Chapter 4: A Proposal, an Appraisal, and an Accusation
Elena stared at the mural and hieroglyphs with intrigue. "This looks so familiar, like what we saw at the Temple of the Ancients."
"Of course," Tseng answered. "These murals were also created by the Cetra."
Elena ran down one end of the mural to the other. "That's odd. I don't see anything about Jenova."
"As far as I can tell, this mural predates Jenova, perhaps even by a thousand years. Had we more time to investigate the Temple of the Ancients, we may have seen another mural like this."
Reno yawned loudly to demonstrate how bored he was. "Yeah, yeah, but why should we care?"
"Reno, don't you see what's going on?" Elena said pointing at the mural. "Those green guys there, coming out of the water, they're from the Lifestream!"
"How do you know?"
"Well, it couldn't be more obvious! They're coming out of this body of water, and they're green, the color of the Lifestream . . . or I guess decaying flesh. They're dead guys either way."
"So?"
"So, maybe this'll give us some kind of clue of what's going on or how to stop it, right Tseng?" She turned to him with an anxious look in her eyes.
"No such luck so far," he answered. "There's very little this mural actually tells. The Cetra went to such great lengths to conceal this period. They won't even go so far as to mention their opponents' name. For instance," he pointed to a passage beneath the green warriors, "this says, 'And they, the evil ones, the unloved, unholy ones, they who rip the planet's children from her womb—'"
"Ewwwwwwwe!" Reno interjected. "That's an image I could do without!"
Tseng gave him an annoyed look for interrupting and continued, "'—they will abuse the power of the planet no longer. Behold, we swear on the name of the planet that we will protect her voice and her children, that she may continue to live age upon age.'"
Elena stared at Tseng, flabbergasted. "Tseng! Where did you learn to read this language?"
"I used to study folklore," he answered casually, a little too casually, but they couldn't say anything.
"Who are they?" Rude asked, pointing to the others with swords.
"That's the Cetra, defending their land."
"Those swords they're holding look like Cloud's new sword."
"Heh," Reno chuckled. "If they used those swords, no wonder this happened a thousand years before Jenova. It probably took a thousand years to fight!"
Tseng turned to him and observed Reno closely. "And what do you mean by that?"
"Oh, right, you weren't there. You should have seen it, Tseng! Cloud's got this new sword, and its stats are laughable! I mean, it could barely cut a loaf of bread!"
"Believe it or not, Reno, there may be more power behind this kind of swords than you would think." He pointed to some hieroglyphs beneath the Cetra army. "This says, 'Thy Holy Sword shall restore the land and bring peace to the restless with the blessing of the planet.'" He emphasized that last phrase very carefully.
"'The blessing of the planet?'" Elena repeated. "What does that mean?"
"The Cetra had the gift of hearing the voice of the planet in the Lifestream, remember? And what gifts does the Lifestream give us?"
Reno counted on his fingers as he listed them off, "Uh, power . . . materia . . ."
"Life," Elena added.
"I was gonna say that!"
"I'm just helping you brainstorm!" she shrugged.
"Very good, both of you," Tseng nodded. "Now, the question is which gift is necessary for this sword?"
Reno rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," he sighed impatiently. Rude just crossed his arms and looked down at the floor. Elena was the only one who really looked like she was making an effort to answer his question, putting her hand on her chin.
"Exactly. We don't know, but whatever it is is the key to everything. That's why we must find it."
"And turn it over to Cloud?" Rude added.
"Perhaps, if he truly has this sword in his possession."
"Well, how likely could that be?" Reno blurted out. "I mean, if this happened before Jenova, that sword would be thousands of years old, wouldn't it? Cloud's sword didn't really look ancient."
"Maybe he just keeps it in good condition," Elena suggested.
Rude cleared his throat. "Need I remind you that we have another mission?"
"We can multitask," Tseng answered. "We've done it before. However, needless to say, this must be kept top secret. Don't let anyone know what we're up to—not Cloud, nor Reeve, nor either of the presidents. In fact, it would probably be best if you do not speak of it to each other."
"Our lips are sealed, man," Reno said while miming zipping up his lips. "You can leave Cloud and the others to us, and we'll help you look once we have a better idea what we're looking for."
"Um, maybe one of us should stick with Tseng, help him find more clues," Elena hastily added. "We'll rotate so the president won't get too suspicious."
Tseng nodded. "That's an adequate compromise. Don't you agree, Rude?"
Rude only grunted and turned away.
--
It wasn't too far a walk to get to Wutai once everyone had crossed the sea, but once they reached the city, Cloud was hesitant to go inside. "I think I'll stay out here and fight a little longer. Anyone who wants to join the 'Let's Raise Enough Gil to Get Cloud a More Decent Sword' initiative is free to stay out here."
Everybody kinda mumbled at that. "Um, you know, you could always try and win that money," Yuffie suggestion.
"Win?" Cloud said uncertainly.
"Sure, you just–oh wait, you haven't seen! Come on, I'll show ya." She led them into the center of town, skipping in front of everyone (not quite as shiftily as she was the last time they were all here). The Turtle Paradise was a much larger building. In fact, it was the biggest building in the whole town, even taller than the pagoda. It still had the oriental architecture of the other houses in Wutai, but it was seven stories. "It's a casino now," Yuffie explained.
"A casino?" Tifa repeated.
"Bet you don't like that," Aerith said softly.
"Well, yeah . . . but you know, our economy's been real bad lately. And this'll help Cloud's problem. So, how 'bout it, Cloud? You feel lucky?"
"Not really," Cloud answered shaking his head.
"Well, I'm good at games of chance," Cait Sith said. "I'll raise you some dough, lad."
"Me too," Tifa nodded.
Cloud wasn't surprised at that. They both had luck-based Limit Breaks after all. "Well, thanks. You guys have fun."
"Ah, what the hay? Me too," Cid said with a shrug.
"I just need to unwind for a little while. They still serve refreshments here, don't they?" Barret asked.
"Oh yeah, still advertised everywhere," Yuffie nodded.
"Great!"
Everybody who agreed started going in. "You sure you don't wanna?" Yuffie asked.
"Yeah," Cloud nodded. "Even as pitiful as this sword is, I think I'd have better luck out there than I would in here. I have a better idea what I'm doing in the field anyway."
"Alright, suit yourself."
Cloud turned to her suddenly. "Hey! I think I know what's going on with you, why you've been charging ridiculous prices for materia and information. You're trying to work off a gambling debt, aren't you?"
Yuffie made a buzzer noise. "Wrong! Pretty close, though."
"Then what's up?"
"Oh, I'm never gonna tell." She laughed, amused.
"I'll help you out, Cloud," Red XIII offered.
"Yeah, I think I could use you," Cloud nodded. "Aerith, you coming?"
"Sure," she nodded. "I'll make sure you don't get too hurt."
"Hey, where'd Vincent go?" Red XIII asked.
"Ah, he's probably staring at the Lifestream again, talking to himself about green . . . thoughts or whatever it is," Cloud muttered carelessly.
"Hey, uh, Yuffie," Biggs spoke up, "would you mind showing us around the rest of the town?"
"Yeah," Jessie nodded. "Everything looks so interesting, especially that!" She pointed up to a rock face which had carved into it the image of oriental deities.
"Oh, that's the Da-chao," Yuffie answered. "It's kinda fun to climb, but you gotta be careful around the caves. Unless you're lucky enough to find a Leviathan scale, the fires inside can burn you to a crisp!"
"In that case, I'll just admire it from afar."
"So, where do you live, Yuffie?" Biggs asked.
Yuffie froze up for a moment. Should she be telling him that? "Well, uh, Lord Godo's house is over there."
"Oooh, that's a nice house," Wedge marveled.
"Wonder if he's at home?" Biggs pondered.
So, Yuffie led the three newcomers through the town, but she didn't feel right. "Something's weird," she thought out loud. "This place feels more crowded than usual. Is the casino just getting more business?" Yet as she took a closer look around, it got weirder. "What are all these Shinra soldiers doing here?" There were several, just standing around or talking to each other. She tried talking to them, but they didn't say much. "It feels too much like it did ten years ago. Maybe it's a re-enactment."
Biggs followed the tour until they came to Lord Godo's house. Then, he slipped away and searched Yuffie's house. Godo caught him snooping around. "Excuse me! Are you looking for something?" the lord addressed him.
Biggs stood up straight. "Oh, uh, yes sir. Actually, um, the fact is, I was looking for you."
"Well, here I am. What can I do for you?"
Biggs suddenly felt very hot and nervous. He thought through the speech he had practiced mentally ever since he learned they were going to Wutai. "Uh, Mr., er that is Lord Godo, my name is Biggs from Midgar. I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about your daughter."
"Yuffie?"
"Yes sir. I have taken, well, that is, I have become . . . I admire her-her skills, as a, you know, a fighter. She is, uh, she's a very impressive young lady."
"Why, thank you."
Biggs took a deep breath and tried to speak more calmly. "Lord Godo, the fact of the matter is I heard she is a thief, and I know that it is true."
"Well, I cannot be held responsible for her actions! If you've come here to accuse my little girl—"
"No, no, sir. I was just saying that because . . . it may sound trite, but I believe she has stolen my heart."
"Oh, so that's it."
"I know you have already selected one to be her husband, but I beg you, please reconsider. All I ask is a chance. I am a very strong, skilled man. I don't have much, but I can take care of her. I'm an honest man and a devoted leader. Tifa and Barret, whom I'm sure you know, can vouch for my character."
"I am sure that is all true, young man, but . . . what was that first thing you said about one already selected?"
"Yes sir. Yuffie told me that she's been engaged for an arranged marriage."
"I'm afraid to disappoint you, but I'm sure if I said nothing you'd learn the hard way. My daughter is also an excellent liar."
"Sir?"
"Yuffie is not engaged. We have an arranged marriage custom, but I have chosen not to follow it. The truth is Yuffie has told me on a number of occasions that she does not want to marry!"
"What?"
"It is so. I believe her, too. Yuffie is a very strong-minded, independent girl. She does not want to listen to anyone else tell her what to do, especially one who may try to 'set her straight.'"
"Then . . . then why has she toyed with me so?"
"Has she taken anything else from you, besides your heart?"
"No sir!"
"If I were you, I'd double-check. She may have taken gil or materia from you while she was flirting. So, you do that, and I will have a talk with her. I am very sorry, young man."
Biggs left the room, feeling rather stunned. And cheated, but he wouldn't admit that again. He felt like a fool.
--
Cloud was discovering that there was a little bit more than a re-enactment going on around Wutai. Just on the other side of the city, there was a full-scale battle going on. Almost as soon as he exited the city, a Shinra sentry confronted him with a gun. "Friend or foe!" he demanded.
"Neutral. I'm just a stranger here."
"I am sorry, sir. We're not permitting civilians beyond this point. It's a matter of safety." He tipped his hat at Aerith. "Afternoon, miss."
"Civilian? I'm an ex-SOL–" Cloud stopped himself. "I just want to get through and level up."
"I'm afraid I cannot allow that. If you haven't noticed, there is a war going on."
"The war ended ten years ago!"
"Ah, yes," he said dropping his voice. "There has been a rumor going around that the war is over. I'm afraid until we get news from the president that states the contrary, our SOLDIERS will have to soldier on, so to speak. So," he glanced down at Red XIII, "you'll have to take your kitty-cat out for a walk elsewhere. Good day." He made a ninety-degree turn and walked on.
"Lifestream?" Cloud asked Aerith.
"I think so," she nodded.
"They're like Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. They don't know."
"That's what it looks like."
"Kitty-cat indeed," Red XIII growled, lashing his burning tail. "He deserves a good mauling."
Cloud sighed. "Well, this is going to be fun to get through. If only I could send a message to Rufus. He's probably under the control of his father again."
Aerith suddenly grabbed Cloud's arm. "Vincent! He's out there!"
"Vincent will be fine. He used to be a Turk, remember?"
"So did Tseng!"
"Well, Tseng . . . isn't Vincent." Cloud pointed. "Look, there he is!"
A tattered red cloak flew through the middle of the fray like a red storm cloud, bullets flying from it like lightning. The soldiers on both sides tried to retaliate, but Vincent was too evasive for them. In almost a matter of seconds, he appeared at the entrance of the city standing with Cloud and Aerith.
"So, now you're fighting!" Cloud said with annoyance.
"I had no choice," Vincent replied. "I couldn't concentrate."
"Then, you weren't able to sort out your green–"
"No, I have not. But I will." He added that last phrase in a very chilling, intimidating whisper, hoping Cloud could take the hint.
To show he wasn't intimidated, Cloud persisted, "Well, you better figure it out soon. We don't have time for your daydreaming."
"It will reveal itself in time. You must learn to be patient."
"I can be patient, but THAT can't!" He pointed toward the Lifestream.
Vincent didn't answer but tossed Cloud a small bag. "For your new weapon," he explained. Then, he swished his cape and turned away.
"Please, Cloud, you said you'd drop this," Aerith said softly.
"I know. I'm trying. I'm just . . ." He didn't want to say it.
"Worried?"
"Yeah."
"Don't be. It'll be alright."
"I hope so."
--
That evening, the two groups met up at Lord Godo's house. Yuffie and Cloud especially wanted to know what was going on.
"It's been a crazy couple of days," Godo explained. "Just for no reason, Wutai and Shinra soldiers showed up out of nowhere and started fighting. They seem to believe that we're still at war. All of us at the pagoda have been trying to hold them back and convince them that the war has been over for ten years. Most of them believe us and have been waiting around town for further orders, but some won't believe until they hear it from a higher source. At least they moved the fighting way out of town, near the mountains that are almost impossible to cross. But it has dampened our tourism. I mean, sure, we have a record number of visitors, but they don't seem to have much money."
"This may sound strange, sir, but these people, they probably died in the war," Cloud explained.
"Say what?"
"The Lifestream has been flowing backwards, and a lot of people who were dead are coming back to life. Some of them don't even realize they ever were dead. That might be the case here."
"So they're killing themselves all over again?"
"I know. It doesn't make sense to me either. We'll try to find some way to stop it."
"Hey, you know the President!" Yuffie said. "Why don't you just get on the phone with him?"
"He's more of a 'Don't call us, we'll call you' kind of guy. Still, there might be a way to get a message to him."
"Cait Sith!" Aerith suddenly spoke up.
"Huh?"
"He's a Shinra spy, isn't he? He can send a message."
"You know, it's so easy to forget that, isn't it? Yeah, I'll talk to him."
Once everybody else came back from the casino, Cloud left to talk with the double agent, and Lord Godo called his daughter back. "I spoke with a young man in your company this afternoon, guy named Biggs. He seems quite smitten with you."
Yuffie crossed her arms. "I thought so."
"So, you do know him?"
"We met a little while ago. I don't know him all that well."
"He seemed to indicate that you've been flirting with him. You doing it to sneak some gil or materia off of him?"
"No. He's mistaken, Dad. I'm not flirting with him. I can't! I mean, normally I would, but he really gives me the creeps."
"You might want to try. He looks like he's a fine man, and he's probably very well connected."
"Dad, he has nothing! He's been dead for five years! And besides, for all I know, he's a scoundrel. Sometimes I . . . I just wish he'd go back to the Lifestream, where he belongs!"
"Yuffie, are you sure you'd mean that?"
"Yeah! He wouldn't bother me down there." With that, she ran off to her room, not knowing that Biggs was standing in the doorway, missing him completely as she ran past. He heard every word.
--
"So, they're in Wutai now? . . . Yes, I heard about it from the Turks . . . Is that so?" Tseng laughed. "Good, very good. That is excellent. And you provided a way for them to cross? . . . Good . . . No, he won't sell it. If all goes well, he can't. . . . Well, I'm not surprised by that. Valentine was a Turk . . . Yes, he was. In fact, we have a good deal in common. Perhaps I should speak to him . . . Well, that can pose a problem. We need to do something about that . . . Yes, I'll help. Of course . . . Unfortunately, it is not going well. They are not trying to understand." Tseng sighed, shook his head, and whispered, "I can't imagine what she's going through . . . Alright, we'll talk later." He hung up.
"That wasn't Reeve," a grave, deep voice said behind him.
Tseng didn't turn around. "I'm not surprised that you're here. Eavesdropping is rude."
"In case you don't recall, Shinra has given me clearance to tap phone conversations when it concerns a matter of security." Rude took slow, steady steps around Tseng until they were facing each other. "You may charm Elena, deceive Reno, you can even con both of the Shinra presidents." Rude pulled his shades down to the bridge of his nose and leaned forward as he said ominously, "But you will never fool me."
"Are you accusing me?"
"Oh yes. I got your number. Or, more literally," Rude held up his own cell phone, which had seven digits on the screen, "I got your accomplice's number. Let's find out who it is, shall we?" He slowly began to point to the "send" button.
"It won't work," Tseng replied calmly. "You won't find it in Shinra's database, and any attempt to call it will result in an error tone. You can call it a dead line. It hasn't been in use for a decade."
"Then how can you use it?"
"I have a dead line of my own."
Rude raised an eyebrow, silently asking the next question.
"Don't ask," Tseng replied sharply.
Rude put the phone away. "All the same," he said as he got closer into Tseng's face, "I know what's going on. You are a mole, a double agent, and a traitor. You faked your own death, abandoned us, and then you return and expect everything to be normal! Well, now I know that your loyalties are divided. You have a hidden agenda, and to cover it up, you send the rest of us Turks on pointless side-missions. I don't know what you or your accomplice are up to, but I will find out. And if you jeopardize our mission any further, I will expose you for what you are."
Tseng smirked. "Rude, you never did strike me as a conspiracy theorist."
"You see, that's one reason I know you're not the Tseng I knew. Tseng doesn't have a sense of humor."
"I've been keeping different company, Rude. Perhaps I've changed . . . a little. But you, do you have any proof?"
"Not definite proof, but it shouldn't be difficult to find."
"No. I think I know what you're basing it on. You say you have my number, but in reality, I have yours, Rude."
"And what is your theory?"
"You're still in denial. You couldn't believe the great Tseng was dead. Nobody saw him die, so it's easy to think he faked his own death and is still out there somewhere. You've been holding on to a story like that for a while now, haven't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Tseng chuckled. Rude tries so hard to be this big, tough guy, but inside he's as weak as a moogle, apart from being the size of a moogle too (he'd put on some weight). "I have a method to my madness, Rude. You need to trust me, just like everyone else. And yes, I have a hidden agenda, but it's not against Shinra. All I am trying to do is to find the resources to keep you and everyone else alive."
"I don't just trust people. Trust needs to be earned. So does my respect." Rude turned on his heel and left.
"I can have one without the other!" Tseng called after him. Rude didn't turn back. Never mind him, there's a job to do.
--
The next morning, Cloud got up bright and early to go to the weapon store. He felt like he had a vivid dream, but it was slowly fading from his memory, pushed out by his concerns of getting a new sword and escaping Wutai. Cid, Cait Sith, and Tifa didn't earn too much from their winnings (Tifa complained that their games were really hard), but it might be enough to get something better.
"Welcome!" the proprietor greeted him as he walked in.
"I'd like to see what you've got in stock that's between 6000 and 9000 gil, please."
"Well, let's see." The proprietor reached under the counter and pulled out a blade. "This one is 7000. Its stats are relatively good. Four materia slots, one set connected. It's simply named the Destroyer."
Cloud didn't even spend much time looking it over. "I'll take it!" He handed the store owner the money, but the moment he picked up the new sword, it just didn't feel right. He didn't understand. Destroyer is much more like the swords he was used to, so why couldn't he get used to it? Had he already forgotten what it felt like to hold that much power?
"Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Cloud thought for a moment. "Actually, yes." He put the new sword down and drew Maranatha. "Just out of curiosity, what would you say this sword is worth?"
"Hmmm," the proprietor answered. "I've never seen a sword quite like this before. What a strange metal this blade is made of!"
"What is it?"
"I can't tell exactly. It's very luminescent, but it's also rather blunt and flimsy. As far as performance is concerned, I'd say this sword is almost worthless, but as far as style and the preciousness of the material, the worth could perhaps not even be contained by gil. This is a rare treasure!"
"Yes, it's nice, but I gotta have something I could use."
The proprietor investigated the sword with a little magnifying eyepiece. "I do believe that this metal has some magic properties!"
"What are they?"
"Not sure. I expect it's probably support magic. Maybe it will be more useful if I melt this down and turned it into an accessory. Then surely you can access those properties."
That sounded like a great idea, and Cloud was all for it, but once Maranatha was back in his hand, he felt this strange sensation. His heart was resisting his mind, refusing him to let anything happen to the sword. "No, I-I-I can't."
"Are you sure?"
"I . . . can't. I'm sorry."
"If you don't, you really only have a fancy mantle piece."
"I know, but . . ."
At that moment, Yuffie burst into the door. "Cloud! There . . . you are!" she panted. She looked a lot paler than usual, and she had a look of terror on her face. Aerith was with her, and she had a face of similar concern.
"What's wrong?"
"It's . . . Biggs. He's . . . gone to the . . . Da-chou."
"Um, alright. He's touring?"
"No! He . . . went . . . to see . . . the fire caves! He . . . doesn't have . . . a . . . Leviathan Scale!"
"He has death on his mind," Aerith explained softly.
Cloud didn't even stop to think. He grabbed his sword hastily and ran out of the store. They went up the paths on the statutes of the Five Gods, calling Biggs's name over and over. At last, Cloud went into a cave that had the flaming embers at the far end. Biggs was slowly walking toward the coals.
"BIGGS!" Cloud yelled. "What are you thinking?"
Biggs turned around and saw them. "Just following orders, sir. I heard Yuffie say that she wanted me to go back to the Lifestream where I came from. That's what I'm doing."
"I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" Yuffie yelled back at him. "You weren't even supposed to hear that!"
"What's the point in living anymore? You stole my heart, and you won't give it back. I don't wanna live without a heart!"
"Biggs, please don't do it!" Aerith yelled. "We still need you!"
"To do what? I don't really have a function. I just feel out of place and isolated. I might as well just end it. No one will miss me."
"You do have a part! Everyone has a part! As long as you're not in the Lifestream, Sephiroth will be weakened."
"I don't even know who Sephiroth is! It's just pointless." He looked at the spiky-haired warrior, who was currently gaping at him. "Cloud, it's been an honor to serve you. You are a remarkable leader. I expect great things from you one day." He saluted Cloud with a smile, and then, he took a few steps backwards and spread his arms. "Goodbye Yuffie."
"You're making a fool of yourself, Biggs!" Cloud yelled at him.
Biggs didn't seem to be listening but let himself fall back.
Without thinking, Cloud drew his sword. "GET BACK HERE!"
Nobody what believed what happened next. Biggs suddenly turned into a green mist that floated toward Cloud's direction. Then, in the blink of an eye, it materialized back into a man, falling backward. Cloud quickly moved out of the way so he wouldn't get impaled on the sword. Yuffie ran forward and caught him.
"Whoa!" Biggs said. "What was that?"
And that's when Cloud realized that he wasn't holding the sword he just purchased. He was holding Maranatha. Did the sword do this? The proprietor must have been right. It had magic.
"Listen, Biggs, I was wrong about you," Yuffie said gently. "I thought you were just a creep, but I guess you must really be a cool guy. You must really care if you felt that way about me."
"Thank you, Yuffie, thank you. I'm sorry I scared you."
"Yeah, don't do that again! Let's go home."
"Yeah, let's go," Cloud said softly, still staring at the sword. What secrets did it have? How could he find them all? How could he unleash its real power? If he knew what it was…
As he was coming down the Da-chou, still thinking about all these things, the weapon store proprietor came running up to him, holding a bulky package. "There you are!" he gasped.
"Yeah, I know, I left that sword in your shop. I was coming back to get it."
"Oh, yes. Listen, are you Cloud Strife?"
"Yes, I am."
"Oh!" He held the package out to Cloud. "I was told to give this to you."
"Who gave it to you?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," the store owner replied softly.
"Huh?"
"Uh, that is, I'm afraid I'm sworn to secrecy! I can't say!"
"Um . . . OK. How much is–?"
"JUST TAKE IT!" he yelled, surprising Cloud slightly. But as he moved to calm him down, the man merely pushed the package into his hands and ran down the path frantically. Cloud opened the package to find ropes, ten pairs of some strange boots, and a typed note:
"The Lifestream forks ahead. Go east."
He turned the card over, but he found no names, no explanations, and no additional instructions. He searched through the package thoroughly, but there was nothing more. "Well, no feathers," he thought. "That doesn't mean it's not from the thief, but still."
"Cloud! Maranatha!"
He couldn't believe it. It was that voice again, the sing-songy voice. "Where are you?"
"Maranatha!"
"Come on, Cloud!" That was Aerith at the base of the mountain, waving at him.
"Oh. Coming!" he called down to her.
