“I’ll take that as a good omen,” replied Remi.
Foot by foot, careful step by careful step, Sam kept descending, his headlamp receding into a small rectangle of light.
“I can’t see you anymore,” Remi called.
“Don’t worry. If I fall, I’ll be sure to give out an appropriately terrified scream.”
“I’ve never heard you scream in your life, Fargo.”
“And, cross fingers, you won’t this time.”
“How’re the walls?”
“More of the—Whoa!”
“What?”
No response.
“Sam!”
“I’m okay. Just lost my footing for a second. The walls are getting icy. Must be mist from the water below.”
“How bad?”
“Just a thin coating on the walls. Can’t trust any of the stalagmites, though.”
“Come back up. We’ll figure out another way.”
“I’m continuing on. I’ve got another thirty feet of rope to play with.”
Two minutes passed. Sam’s headlamp was a mere pinpoint now, jostling back and forth in the pit’s darkness as he maneuvered around the stalagmites.
Suddenly, there came the sound of shattering ice. Sam’s headlamp began spinning, winking up at Remi like a strobe light. Before she could open her mouth to call to him, Sam shouted, “I’m okay. Upside down but okay.”
“More description, if you please!”
“Got turned around in my harness and flipped. Good news, though: I’m staring at the water. It’s about ten feet below my head.”
“I hear a ‘but’ coming.”
“The current’s fast—three knots at least—and it looks deep. Waist-high, probably.”
Though three knots was slower than a fast walking pace, the depth and temperature of the water multiplied the hazard. Not only would it take only one minor misstep to be swept away but the exertion it would take to stay upright would speed up the hypothermia process.
“Come back up,” Remi said. “No arguments.”
“Agreed. Give me a second to . . . Hold on.”
From the darkness came more cracking of ice, followed by splashes.
“Talk to me, Fargo.”
“Give me a second.”
Another thirty seconds of cracking, then Sam’s voice: “Side tunnel!”
After ten minutes of detailed work, Sam shouted, “It’s good-sized. Almost tall enough to stand in. I’m going in. Give me a minute to set up a belay.” If Remi went into the subterranean river, this measure would give Sam a fighting chance to reel her back in—provided there weren’t rocks downriver ready to bash Remi into pulp.