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"Aye, I can get it."
Errol carefully crawls to the rear of the raft, where I sit beside our backpacks. Both men had insisted I should remain back here in case we run into unexpected rough water or a rockfall. I have no idea what kind of dangers we might face. Despite the uncertainty looming over this expedition, I've never felt as invigorated as I do right now. Well, maybe I have felt more invigorated—when Errol and I were having sex. But I won't tell either of my companions about that. Munro doesn't need to know, and I'd feel weird about admitting the truth to Errol. I don't know anymore what we are to each other. Business partners doesn't quite fit.
I gaze down at the laminated map, and another shiver tingles through me. No matter how this expedition turns out, my quest to prove my father was right will end here in the Grand Canyon.
Chapter Nineteen
Errol
I sit back on my heels to locate Munro's pack and find the pocket my cousin had mentioned. I dig out a device that looks similar to a smartphone, but it's not for making calls. The GPS unit has a wee antenna sticking up from the top corner that taps into the signal from satellites in geosynchronous orbit around the earth. Now that I have the device, I zip up the pocket on Munro's pack and waddle back to my cousin, taking a seat beside him once again.
"You know how to use GPS, don't you, Errol?" Munro says.
"I do."
"Good. Check how far we've come."
Why does he want me to do that? I can tell we haven't gone far, maybe a mile at most. But I gather he wants to reassure Ashley that our journey has only just begun and she doesn't need to worry that we've missed a vital clue in the landscape.
I dutifully turn on the GPS unit and check our progress. "Not quite one mile. Still plenty of territory to search." I glance back at the lass. "All right, Ashley? Keep watching the cliffs."
"Thank you for checking, Errol."
Munro grumbles, "It was my idea."
I pat Munro's shoulder. "But I did the actual work to get your GPS and check it. Donnae worry, Ashley will thank you for something sooner or later."
Up ahead, I can see a bend in the river that looks like a ninety-degree turn. We pass by a smaller canyon on the right, then it's time to navigate the left-hand turn.
"Watch out," Munro says, loud enough that Ashley can hear too. "Around that bend, we'll find some rough water and rocks. Best hold on, Ashley, and stay in the middle of the raft at the back. I don't expect trouble, but it always pays to be vigilant."
I glance up at the red cliffs, feeling a strong sense of awe at the beauty of this landscape. But then it's time to navigate the turn, and I have no time to sightsee. We come around the bend and slide between a sandbar and a rocky patch with only a wee bit of jostling, then ease to the left to avoid another obstacle. Now we're clear, heading down a winding stretch of the river.
"We're approaching Redwall Cavern," Munro says. "Expect to see some tourist rafts there. It's a popular destination."
As we pass by the cavern, we do see a couple of rafts, clearly from professional river guide companies. When I glance back at Ashley, she's craning her neck to try to peer inside the cavern, but I doubt she can see much. I wish we could stop to let her have a sightseeing experience. We have a mission, though, so we steer clear of the tourists and continue on our way.
"We're approaching a rapid," Munro announces. "Class four, so hold on. It shouldn't be too difficult to navigate, though we will need to squeeze through a tight spot. Ashley, stay at the back of the raft. Errol, follow my lead."
"How many classes are there?" Ashley asks.
"Ten. This one might be lower on the scale, but any sort of rapid requires vigilance. Make sure your helmet is on good and snug, Ashley. Errol, best put yours on too."
"What about you, Munro?" I ask. "Where's your helmet?"
"Donnae use one." He thumps his palm on his head. "Plenty hard enough as-is."
I glance over my shoulder and relax a wee bit when I see Ashley has her helmet firmly strapped under her chin.
Munro already holds one paddle, but he instructs me to grab the other one and start paddling in a digging motion to keep the raft moving relatively straight. But we've only reached the beginning of this obstacle, and we need to move to the right side to avoid a sandbar and some rocks. The raft jostles and bounces while we paddle through the rough water and come out the other side unscathed.
When I look at Ashley, she's grinning.
"No motion sickness?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "This is fun."
Well, at least she isn't terrified or about to vomit.
