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And we did, panting and bedraggled "We’re the only ones," Nate whispered I moved only my eyes to confirm that what he said was so We were the only patrol to have reached the opposite bank The reotten my patrol across I waited to hear what Maould say to us I needed to hear that we had done well

"Cadets Gather up your gear and tools, and return the supply for the sciences building After that, you are dis holiday"

We looked at one another, trying to decide what his words meant The patrol of Skeltzin Hall first-years looked devastated The two old noble patrols looked apprehensive Had they failed? As he walked away, Maw called over his shoulder, "Marks for this exercise will be posted on my door in three days Cadet Burvelle, see me in my office After you have cleaned yourself up, of course"

And so my triuathering up their e that had proven so frail for crossing was quite tenacious e tried to take it down I said little as I didit It was cold and dirty work, and a thankless task I had to cli boards that had fallen When I cli forover his shoulder The others had already taken their share of the mess and carried it off I pushed down a rueful smile; my "command" had not even waited to be dismissed by me

Gord and I spoke little as alked back to Carneston House As we drew closer to the steps, he said, "I’ holiday My uncle’s fae near Lake Foror It’s frozen by now, and there will be skating"

"I hope you have a good time," I said without interest I wondered if I should have accepted my uncle’s invitation, then decided that a holiday with Epiny and ht be more stressful than one spent alone I now felt little inclination to go into toith the other cadets I felt I’d failed them

"I could take your uniforood job at cleaning things"

He didn’t look at me as he made this offer, and for a moment I didn’t knohat to reply He took my silence for surliness, I think, for he then said, "I want to apologize, Nevare I broke the bridge with ood order"

My jaw dropped and I stared at him It had never occurred to me to blame anyone but e would work for us After most of the patrol was across, I realized I should have sent you first, when it was most intact But at the tiet the most men across first"

"And in a battle or patrol situation, you would have been right You’ve a good instinct for command, Nevare"

"Thank you," I said aardly And then, even ested me for leader today?"

He uilt He blushed suddenly, his cheeks turning a hot red, and then said, "No I’d no idea that you could pull it off I…was following an order, Nevare Fro today, but last week, as ere leaving the classroom, he pulled me aside and said, ‘A tiroups and choose a leader When that tiest Cadet Nevare Burvelle Do that, and I’ll overlook the hash you n mark for today’ I, well, I didn’t knohat else to say except, ‘Yes, sir’ And today, when he told the patrols to select leaders, he looked right at et it," I said quietly What Gord had toldbut I couldn’t quite understand why "I don’t knohy he wanted you to do that Did he think I’d be a failure, as I was, and that he could cull us all? Don’t look so horrified, Gord You had to do it He gave you an order But I wish…" I halted my oords, not sure what I wished I was suddenly certain that neither Trist nor Spink would have seen the answer to Maw’s riddle If, indeed, it had been a riddle I shook my head "I was so certain that I’d deduced what today’s test was all about That the objective was to get the patrol across the ditch, not to build a bridge"

"I think you were right As soon as you said it, I was sure you were right It made so much sense to me; if we had come across an obstacle like that on a real patrol, would we stop and build a bridge or just find a way across it?"