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"Go for it, Nevare Take a chance," Trist urged me in a whisper "If no one else crosses and we do, it "

I tried to look as if I hadn’t heard hi as I could and announced, "Sir, we are ready to cross!"

"Are you?" He looked at ain I had the ih out loud "Well, I’ve been waiting for this Nevare’s Patrol, cross!" He barked it out as an order

Spink, Oron, and I waded across the creek one final time We did not want to stress our creation any more than we must I suspected ould only be able to use it once before it gave way I only hoped the good god would favor us enough toTo that end, I lined up o first and Gord last I saw the decision register in Gord’s eyes, but as always, he said nothing about it

Spink went across lightly, al from board to board When he reached the opposite side, he sent the balance pole back to us as if it were a javelin Oron crossed next He was less graceful and slower As Caleb crossed, one of our crosspieces came loose and fell to the muck below We lost two more when Nate went across Kort crossed without incident When it cao ahead I had decided that I would go last My father had often told ate authority but not responsibility Ifan officer I’d do it right

And thus I stood on the hoive thee, and told Gord, "Go ahead It’s held so far We have to trust our work"

He nodded gravely to me Beads of sweat already stood out on his brow He took the balancing pole and stepped out onto the bridge

I should have sent hiht to est and all the steps were in place The other patrols had given up any effort to finish their constructions and had co There were muffled snickers as he started out, for the ropes creaked and stretched under his feet The bridge sagged sharply as he ventured further from the bank, and two of the crosspieces snapped off and flew as if flung froing it for a few days!" soo scarlet

"Keep your ht nod He went three more steps, four, five…On the opposite bank, our entire patrol was trying to stand on the end lines to help anchor the under ap in the footboards, made it to the next one, and then suddenly it turned under his weight He fell badly, sprawling across the ropes and then tipping off to land face-first in the ave a muffled cry as he hit, and I knew a jolt of fear that he had broken his back That pang was as sharp as e that we had failed Failed We’d be culled I knew it as clearly as I knew my own name And so I fulfilled my final task in my very brief career as an officer I scrabbled down the ain and waded out into the slime to see if my trooper was injured

When I reached Gord’s side, he had alreadydown his face He tried to wipe it off but only s, but in response towas broken I helped hilanced up at Captain Maw Thedown at us As I watched hilanced at the pocket watch he held flat in his palrasped it

"Get up the bank!" I shouted at him Gord looked at o back to our horabbed the back of his jacket and pulled at hiet our patrol across the creek That was the objective Not to build a bridgeTo cross the creek! "

I’d spoken my revelation aloud Suddenly all the other patrols saw it as clearly as I had They hesitated, still, for the filthy and cold water was a daunting barrier As they did, Gord started his heavy scrarass carabbed He slid back toward me Then Spink and Rory reached their hands down to clutch at his wrists I planted my shoulder in his ample backside and shoved as they heaved at him His feet slid in the mud, but he moved up, and then as the other cadets in my patrol seized his arms and pulled, he moved up the bank I heard one of the shoulder seaive and the pop of a button Thenand scrabbled up beside him We both reached the top of the opposite bank just as Maw held up his watch and called out, "Time! Stand where you are, Cadets"