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Show 113 An hour or so later, after breakfast at the Lift House, Parker and Kelly were in Little Cottonwood Canyon at the base of Cooper's Crack, spreading their gear on the hood of the pickup. After sorting out plenty of small stoppers, Parker shouldered the rope, bushy-haired Kelly gathered up the rack, and they took off hiking along the approach trail. By the time the sun was high enough to bless the granite wall with a little warmth, they were setting up the belay. First period would be over by now, Parker realized, and Simpson would be fuming: today was his judging deadline on the short stories and he wasn't even there. By now, too, Dyna would have discovered the dufflebag. Parker smiled happily. He was glad to be where he was. He wouldn't be thinking about Simpson or Dyna or anything else while he was climbing. The fear for his safety and his partner's was so absorbing it obliterated all other considerations; how he performed on the rock was all that mattered. Like a good strong decongestant-Nature's Own Remedy-climbing cleaned the worries right out of a person's head. For now, at least, he couldn't fret about the decisions he'd made the last twelve hours A little before three o'clock, Parker was back at Bonneville High, back in the world of real absurdities, but now his mind was clear. What Dyna had done, what he/d done, was plainly against the law, but judging himself by the standards of human decency, he felt exonerrated. Amazing what a good climb can do to a person's perspective!- Cruising down the hall behind his collector bin, Parker thought of a few teachers who could benefit hugely from an hour on Cooper's Crack. He chortled, imagining old Mr. Farnsworth climbing anything more strenuous than the stairs. Parker careened around the corner, paused to scoop up a discarded notebook, then pushed on past 112. He'd do Simpson's room last tonight, so he wouldn't have to explain why he was absent. Say, maybe I ought to clean her boards! She'd flip out if he cleaned her blackboards on Thursday. Suddenly, grinning, he knew that's what he wanted to do. |