〃What do you mean？〃
〃I mean there is no airfield。〃
〃Is the plane going to put down in the fields？〃 Elliot asked。
〃No；〃 Ross said。 〃The plane is not going to put down at all。〃
〃Then how do we get down？〃 Elliot asked； but even as he asked the question； his stomach sank； because he knew the answer。
〃Amy will be fine；〃 Munro said cheerfully； cinching Elliot's straps tightly around his chest。 〃I gave her a shot of your Thoralen tranquilizer； and she'll be quite calm。 No problem at all； I'll keep a good grip on her。〃
〃Keep a good grip on her？〃 Elliot asked。
〃She's too small to fit a harness；〃 Munro said。 〃I'll have to carry her down。〃 Amy snored loudly； and drooled on Munro's shoulder。 He set Amy on the floor； she lay limply on her back； still snoring。
〃Now； then；〃 Munro said。 〃Your parafoil opens automatically。 You'll find you have lines in both hands； left and right。 Pull left to go left； right to go right； and…〃
〃What happens to her？〃 Elliot asked； pointing to Amy。
〃I'll take her。 Pay attention now。 If anything goes wrong； your reserve chute is here； on your chest。〃 He tapped a cloth bundle with a small black digital box； which read 4757。 〃That's your rate…of…fall altimeter。 Automatically pops your reserve chute if you hit thirty…six hundred feet and are still falling faster than two feet per second。 Nothing to worry about； whole thing's automatic。〃
Elliot was chilled； drenched in sweat。 〃What about landing？〃
〃Nothing to it；〃 Munro grinned。 〃You'll land automatically too。 Stay loose and relax； take the shock in the legs。 Equivalent of jumping off a ten…foot ledge。 You've done it a thousand times。〃
Behind him Elliot saw the open door； bright sunlight glacing into the plane。 The wind whipped and howled。 Kahega's men jumped in quick succession； one after another。 He glanced at Ross； who was ashen； her lower lip trembling as she gripped the doorway。
〃Karen； you're not going to go along with…〃
She jumped； disappearing into the sunlight。 Munro said； 〃You're next。〃
〃I've never jumped before；〃 Elliot said。
〃That's the best way。 You won't be frightened。〃
〃But I am frightened。〃
〃I can help you with that；〃 Munro said； and he pushed Elliot out of the plane。
Munro watched him fall away； his grin instantly gone。 Munro had adopted his hearty demeanor only for Elliot's benefit。 〃If a man has to do something dangerous；〃 he said later； 'it helps to be angry。 It's for his own protection； really。 Better he should hate someone than fall apart。 I wanted Elliot to hate me all the way down。〃
Munro understood the risks； The minute they left the aircraft； they also left civilization； and all the unquestioned assumptions of civilization。 They were jumping not only through the air； but through time； backward into a more primitive and dangerous way of life…the eternal realities of the Congo； which had existed for centuries before them。 〃Those were the facts of life；〃 Munro said； 〃but I didn't see any reason to worry the others before they jumped。 My job was to get those people into the Congo； not scare them to death。 There was plenty of time for that。〃
Elliot fell； scared to death。
His stomach jumped into his throat； and he tasted bile； the wind screamed around his ears and tugged at his hair； and the air was so cold…he was instantly chilled and shivering。 Below him the Barawana Forest lay spread across rolling hills。 He felt no appreciation for the beauty before him； and in fact he closed his eyes； for he was plummeting at hideous speed toward the ground。 But with his eyes shut he was more aware of the screaming wind。
Too much time had passed。 Obviously the parafoil （whatever the hell that was） was not going to open。 His life now depended on the parachute attached to his chest。 He clutched it； a small tight bundle near his churning stomach。 Then he pulled his hands away： he didn't want to interfere with its opening。 He dimly remembered that people had died that way； when they interfered with the opening of their parachute。
The screaming wind continued； his body rushed sickeningly downward。 Nothing was happening。 He felt the fierce wind tugging at his feet； whipping his trousers； flapping his
shirt against his arms。 Nothing was happening。 It had been at least three minutes since he'd jumped from the plane。 He dared not open his eyes； for fear of seeing the trees rushing up close as his body crashed downward toward them in his final seconds of conscious life。
He was going to throw up。
Bile dribbled from his mouth； but since he was falling head downward； the liquid ran up his chin to his neck and then inside his shirt。 It was freezing cold。 His shivering was being uncontrollable。
He snapped upright with a bone…twisting jolt。
For an instant he thought he had hit the ground； and then he realized that he was still descending through the air； but more slowly。 He opened his eyes and stared at pale blue sky。
He looked down； and was shocked to see that he was still thousands of feet from the earth。 Obviously he had only been falling a few seconds from the airplane above him… Looking up； he could not see the plane。 Directly overhead was a giant rectangular shape； with brilliant red； white； and blue stripes： the parafoil。 Finding it easier to look up than down； he studied the parafoil intently。 The leading edge was curved and puffy； the rear edge thin； fluttering in the breeze。 The parafoil looked very much like an airplane wing； with cords running down to his body。
He took a deep breath and looked down。 He was still very high over the landscape。 There was some fort in the slowness with which he was descending。 It was really rather peaceful。
And then he noticed he wasn't moving down； he was moving sideways。 He could see the other parafoils below； Kahega and his men and Ross； he tried to count them； and thought there were six； but he had difficulty concentrating。 He appeared to be moving laterally away from them。
He tugged on the lines in his left hand； and he felt his body twist as the parafoil moved； taking him to the left。
Not bad； he thought。
He pulled harder on the left cords； ignoring the fact that this seemed to make him move faster。 He tried to stay near the rectangles descending beneath him。 He heard the scream of the wind in his ears。 He looked up； hoping to see Munro； but all he could see was the stripes of his own parafoil。
He looked back down； and was astonished to find that the ground was a great deal closer。 In fact； it seemed to be rushing up to him at brutal speed。 He wondered where he had got the idea that he was drifting gently downward。 There was nothing gentle about his descent at all。 He saw the first of the parafoils crumple gently as Kahega touched ground； then the second； and the third。
It wouldn't be long before he landed。 He was approaching the level of the trees； but his lateral movement was very fast。 He realized that his left hand was rigidly pulling on the cords。 He released his grip； and his lateral movement ceased。 He drifted forward。
Two more parafoils crumpled on impact。 He looked back to see Kahega and his men； already down； gathering up the cloth。 They were all right； that was encouraging。
He was sliding right into a dense clump of trees。 He pulled his cords and twisted to the right； his whole body tilting。 He was moving very fast now。 The trees could not be avoided。 He was going to smash into them。 The branches seemed to reach up like fingers； grasping for him。
He closed his eyes； and felt the branches scratching at his face and body as he crashed down； knowing that any second he was going to hit； that he was going to hit the ground and roll… He never hit。
Everything became silent。 He felt himself bobbing up and down。 He opened his eyes and saw that he was swinging four feet above the ground。 His parafoil had caught in the trees。
He fumbled with his harness buckles； and fell out onto the earth。 As he picked himself up； Kahega and Ross came running over to ask if he was all right。
〃I'm fine；〃 Elliot said； and indeed he felt extraordinarily fine； more alive than he could ever remember feeling。 The next instant he fell over on rubber legs and promptly threw up。
Kahega laughed。 〃Wele to the Congo；〃 he said