CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Thus far, things have gone well, and I had no reason to complain. If we had no further difficulties, we could have easily achieved our goal. I had begun thinking like my uncle. Seriously.

For several days we were on a steeper path—at times quite steep, that, in fact, took us down much faster than we liked. There were days when we moved four or five miles closer to the center of the Earth. Hans' great mountain climbing skills led us safely down the path. The calm, quiet Icelander had saved our lives more than once. We would not have survived this journey without him. Hans continued with his silence, and we too become much more silent.

After two weeks, we had no surprising incidents, except one, that I will never be able to forget. By August 7, we had gone seventy-five miles into the Earth. We were nearly five hundred miles from Iceland. On that day, the passage was easy to walk, the path was slightly downward. I was walking in front when I looked back and saw that I was alone. I've been walking too fast, I thought, or else Hans and my uncle have stopped. I'd better go back to them.

I walked back for a quarter of an hour. I heard nothing. I began to worry, but decided that I must be calm. I walked half an hour longer. I listened for their voices, but still heard nothing. Then, I stopped. I couldn't believe I was alone. I was afraid I had become lost.

"Look," I told myself, "there's only one path, and they're following it, so I can't miss them. All I have to do is keep going toward them. I'll find them."

I was then full of doubt. Was I really walking in front? Yes, I remembered that Hans was behind me, and my uncle was behind him.

I have no reason to worry. I have the stream to guide me to them. If I just follow it back in the direction it's coming from, I will surely find my uncle and Hans.

I felt more confident now. I secretly thanked my uncle for not repairing the hole in the wall, allowing the little stream to flow out. I bent down to wash my hands in the water, but was shocked to find that the Hansbach stream was gone. The stream was no more!

(end of section)