Chapter 18
The British Cave Rescue Council was eight days plumbing the caverns around Camelford, concentrating on the path that led to
what was locally known as Arthur’s Stairs. Colin joined them several times and realized these stairs—a wide series of shelves
descending into a dry, roomy hole—were nowhere near the steps they had walked with Svangur. In fact the BCRC never came anywhere
near the hole under the boulder or even the trail through the briars.
Gwen came. She told him she had always wanted to visit England, then melted into tears and had to stand with her head on Colin’s
chest and his arms around her until she stopped shaking. He kissed her forehead and held her loosely and enjoyed the warm
feel of her against his chest.
There was an HQ pavilion set up on the downs, above the River Camel and the forest, which drew a thick green serpentine through
the bottom of the valley. Colin and Gwen left the rescue crew behind and went for a walk along the ridge, beneath a bright
spring sky, with the wind blowing and doing pretty things to Gwen’s hair. He took Gwen’s hand. She squeezed, gently, grateful
for him.
“So what really happened down there? He didn’t slip, didn’t fall into a crevasse. Is there any hope of finding him alive at
all?”
He told her how the spiders had come off the walls.
He said they were both soon engulfed in shrouds of webbing.
He said Finger had dragged Arthur away by the feet .
. . and that later he had heard muffled screams from deep in the cavern.
He said he had given up all hope, had shut his eyes and waited for the troll to return, when he had seen light through his eyelids, and realized the candles on the wall were emitting a gentle brassy glow.
He told her he was able to lift one of the candles right out of the fresco and burn his way out of the webbing.
He told her he searched for Arthur for hours but in the end, had only found his way out, and he had run, he had run and shouted for help until his voice failed him.
“So he’s gone,” Gwen said, flatly.
“We don’t know that. And he’d never give up on us. We have to give these rescue guys more time to do what they do best.”
“Find trolls?” Gwen laughed, harshly, and stood, and looked out across the valley. She blinked back tears, struggling to keep
her emotions under control. “Did he say anything? Before he was dragged off? Anything at all?”
It was in Colin’s mind to tell her, He said your name, Gwen, and it was just about the last thing he ever said. That would’ve been the truth.
But he thought it too painful a truth to share, so instead he told her, “No. Nothing. I’m sorry. There was no time.”
She nodded and shut her eyes, and he took her into his arms and held her the way she needed to be held, the way Arthur would’ve
wanted her to be held.