side,
against the rock.
".All right!" I said, from rapidly emptying lungs. "I'm okay."
She rose and dusted herself off as I recovered.
"I heard-" she began.
"I gather. But I just caught my heel: That's all
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