Aces and Knaves

than a minute, although it seemed much longer, when I heard Stan's voice below me. I very cautiously bent my head and looked down. A wave of vertigo made me quickly raise my head. It was a long way to the bottom and there were jagged rocks below me.
    "Karl," Stan called, "I'm looking for holds. Don't see too many. I guess you're right about that. The route you should have followed is more to the left, away from the overhang."
    "Too late now," I said. "Please get the hell back up here and lower me down."
    "I don't think so."
    "What!"
    "This is part of your initiation. You have to find your own way down."
    "Bullshit! That's fucking bullshit! Get your ass up here."
    "Relax, Karl. You don't want to panic. I'm sure you can do it. At least I'm giving you a chance. That's more than Ned had."
    "What does Ned have to do with it? Get up here!"
    "I couldn't give Ned a chance. He was moving in on my territory. He and James were too buddy-buddy; they went back too far together."
    "You paid to have Ned killed." It was more of a statement than a question.
    "Of course. What better way to utilize my stock-option gains than to ensure that I'll remain top dog with James."
    "Stan, you're sick. We can get help for you."
    "Not too sick to know that you're also trying to horn in on my territory. Horn in, get it? Even staying in the house with James. I was going to shoot you the other night when I followed you, but I decided that was too desperate; I would have been caught. But an accident...that could happen to anybody."
    "You can't get away with it."
    "Of course I can. I'm going back to the campsite now. I'll say that we got separated, but that you are an experienced outdoor person and can find your way back. When it's time to leave and you haven't shown up I'll volunteer to stay behind and look for you—along with a couple of others for witnesses. We'll locate your body before dark. You tried to climb a cliff by yourself and fell."
    I started to say something about the rope tied around my waist being incriminating evidence, but stopped. Stan had left the other end of the rope at the top of the cliff and I didn't want him going up there again if he wasn't going to help me.
    I argued with him, but I heard his voice getting farther away. I cautiously looked down and saw him moving along the trail. He would be out of sight in a minute.

    Chapter 34 STANDOFF
    I had to act now. I carefully pulled on the rope with my right hand where it snaked up the cliff. It didn't move. I pulled a little harder. If I had to jerk it I would lose my balance. Still no movement. I didn't have any margin for error. I tugged again. It moved a little. At least it wasn't wedged between two rocks.
    I slowly pulled it down, foot by foot. I wanted to coil it over my left shoulder, but to do this I had to take my left hand off the cliff momentarily for each coil. I pressed my right shoulder against the cliff and found I could still use my right hand to make each loop and keep my balance.
    It was tedious work and I was losing strength rapidly. In addition, although the rope was light, its weight changed my balance as I coiled more and more of it around my left shoulder.
    If I went too fast I would lose my balance. If I went too slowly I would lose my strength and then my balance. My leg trembled continuously now. My whole body was drenched in sweat.
    The last section of rope fell down the cliff and stopped just below me. I took hold of the rope a few feet from the end and maneuvered it behind my right shoulder. I planned to flip it over the rock that protruded above me with my right hand. Not too strong a flip or I would upset my delicate balance.
    I practiced my throwing motion several times. Then I did it for real. I kept my balance but I didn't throw hard enough. The rope didn't go over the rock. My jaw hurt and I realized I was gritting my teeth. I had to make another throw. Had to hang on a little longer. I pulled the rope back into position.
    Practice throwing motion. Again. Ready for the real throw. Now. Good strong throw. The rope went over the rock, the end came down the other side and swung toward me. I grabbed for it with my left hand and lost my balance.
    My feet came off the ledge just as I gripped the rope with my left hand. With my right hand I grabbed the section of rope coming down from the other side of the rock. I swung in mid-air, holding on to both pieces of rope with grips of desperation.
    For one awful moment I wondered whether the rock was going