Ruel led them through thesplendid garden, past a number of reflecting pools, and then up three steps tostill another terrace. "The view of the canyon is quite spectacular... andintimidating."
"More intimidating thanLanpur Gorge?" Li Sung asked.
Ruel stopped at an ornatestone balustrade. "See for yourself."
They stood on the edge of asheer cliff that plunged hundreds of feet to the valley below where the junglespread a dense green carpet as far as the eye could see to the east and west.To the north loomed the mountain, rising with the same stark abruptness as thecliff on which they were standing.
"Medford's survey said itwas over a hundred miles from the canyon wall to the mountain. It doesn't lookthat far from here," Jane said.
"I guarantee it will seema lot farther when you're trying to hack your way through that jungle," hesaid dryly.
She had no doubt of that."Has the mountain no name?"
"Why should it? There'sonly one." He smiled. "I wouldn't have the temerity to give her aname."
He had said that about his petfox, she remembered suddenly. He had not given the pet he loved a name for thesame reason.
"It might offend her andshe's been very good to me." A note of affection threaded his words, andhis regard held a warm possessiveness that had not been there when he hadstrolled through the grandeur of the palace gardens.
He is not a man to be trulycomfortable in palaces any more than we are, Li Sung had said.
"The river doesn't have aname either," Ruel added.
"River?" She glancedback at the jungle.
"You can't see it fromhere because of the trees. It runs south to north before curving east to emptyinto the sea."
"If your mountain was sogood to you, why did it take you three years to scrounge out enough gold to getyou even this close to your goal?"
He shrugged. "She offeredme opportunity. I couldn't ask more than that. I wouldn't have felt the samesense of accomplishment if she hadn't made me work for it." He grimaced."Which, I assure you, she did."
She understood exactly what hemeant. There was no better feeling in the world than work successfullyaccomplished against odds. It always gave her a—
She experienced a sudden rushof alarm. She must not allow herself to feel this sense of kinship with Ruel.
She quickly shifted her starefrom the mountain to the jungle to the east. "I expected to see the sea.The island must be wider than I thought."
He nodded. "It's onlythree hundred miles long but it's over six hundred wide." He pointed tothe west. "But you can see a faint glimmer of sea there."
"Can we see the road youcut through the jungle from here?" Jane asked.
Ruel shook his head andpointed to the south. "It's beyond those trees. You're planning on layingthe tracks on the mule track?"
"If possible. We'll haveto do more clearing and widening, but it will still give us a head start. Whatabout my supplies?"
"I've had Medford's crewtransport them to the base camp on the mountain. See how helpful I'mbeing?"
"I'm sure it's greed andnot goodwill that's making you so accommodating."
He laughed. "That'strue."
"We'll start out for themountain tomorrow morning. I'll need a map."
"I'll do better thanthat. I'll go with you and shepherd you all the way to the mountain."
She tensed. "That won'tbe necessary. I wouldn't wish to inconvenience you."
"It's no inconvenience. Ihave to go back to the camp anyway. I returned only to make sure Ian issettled." He smiled. "Take advantage of the little help I offer now.Once we reach the mountain, your job officially begins and you can expectnothing else from me."
