The road split into two main roads and a narrower trail that wound through the trees. Drenna was no longer in sight. Qui-Gon hesitated only a moment before determining that she had taken the narrow trail.
Obi-Wan kept close on his heels. The path slowly narrowed until they had to go single file. The firmly packed soil of the road had changed to a loose, powdery sand that sucked at their footsteps. Again, Taroon had trouble keeping up.
"There's more sand in my boots than on the ground," he muttered. "Why don't these people build decent roads?"
Qui-Gon held up a hand and they stopped. He closed his eyes, listening intently.
"She is running now," he said, surprised. "We must go faster."
They quickened their pace. Taroon stopped complaining and concentrated on keeping up with them. The sound of the surf covered the noise of their feet slapping against the sand.
They turned a corner and saw that the trail ran straight into the high wall of a sheer cliff. There was still room to walk around it, along a narrow strip of beach. A wave lapped at their heels as they skirted the cliff wall, avoiding the rocks that were studded with sharp coral that could slice into skin.
They found themselves in a beautiful cove with a beach that curved like a quarter moon. Sheer cliffs surrounded them.
The beach was empty except for a slight figure in the distance. Qui-Gon had been right: Drenna was running now, jogging easily down the beach toward the end of the far curve.
"Does she realize now that she's being followed?" Obi-Wan asked as they picked up their pace. They kept in the shadow of the cliff in case she turned around.
Suddenly, Qui-Gon stopped short. He looked up at the cliff, then back at the churning sea.
"She always knew she was being followed," he said. "We must go back."
Taroon looked behind them. "Look at that. The path is already cut off."
Waves now thundered against the cliff wall. If they tried to return, they would be trapped. The tide was strong enough to batter them against the sharp rocks.
Water suddenly foamed around their ankles.
"The tide is coming in," Obi-Wan said.
"The tides are famous on Senali," Qui-Gon said, his eyes now moving over the cliff face. "The four moons make them swift and extreme."
Drenna had disappeared around the cliff face at the far end of the beach. Obi-Wan calculated the distance, then stepped back as a wave of alarming force hit him at the knees.
They would not make it, he realized.
Taroon came to the same conclusion as he glanced at the faces of the Jedi.
"She led us into a trap!" he cried.
Chapter 7
Qui-Gon was already calculating their next move. "We can run to the end of the cove that way. The tide will catch up with us, so we'll have to swim around the cliff. At least there are no rocks on that end. We can make it."
"But I can't swim!" Taroon cried. "No Rutanian can. Swimming is for primitives."
"Right now, swimming is for survival," Qui-Gon said dryly. He scanned the sea. He saw roiling eddies and a tidal pattern that was extremely treacherous. He and Obi-Wan could make it — they were Jedi. But he could not risk Taroon's life. He would not want to endanger Obi-Wan, either.
They quickly backed up as the next wave hit them waist-high. The strength of it was astonishing. Taroon almost fell, and Qui-Gon caught him by the arm and steadied him.
"I hate the sea," Taroon muttered. He wiped his wet hair out of his eyes.
"How do you feel about climbing?" Qui-Gon asked.
Taroon eyed the cliff. "You've got to be kidding!" he exclaimed. "There's no way to climb that cliff."
Qui-Gon did not answer. He knew there was no time to waste. He slipped his electrobinoculars from his utility belt and scanned the cliff, looking for handholds and footholds. There weren't many. And the cliff was so high that their liquid cable launchers wouldn't reach the top. There was nothing to hook them around on the cliff face, either.
The water foamed around his knees and tried to suck him backward. Taroon clutched Obi-Wan for support.
"How could you have gotten us into this?" he asked the Jedi. "That female has made fools of us!
Qui-Gon focused the electrobinoculars. He saw a tiny fissure in the rock, just enough for the spike tip of his liquid cable launcher to find purchase. It would have to do.
He replaced the electrobinoculars and withdrew the launcher, motioning for Obi-Wan to do the same.
"Wait until mine hooks, then launch yours," he directed.
Qui-Gon got it in one try, which was fortunate, for the next wave was up to the Jedi's shoulders. Obi-Wan got his launcher anchored on the second try, at the next ebb. They tested the line, and it held.
"Go," Qui-Gon said tersely. He motioned to Taroon to take hold of the cable. He would stay behind the prince in order to protect him from falling.
He only hoped the launchers would raise them high enough to escape the tide. The form of vegetation clinging to the wall told him that most of the cliff went underwater at high tide. Qui-Gon did not look forward to hanging in midair and watching the sea rise ever closer to them.
He watched as his Padawan zoomed ahead, pulled by the cable. He dangled above their heads.
"Hold on," Qui-Gon instructed Taroon. The cable retracted, bringing them high above the beach. They hung suspended near the cliff face.
"Do you think the water will reach us?" Taroon asked, beginning to turn around.
"Don't look down," Qui-Gon said sharply, but it was too late. Taroon had seen how high they were. He flinched, and his knee banged against the cliff. He let out a hoarse cry and closed his eyes.
"I am right behind you, Taroon," Qui-Gon told him. "We can get through this if you don't panic. The cable is holding our weight. Don't look down."
Taroon took a deep breath. "I'll be all right," he said. "I was just surprised, that's all."
Qui-Gon admired his composure. He knew Taroon was afraid.
"See if you can find a foothold," Qui-Gon directed. "That will take the weight off your arms. You can't fall. You're fastened to the cable."
Qui-Gon searched the cliff area overhead. He could not see another fissure. They would have to hang here and hope the sea wouldn't rise to drown them. He knew that he and Obi-Wan could hang here for hours if they had to. But he was not sure about Taroon.