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〃Did you hear them e back during the night？〃 McKee said。
〃No。 I didn't hear anything。 But we don't even know if they left。 Maybe just one climbed down。〃
The Big Navajo said he had to leave；〃 McKee said。 〃And he said he might not be back until tonight。 If Eddie didn't stay up here on the ledge； we'll try to find a way off。〃
Miss Leon looked skeptical。
〃e on；〃 McKee said。 〃The Hopis lived here long enough to rebuild part of this place and they didn't like being in places where they could be boxed in。 There's a good enough chance that they had some sort of escape route off the cliff。 They always had a hidden way out if they could。〃
There was another alternative。 If they found no way off the cliff； he could try to keep Eddie and the Indian from climbing back up。 He might surprise them； catch them on the ladder…defenseless from a rock dropped from above。 With surprise it might work。 But there was a rifle in the Land…Rover。 They would be good with it…probably very good。
〃But what if Eddie stayed up here？〃 Ellen said。 〃I'll bet he did。〃
〃I don't know；〃 McKee said。 〃Just let's hope he didn't。〃
He tried to make his grin reassuring without much success。 He was thinking of the way Eddie handled the pistol。 For the first time it occurred to him exactly what his problem might be。 He might have to find a way to kill a man。 He turned away from the thought。
Outside the hole he stood tensely； listening。 The ravens had flown away now and the only sound was the morning wind and the faint whistling of a horned lark on the canyon rim high above him。 The Hopis had repaired this room； too。 He could tell from the remnants of plaster。 But a slab of stone had fallen from the cliff； crashing through the roof and tumbling much of the east wall outward。 Denied this support and protection； the roof had collapsed and centuries of wind had drifted a hump of sand and dust against what remained of the wall。 Over this hump； McKee surveyed what he could see of the east end of the ruins。
The shelf gradually narrowed to the east。 From what he remembered seeing yesterday from the canyon bottom； this entire east end was filled with ruined walls； ending just short of the point where a structural fault split the canyon wall from floor to rim。 That would be the place to look for an escape route。 That narrow chimney would be the only possible way up。 The thought of it made his stomach knot。 As a graduate student； he had climbed down such a slot to reach a cliff house at Mesa Verde； and the memory of it was an unpleasant mixture of fear and vertigo。
He climbed cautiously over the rubble of the exterior wall at the edge of the shelf and looked down into the canyon。 The Land…Rover was not in sight。 That should mean the Navajo had not returned from wherever his business had taken him。 Nor was there any sign of Eddie。 That meant nothing。 Eddie might be sleeping below him in any of a thousand invisible places。 Or Eddie might be only a few yards away on the cliff。
Here the Anasazis had crowded their building almost to the edge of the cliff； leaving along the lip of the precipice a narrow walkway； which was now buried under debris。 McKee moved along it gingerly； keeping as close as the fallen rocks would allow to the wall of the storeroom。 At the corner； behind a water…starved growth of juniper； he stopped。
When he looked around the corner； Eddie would be standing there。 Eddie would have the pistol in his hand and would…without any change of expression…shoot him in the head。 McKee thought about it for a moment。 Eddie might look faintly apologetic； as he had when he had introduced himself at the Land…Rover。 But he would pull the trigger。
McKee stood with his back pressed against the stones and looked out across the canyon。 It was almost full dawn now。 Light from the sun； barely below the horizon； reflected a reddish light from a cloud formation somewhere to the east onto the tops of the opposite cliffs。 A pi？on jay exploded out of a juniper across the canyon in a flurry of black and white。 He heard the ravens again； far up the canyon now。 It was a beautiful morning。
McKee leaned forward and looked around the wall。
Eddie was not in sight。 The stretched tarp was there； and the stove； and other equipment。 Both sleeping bags were gone。 So was the ladder。 McKee felt himself relaxing。 Eddie must have climbed down and left them alone on the shelf。
McKee was suddenly aware that he would be plainly visible from below。 He moved back behind the juniper and stood； thinking it through。 He glanced at his watch。 Five A。M。 Then he heard Eddie whistling。
Eddie walked around the jumble of fallen rock at the west end of the shelf； not fifty feet away。 He was carrying his bedroll under his right arm and his coat slung over his left shoulder…whistling something that sounded familiar。 He dumped the bedroll； folded the coat neatly across an outcrop of sandstone； and squatted beside the stove。
McKee stared numbly through the juniper。 Of course the Big Navajo had left nothing at all to luck。 He had taken the ladder but left the guard behind。
Eddie was bing his hair。 His shoulder holster； with the pistol in it； was strapped over his vest。 About twenty yards away； McKee guessed。 He could cover maybe ten yards before Eddie saw him； and another five before Eddie could get the pistol out； and then Eddie would shoot him as many times as were necessary。
The first plan McKee considered as he worked his way slowly back along the cliff edge involved waiting in ambush at the corner of the storeroom until Eddie mounted the ladder to bring them their breakfast。 He imagined himself sprinting the fifteen feet before Eddie； encumbered with food； could draw the pistol； knocking the ladder from under him and triumphantly disarming him。
It might work…if Eddie brought them breakfast。 There was no reason to believe he would。 Much more likely he would first check on his prisoners with pistol in hand。
The second plan； even more fleeting； involved having Miss Leon raise a clamor…perhaps shouting that he was sick。 This would probably bring Eddie up the ladder to look in the hole in the storehouse roof。 But he would e cautiously and suspiciously。 The third plan survived a little longer because…if it worked…it did not involve facing Eddie's pistol。 He and Miss Leon would work their way…unmissed and unheard…to the east end of the shelf。 There they would find the Hopi escape route in the chimney and would climb to freedom。 It was a pleasant idea and utterly impractical。 It was far from likely that Ellen could make the climb and impossible for anyone to make it without noise。 McKee considered for a moment how it would feel to be hanging on handholds a hundred feet up the chimney with Eddie standing below aiming at him。 He hurriedly considered other possibilities。
One involved finding a hiding place back in the ruins and waiting in ambush； rock in hand； for Eddie to e hunting for him。 The flaw in this one was easy to see。 There would be no reason for Eddie to hunt。 He would simply wait for the Navajo to return； believing there was no way off the cliff。
It would be necessary to make Eddie e after him。
McKee dropped on his stomach at the crawl hole。
〃I'm right here；〃 Ellen whispered。 〃I heard him whistling。 Did he see you？〃
〃No；〃 McKee said。 〃He's cooking breakfast。〃
〃You know what；〃 Ellen said。 〃I said it would take a magician to get out of this room。 You're a magician。〃
〃Um…m。 Look…make sure your watch is wound；〃 McKee said。 〃I want you to wait thirty minutes and then e out here and make some sort of noise。 Knock a rock off the wall or some thing to attract him。 But don't run。 Don't give him any reason to shoot。〃
〃What are you going to do？〃 Her whisper was so faint he could hardly hear it。
〃Remember。 When he es； give up right away。 Put your hands up。 And tell him I'm climbing up the escapeway back where the cliff is split at the east end of the ruins。 Tell him I'm going for the police。〃
〃Is there really a place you can climb out？〃
〃I don't know yet；〃 McKee said。 〃The idea is to get the jump on him。〃
〃There isn't any place。 He's going to kill you。〃 She made it a flat statement。
If Ellen said anything else； McKee didn't hear it。
〃Ellen；〃 he whispered。 〃Do you understand what to do？〃
〃Yes。 I guess I do。 But is thirty minutes enough？〃
McKee thought about it。 Every minute that passed might bring Eddie checking。 Or it might bring the Big Navajo back。 He was suddenly acutely conscious that he was probably setting the time limit on his life。
〃I think thirty minutes；〃 he said。
It was eight minutes more than Eddie allowed him。
It had taken very little time to defeat his hopes that the ruins would offer a point of ambush。 Along the narrow pathway which followed the lip of the shelf； the walls were too crumbled to provide a place of concealment from which he could attack。 Under the cliff itself the ruins were better preserved…some still standing in two stories…but they offered only a hiding place； no place from which to launch an attack。 At the end of the shelf； where a massive geologic fault had shifted the earth's crust eons ago and split the cliff； there was no effective cover at all。 McKee edged his way carefully past the dwelling's final crumbled corner。
Here the path was buried under tumbled stones。 A misstep meant a plunge into the crevasse left by the fault。
McKee looked at his watch。 He had used thirteen minutes and acplished nothing。 Here at its mouth the crevasse was about fifteen feet across。 Beyond it the shelf continued。 It was slightly lower and after a few yards tapered away to nothing。
From where he stood it was impossible to see what the crevasse in the cliff offered。 The Anasazis had built their structure to the very base of the cliff wall。 The exterior wall had fallen outward over the precipice； but the spreading limbs of pi？on screened the narrow opening。
He moved carefully over what remained of partition walls； pausing once to look down into the crack。 The split was sheer； and although the narrow slot was partly filled with broken slabs of rock flaked off the walls above； it was much too far to jump。
McKee hurt his hand again climbing what remained of the back wall。 He had forgotten the finger for a moment in the overpowering need to know if the crevasse held some possibility for him； and had shifted his weight to it。 He was still sick with the pain when he lowered himself into the darkness behind the wall。 A minute ticked away as he sat in the dust； holding his hand stiffly in front of him； letting the throbbing diminish and his eyes adjust to the darkness。 What he saw both disappointed and encouraged him。
There was no natural pathway into the crevasse as he had hoped。 The shelf did not extend into it。 But the Anasazis had cut foot and hand holds into the sandstone； making it possible for a person to work his way back into the slot。 Somewhere back in the darkness where the crack narrowed； where a man could brace himself between the opposing walls； there would be a way to the top。 If he could dispose of Eddie； he could make it。 But what about Eddie？
McKee studied his position。 There were two ways into this dark cul…de…sac where he now sat between wall and crevasse…over the crumbled wall as he had e； or by pushing past the out…thrusting branches of the pi？on。 Eddie would probably e over the wall for exactly the same reason he had done so。 The pi？on had angled outward toward the sunlight。 One could force his way past it； but bending by the heavy branches would require a tightrope walk along the very lip of the crevasse。 Not knowing where McKee would be； Eddie wasn't likely to risk that。 He would choose the wall。
McKee thought about it。 If Eddie came over the wall fast…moving from the bright morning light on the shelf into this darkness…then there would be a chance。 But that wasn't likely to happen。 Eddie would be taking no risks。 He would climb the tumbled rocks of the wall slowly； pistol ready。 He would pause at the top； studying the gloom。 And； if he did； McKee would be a mouse in a trap。
He tested the extending main branch of the pi？on。 If he could pull it back enough and tie it to something； the route past the tree would be inviting。 He could use his shirt as a rope； and tie one end well out o