Lay Her Among The Lilies

“Well, come on. Let’s try, anyway.”

The first twenty feet was easy enough. Big boulders formed a platform at the foot of the

cliff; they were simple enough to climb. We stood side by side on a flat rock while I sent the

beam of my torch up into the darkness. The jagged face of the cliff towered above us, and,

almost at the top, bulged out, forming what seemed an impassable barrier.

“That’s the bit I like,” Kerman said, pointing. “Up there, where it curves out. Getting over

that’s going to be fun: a tooth and fingernail job.”

“Maybe it’s not so bad as it looks,” I said, not liking it myself. “If we had a rope …”

“If we had a rope I’d go quietly away some place and hang myself,” Kerman said gloomily.

“It would save time and a lot of hard work.”

“Pipe down, you pessimistic devil!” I said sharply, and began to edge up the cliff face.

There were foot and handholds, and if the cliff hadn’t been perpendicular it would have been

209

LAY HER AMONG THE LILIES

fairly easy to climb. But, as it was, I was conscious that one slip would finish the climb and

me. I’d fall straight out and away from the cliff face. There would be no sliding or grabbing

to save myself.

When I had climbed about fifty feet I paused to get my breath back. I couldn’t look down.

The slightest attempt to lean away from the cliff face would upset my balance, and I’d fall.

“How are you getting on?” I panted, pressing myself against the surface of the cliff and

staring up into the star-studded sky.

“As well as can be expected,” Kerman said with a groan. “I’m surprised I’m still alive. Do

you think this is dangerous or am I just imagining it?”

I shifted my grip on a knob of rock and hauled myself up another couple of feet.

“It’s only dangerous if you fall; then probably it’s fatal,” I said.

We kept moving. Once I heard a sudden rumble of fall-ling rock and Kerman catch his

breath sharply. My hair stood on end.

“Keep your eye on some of these rocks,” he gasped. “One of them’s just come away in my

hand.”

“I’ll watch it.”

About a quarter-way up I came suddenly and unexpectedly to a four-foot ledge and I

hoisted myself up on it, leaned my back against the cliff face and tried to get my breath back.

I felt cold sweat on my neck and back. If I had known it was going to be this bad I would

have tried the gates. It was too late now. It might be just possible to climb up, but quite

impossible to climb down.

Kerman joined me on the ledge. His face was glistening with sweat, and his legs seemed

shaky.

“This has cooled me off mountain climbing,” he panted. “One time I was sucker enough to

imagine it’d be fun. Think we’ll get over the bulge?”

“We’ll damn well have to,” I said, staring up into the darkness. “There’s no other way now

210

LAY HER AMONG THE LILIES

but to keep going. Imagine trying to climb down!”

I sent the beam of the flashlight searching the cliff face again. To our left and above us was

a four-foot-wide crevice that went up beside the bulge.

“See that?” I said. “If we got our feet and shoulders against the sides of that opening we

might work our way up past the bulge.”

Kerman drew in a deep breath.

“The ideas you get,” he said. “It can’t be done.”

“I think it can,” I said, staring at the walls of the crevice. “And I’m going to try.”

“Don’t be a fool!” Alarm jumped into his voice. “You’ll slip.”

“If you want to try the bulge, try it. This is my way.”

I swung off the ledge, groped for a foothold, edged my hand along the cliff face until I got a

grip and started up again. It was slow and difficult work. The hazy moonlight didn’t help me

much, and most of the time I had to feel for handholds. As my head and shoulders came level

with the bottom of the crevice the knob of rock on which I was standing gave under me. I felt

it shift a split second before it went and I threw myself forward, clawing at the rock bed of

the crevice in a frantic effort to get a hold. My fingers hooked into a ridge of rock and there I

hung.

“Take it easy!” Kerman bawled, as hysterical as an old lady with her dress on fire. “Hang

on! I’m right with you!”

“Stay where you are,” I panted. “I’ll only take you down with me.”

I tried to get a foothold, but the toes of my shoes scraped against the cliff face and trod on

air. Then I tried to draw myself up, pulling the whole of my weight with my fingertips, but

that couldn’t be done. I managed to raise myself a couple of inches and that’s as far as I got.

Something touched my foot.

“Take it easy,” Kerman implored below me. He guided my foot on to his shoulder. “Now,

211

LAY HER AMONG THE LILIES

give me your weight and push up.”

“I’ll push you down, you fool!” I panted.

“Come on!” His voice shook. “I’ve got a good grip. Slowly and steadily. Don’t do anything

suddenly.”

There was nothing else to do. Very cautiously I transferred the weight of my body on to his

shoulder, then transferred my finger grip to another ridge where I had a better hold.

“I’m heaving,” I panted. “Right?”

“Yeah,” Kerman said, and I felt him brace himself.

I heaved with my arms and shoulders and slid up and on to the floor of the crevice. I lay

there, panting until Kerman’s head appeared above the ledge, then I crawled forward and

pulled him up beside me. We flopped down, side by side, not saying anything.

After a while I got unsteadily to my feet.

“We’re having quite a night,” I said, leaning against the crevice wall.

Kerman squinted up at me.

“Yeah,” he said. “Will I get a medal for that?”

“I’ll buy you a drink instead,” I said, drew in a deep breath, dug my shoulders into the wall

and got my feet up against the opposite wall. By pressing hard with my shoulders and feet I

managed to maintain a sitting position between the two walls.

“Is that the way you’re going to travel?” Kerman asked, horrified.

“Yeah; it’s an old Swiss custom.”

“Have I got to do that, too?”

“Unless you want to stay where you are for the rest of your days.” I said heartlessly.

“There’s no other way.”

212

LAY HER AMONG THE LILIES

I began to edge myself upwards. The sharp rocks dug into my shoulder-blades, and it was

slow work, but I made progress. So long as the muscles in my legs didn’t turn sour on me I

would get to the top. But if they did, it would be a quick drop and a rocky landing.

I kept moving. I’d rather go up this way than attempt the bulge. A third of the way up I had

to stop and rest. My legs felt as if I had been running for a hundred miles, and the muscles in

my thighs were fluttering.

“How are you doing, pal?” Kerman called, shining his flash up at me.

“Well, I’m still in one piece,” I said dubiously. “Wait until I get to the top before you try

it.”

“Take your time. I’m in no hurry.”