She turned her face up to mine, and I forgot to speak. Suddenly my mouth was down on hers, hard, my arms crushing her against me. We clung like that for a dizzy moment, then broke apart.
"Snow," I gripped her wrists and held her there, staring at me. "Snow, darling, if we ever get out of this alive—"
"I know," she breathed. "I know, Jery. I love you!"
I kissed her again, gently, this time. Then we started off down the tunnel, away from Clatclit's light. I hoped he wasn't melted beyond repair. I knew, though, after that shattering exchange of affection with Snow, that I sure was!
Behind us the light vanished. I looked back, but could discern neither Clatclit, nor the rock bridge, nor the torrent.
"I guess we feel our way from here on in," I remarked.
"No," said Snow, halting close beside me. "There, up ahead, Jery! A light."
Together we moved down the tunnel. The light grew in intensity. Then we'd reached the lighted area. We were face to face with a peculiar red-bronze stone wall. No other tunnels led off from where we stood. There was no direction we could go from there except back toward that perilous underground cataract.
"Could we have come the wrong way?" Snow asked. "Maybe we missed a turnoff back there in the tunnel where it was darker."
"No," I said. "I had my hands feeling the walls all the way from the bridge onward, until we could see our way. This must be the right place."