Seven
Fortunately for Scott his reflexes were quick and he obeyed the order to stop. "Virgil? Are you alright?"
"Yeah." His brother's voice floated up from somewhere below him. "A few more scrapes and scratches, but that's all. I crawled onto a panel that wasn't secure and it toppled off taking me with it. I sort of surfed the whole way down. Gordon would be proud of me."
"I'm sure he would. But how do I get down? Not the same way I hope."
Virgil stood up and dusted himself down, looking up towards his brother at the same time. Scott was approximately 13 feet above him, his head sticking out from an almost sheer wall of debris. Everywhere Virgil looked there were objects that could equally support, or cut Scott as he attempted his descent. "First thing you're gonna have to do is get out of that hole, without sliding down headfirst like I did." Virgil examined the situation. "Okay. Roll onto your back..."
Scott complied with some difficulty as his sash caught on various impediments. His Grandmother had refused to listen when they'd told her they'd be more of a hindrance than a help! "They'll have their uses, you'll see, and they look smart." She'd stubbornly said.
He completed the task. "Okay." Virgil said. "If you reach up you'll find an I-Beam. Grab hold of that and see if you can swing your body out."
Scott did so, hoping against hope that the I-Beam would remain firm. It did.
"Great. Swing your feet forward... okay that should hold you for a moment."
Slowly Virgil started to talk Scott down the dangerous structure.
They'd nearly reached the halfway point when the beam he was standing on gave way. Virgil dove to one side to avoid been struck by falling debris. Falling himself, Scott grabbed out blindly and miraculously managed to grasp a beam that jutted out horizontally. His body swung into the wreckage momentarily knocking the wind out of him, but his grip held firm.
"Hang on Scott!" Virgil yelled.
"I am" Scott acknowledged through clenched teeth.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Scott automatically rubbed his face on his arm to clear his vision. He only succeeded in causing a stab of pain to rock him. "Ahh!"
"Take it easy!" Virgil had seen the motion. "Move your right foot a bit to the right. There! That beam should hold you."
"That's what you said last time." Scott griped. "I don't know why Grandma insists we wear clean underwear. Too many scares like that and it'd be a waste of time."
Virgil's chuckled floated up from somewhere below him. "Not far to go now Scott." He carefully scaled the structure until he was able to place his hand on Scott's leg. "Do you want me to guide you?"
"Yeah okay."
They managed to descend another foot.
"Hang on, let me think about this." There was a gap so big that Virgil wondered if Scott would be able to cross it. "You're going to have to jump down a couple of feet."
"Onto the ground?"
"No, another beam. I'll guide you." Virgil took a good grip at a hunk of wood that stuck out and with his left hand grasped Scott's shirt firmly. "Ready when you are." His wristwatch telecom burst into life. "I don't believe this." He muttered. "John you're a pain! We're fine. Call you in two!" He disconnected the call before John had a chance to speak.
John stared at the blank monitor. Talk about abrupt.
Trusting Virgil's judgement Scott jumped. Virgil guided him so that he didn't fall back. He landed on what felt like a plank of wood and gripped tightly to whatever he could find.
Virgil climbed down the rest of the way. "You're doing fine. Only three feet to go. Okay, jump backwards onto the floor. I'll support you."
"Ready?"
"Ready!" Virgil braced himself.
Scott jumped.
Virgil caught him before he was able to lose his balance. "Made it." He said.
"Piece of cake."
Virgil coughed in the oppressive air. "Boy, that dust gets everywhere."
"I could go a drink." Scott said.
"Where's the pack?"
"Don't ask me." Scott said. "I can't see it."
Virgil still had his hand on his brother's shoulder and he gave it a comforting squeeze before moving off to look for the lost bag.
"You'd better call John." Scott advised. "He's bound to be a bit sore after the last time you spoke to him."
"Well his timing's lousy today."
"So tell him."
"John. Your timing's lousy. Next time you think to call us wait two minutes before you do okay?"
John looked a bit put out. "Can I help it if I'm worried about you guys."
Virgil laughed. "No. Sorry John, but we're fine. We've made it over most of the debris and with any luck we're on the home straight."
John's face broke into the first smile it'd managed in the last hour or so. "Glad to hear it. And to celebrate I won't call you back... for fifteen minutes, so make sure you call me first!"
"F-A-B." Signing off Virgil sneezed. Rubbing his watering eyes he looked about. "Now where's that pack?" He looked about the floor. "I can't see it. And where's the torch? Sit down Scott, this may take a while."
Scott gingerly crouched down, feeling about before he finally sat down.
A beam of light caught Virgil's eye and he made his way over to it. He found the torch! Jammed in a hole; it's beam shining vertically. He tried to reach in to get it, but the hole was too small for his arm. Knowing there was a spare in the pack he didn't worry unduly.
"Found the pack?" Scott asked impatiently.
"No." Virgil's eyes followed the beam from the torch. "Yes." Bathed in it's own mini spotlight was the pack. Hanging from a hunk of steel ten feet up.
As Virgil explained the situation to Scott he looked back at the pack. "I wonder how close I can get?"
"Don't try anything too tricky." Scott warned.
"I won't." Virgil managed to gain a foot of height before deciding that the structure was too unstable. He stepped back down, removed his sash and then climbed back up. He then tried to knock the pack off its perch with the sash. After several swings he connected and it moved slightly. He tried again and this time the pack released its tenuous grip and fell towards the floor.
"Yes! NO!" Virgil quickly jumped to the floor near where the pack had fallen.
"What's happened?" Scott asked anxiously, annoyed at not knowing what was going on.
"We've lost the pack. I can't reach it. It's fallen down a hole." Virgil was frantically trying to find it but couldn't even touch the material. "Your arm's longer than mine. You try." He assisted Scott to where the pack had disappeared.
Scott felt about the hole to no avail. "No, it's no good. I can't even feel it."
Virgil sat down in defeat. "Okay Scott what did you do? Throw a mirror at a black cat while you walked under a ladder? I'm sure I haven't done anything to warrant all this bad luck."
Scott chuckled. "Sorry not my fault. What's the date?"
"Tuesday 2nd."
"Not Friday 13th then."
"No."
"I know!" Scott snapped his fingers. "I left my lucky rabbits foot at home."
"That was lucky for the rabbit, but not us!" Virgil laughed as he stood up.
"We can't be that far from The Mole." Scott said. "I guess I can live without my drink until we get there."
Fortunately for Scott his reflexes were quick and he obeyed the order to stop. "Virgil? Are you alright?"
"Yeah." His brother's voice floated up from somewhere below him. "A few more scrapes and scratches, but that's all. I crawled onto a panel that wasn't secure and it toppled off taking me with it. I sort of surfed the whole way down. Gordon would be proud of me."
"I'm sure he would. But how do I get down? Not the same way I hope."
Virgil stood up and dusted himself down, looking up towards his brother at the same time. Scott was approximately 13 feet above him, his head sticking out from an almost sheer wall of debris. Everywhere Virgil looked there were objects that could equally support, or cut Scott as he attempted his descent. "First thing you're gonna have to do is get out of that hole, without sliding down headfirst like I did." Virgil examined the situation. "Okay. Roll onto your back..."
Scott complied with some difficulty as his sash caught on various impediments. His Grandmother had refused to listen when they'd told her they'd be more of a hindrance than a help! "They'll have their uses, you'll see, and they look smart." She'd stubbornly said.
He completed the task. "Okay." Virgil said. "If you reach up you'll find an I-Beam. Grab hold of that and see if you can swing your body out."
Scott did so, hoping against hope that the I-Beam would remain firm. It did.
"Great. Swing your feet forward... okay that should hold you for a moment."
Slowly Virgil started to talk Scott down the dangerous structure.
They'd nearly reached the halfway point when the beam he was standing on gave way. Virgil dove to one side to avoid been struck by falling debris. Falling himself, Scott grabbed out blindly and miraculously managed to grasp a beam that jutted out horizontally. His body swung into the wreckage momentarily knocking the wind out of him, but his grip held firm.
"Hang on Scott!" Virgil yelled.
"I am" Scott acknowledged through clenched teeth.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Scott automatically rubbed his face on his arm to clear his vision. He only succeeded in causing a stab of pain to rock him. "Ahh!"
"Take it easy!" Virgil had seen the motion. "Move your right foot a bit to the right. There! That beam should hold you."
"That's what you said last time." Scott griped. "I don't know why Grandma insists we wear clean underwear. Too many scares like that and it'd be a waste of time."
Virgil's chuckled floated up from somewhere below him. "Not far to go now Scott." He carefully scaled the structure until he was able to place his hand on Scott's leg. "Do you want me to guide you?"
"Yeah okay."
They managed to descend another foot.
"Hang on, let me think about this." There was a gap so big that Virgil wondered if Scott would be able to cross it. "You're going to have to jump down a couple of feet."
"Onto the ground?"
"No, another beam. I'll guide you." Virgil took a good grip at a hunk of wood that stuck out and with his left hand grasped Scott's shirt firmly. "Ready when you are." His wristwatch telecom burst into life. "I don't believe this." He muttered. "John you're a pain! We're fine. Call you in two!" He disconnected the call before John had a chance to speak.
John stared at the blank monitor. Talk about abrupt.
Trusting Virgil's judgement Scott jumped. Virgil guided him so that he didn't fall back. He landed on what felt like a plank of wood and gripped tightly to whatever he could find.
Virgil climbed down the rest of the way. "You're doing fine. Only three feet to go. Okay, jump backwards onto the floor. I'll support you."
"Ready?"
"Ready!" Virgil braced himself.
Scott jumped.
Virgil caught him before he was able to lose his balance. "Made it." He said.
"Piece of cake."
Virgil coughed in the oppressive air. "Boy, that dust gets everywhere."
"I could go a drink." Scott said.
"Where's the pack?"
"Don't ask me." Scott said. "I can't see it."
Virgil still had his hand on his brother's shoulder and he gave it a comforting squeeze before moving off to look for the lost bag.
"You'd better call John." Scott advised. "He's bound to be a bit sore after the last time you spoke to him."
"Well his timing's lousy today."
"So tell him."
"John. Your timing's lousy. Next time you think to call us wait two minutes before you do okay?"
John looked a bit put out. "Can I help it if I'm worried about you guys."
Virgil laughed. "No. Sorry John, but we're fine. We've made it over most of the debris and with any luck we're on the home straight."
John's face broke into the first smile it'd managed in the last hour or so. "Glad to hear it. And to celebrate I won't call you back... for fifteen minutes, so make sure you call me first!"
"F-A-B." Signing off Virgil sneezed. Rubbing his watering eyes he looked about. "Now where's that pack?" He looked about the floor. "I can't see it. And where's the torch? Sit down Scott, this may take a while."
Scott gingerly crouched down, feeling about before he finally sat down.
A beam of light caught Virgil's eye and he made his way over to it. He found the torch! Jammed in a hole; it's beam shining vertically. He tried to reach in to get it, but the hole was too small for his arm. Knowing there was a spare in the pack he didn't worry unduly.
"Found the pack?" Scott asked impatiently.
"No." Virgil's eyes followed the beam from the torch. "Yes." Bathed in it's own mini spotlight was the pack. Hanging from a hunk of steel ten feet up.
As Virgil explained the situation to Scott he looked back at the pack. "I wonder how close I can get?"
"Don't try anything too tricky." Scott warned.
"I won't." Virgil managed to gain a foot of height before deciding that the structure was too unstable. He stepped back down, removed his sash and then climbed back up. He then tried to knock the pack off its perch with the sash. After several swings he connected and it moved slightly. He tried again and this time the pack released its tenuous grip and fell towards the floor.
"Yes! NO!" Virgil quickly jumped to the floor near where the pack had fallen.
"What's happened?" Scott asked anxiously, annoyed at not knowing what was going on.
"We've lost the pack. I can't reach it. It's fallen down a hole." Virgil was frantically trying to find it but couldn't even touch the material. "Your arm's longer than mine. You try." He assisted Scott to where the pack had disappeared.
Scott felt about the hole to no avail. "No, it's no good. I can't even feel it."
Virgil sat down in defeat. "Okay Scott what did you do? Throw a mirror at a black cat while you walked under a ladder? I'm sure I haven't done anything to warrant all this bad luck."
Scott chuckled. "Sorry not my fault. What's the date?"
"Tuesday 2nd."
"Not Friday 13th then."
"No."
"I know!" Scott snapped his fingers. "I left my lucky rabbits foot at home."
"That was lucky for the rabbit, but not us!" Virgil laughed as he stood up.
"We can't be that far from The Mole." Scott said. "I guess I can live without my drink until we get there."