"Ian!"
If she lived another hundred years, Jane knew she would never forget Ruel's agonized scream of protest and horror.
The maharajah's private car and passenger car struck the flat rocks lining the bank, crumpling like toys on impact, the wooden sides collapsing as if fashioned of paper. The locomotive sank into the water like a submerging crocodile.
"Dear God . . ." she whispered.
"Watch out for her, Li Sung." Ruel was running past them, skidding down the muddy embankment toward the crumpled car on the rocks below.
"No!" Jane didn't realize she had screamed the word. Ruel was going to be killed! He mustn't die. She couldn't live if Ruel died. She couldn't live . . .
She started after him down the embankment but had gone only a few feet when Li Sung tackled her, knocked her to the ground, and sat astride her.
"Get off me!" She struggled desperately, pounding at Li Sung's chest. "Don't you understand? He's going to die. They're both going to die. I've got to—"
"And you'll die, too, if I let you go," Li Sung said. "Ruel's mad to think he can save his brother. The crash probably killed him."
"How do you know if we don't try?"
"He's right, Jane." Kartauk was suddenly kneeling beside them, a lantern in his hand, his hair plastered about his pale face. "Listen to him."
She closed her eyes, feeling the tears running down her cheeks. Ian was dead and soon Ruel would be dead too. "Did you see it, Kartauk?" she whispered.
"I saw it all," Kartauk said grimly. "And I never want to see anything like it again."
"It fell. It shouldn't have fallen. . . ."
"What?"
"Never mind." She couldn't lie there and give up when Ruel had not. She wasn't certain Ian was dead, and by some miracle perhaps Ruel would manage to get them both out alive. They had to be ready to help if they were needed. Ruel mustn't die. He mustn't die. . . .
"Get off me, Li Sung." She turned to Kartauk. "Rope. Did Ruel include any rope with the supplies he gave you?
The wreckage of the maharajah's car balanced on the rocks percariously, half in the water. Ruel crawled through the only entrance, a gaping opening at the river's edge.
The splendid interior of the car was now a shapeless tangle of girders, trusses, crushed timbers, and smashed and overturned furniture. The porcelain stove was upside down, releasing flames that were now licking hungrily in an attempt to destroy what little was left of the car. The fire would be no problem, Ruel thought, the driving rain was already extinguishing it. He paused just inside the car, his gaze frantically searching the wreckage.
Ian lay on the floor of the train, his body twisted and half buried under the caved-in roof of the car.
Ruel crawled forward and began tearing desperately at the debris covering him.
The car slipped farther into the river; muddy yellow water gushed into the car.
He lifted the divan off Ian.
"No, leave me . . ."
Ruel's gaze flew to Ian's face, and relief rippled through him. His brother's eyes were open, his face contorted with pain, but he was alive.
"The hell I will." Ruel edged the divan to one side.
The car shifted another inch, and water poured over the top of Ruel's boots.
"It's too late," Ian gasped. "Save yourself."
"Shut up." Ruel hands quickly went over Ian's arms and legs. "Nothing seems to be broken. Can you move?"
Ian stirred, then fell back with a low cry.
"No? Then I'll have to drag you." Ruel snatched the ivory-colored cords from the drapes lying on the floor. "I'm going to make a harness. Once I'm in the water, I may not be able to hold on to you." His hands quickly fashioned the harness as he spoke. He slipped on the makeshift harness and then knotted the other end of the cord under Ian's armpits. "Ready? Here we go." He grabbed Ian beneath the armpits and pulled.
Ian screamed.
The cry flayed Ruel. "God, I'm sorry," he muttered as he pulled Ian another foot. "But the car can't stay on these rocks much longer. Once it tumbles into the water, we'll be swept away."
"Not your fault . . . coward . . ."
"You're not a coward." Ruel dragged him another foot. "Only two yards more."
"Stop." Ian groaned. "Can't stand it."
"All right." Ruel stopped pulling and dropped to his knees beside Ian, glaring at him. "Then we'll both stay here and let the goddamn river kill us. Is that what you want? Because I'm not leaving you."
"Ruel, please. Don't . . ." Ian wearily closed his eyes. "All right, pull. . . ."
The next few minutes were excruciating agony for Ian and backbreaking effort for Ruel.
They finally reached the opening, and Ruel stopped to catch his breath. Ian was barely on the verge of consciousness, and how in hell was he to get him out of the car and onto the rocks with the least damage?
The decision was made for him as the car slid forward off the rocks into the water.
The current whipped them away from the railway car as if they were bits of kindling. The next moment Ruel was dashed against the rocks. He instinctively reached out, grabbing for a boulder.
Pain.
Blackness.
He had to hold on. Ian . . . where was Ian? He felt a tug at the harness and turned to see Ian floating a few feet away. He hoisted himself up on the rocks, then turned and started pulling hand over hand on the cord binding him to his brother. The current was fighting him, taking Ian, jerking Ruel back toward the water.
It seemed an eternity before Ian was close enough for Ruel to reach out and drag him up on the rocks.
Ian lay still, no longer conscious. Perhaps not even alive.
"Don't die, damn you. You can't die." Ruel pressed his ear to Ian's breast. Nothing. He shifted his head higher and detected a faint heartbeat. Alive, thank God, but for how long? He adjusted the cords of the harness over his shoulders and began to crawl over the rocks, dragging Ian behind.
One yard. Two yards. Something warm ran down his shoulder. Rain? No, blood from the cords cutting into his shoulders, he realized dimly.
He reached the embankment and started up the steep incline, his boots sinking ankle-deep in the mud.
He dragged Ian five yards. Slipped back two.
Went another three yards. Slipped back five.
He cursed and started up the slope again.
"We'll take him. Take off the harness."
It was Kartauk speaking, on the embankment in front of him, Ruel realized hazily. Kartauk and Jane.
Kartauk swiftly unfastened the cords from Ruel's back. "Lord, you're cut to pieces."
"Ian ..."
"We'll get him." Jane was replacing the cords around Ian's body with the rope she carried. "Li Sung tied the other end of the rope to a tree at the top of the embankment. As soon as we reach the top, we'll pull him up." She tested the knot. "It's secure. Let's go."
Ruel staggered behind Kartauk and Jane up the embankment. The going was difficult but not impossible without Ian's weight burdening him. It took them ten minutes to reach the top, where Li Sung waited. Together, they pulled Ian up the rest of the slope.
"Is he alive?" Li Sung asked.
"Yes," Ruel said. "Let's get him under Kartauk's lean-to and out of this rain."