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Show -39- Sandy was ashamed, for she knew none of this would have happened if she had obeyed Verus and gone down the path. "How could you tell which way was the right way to go?" she asked. "Do you see that ring of high peaks on the horizon to the right?" "Yes." "Those are the Cliff Mountains. They are the highest in the Inner Mountains, and they form the edge of the cliffs surrounding Sol Vallis. See how the clouds hug those peaks? On the outside, there are no clouds and sunshine streaks down into the valley, as I told you in the bubble." "Have we come very far?" "Yes, we have come quite a distance," answered Verus. "But we still have a long journey ahead of us." Sandy climbed back down to the ledge .and started down the steep mountain trail. It narrowed considerably as she descended, and soon disappeared altogether. Many crags and boulders blocked her way and it seemed impossible to go any farther. As she climbed around a particularly rough crag, she saw - a slide! It was wide and smooth, formed out of the rock of the mountain. Holding tightly to a tree stump, Sandy gingerly stepped onto the slide and sat down. She loosened hej- hold on the stump and plunged straight down the mountain side. In no time at all, she reached the bottom and fell right into a large pond. She swam to shore, took off her wet clothes and stretched them out to dry. It didn't take long, for the air was quite warm. |