"How in the world do you put up with it?"

Annja turned her face to the sun poking through the trees and shrugged. "It's not really a question of putting up with it. I don't have any control, so there's not a lot I can do except hold on tight and see where life takes me."

Jenny shook her head. "I don't mind telling you this now, but there was a time not so long ago that I really wished I had your life."

"And now?"

Jenny smiled. "Forget it. I'll take my stuffy old existence at the university any day of the week."

"I don't blame you," Annja said. "It's a lot nicer knowing that the crazy stuff is happening to someone else. I envy you in that regard."

"But not entirely."

Annja sighed. "You know, it's a weird thing. I crave the peace and security you enjoy but, at the same time, I guess that's just not my role in life. And sometimes I kind of like it that way."

"Sometimes?"

"Well," Annja said. "I could do without the hypothermia, nearly drowning, gun battles, knife fights, crazed fanatics and various other things that seem to conspire to kill me on a regular basis."

"You forgot the sword," Joey said. "What about that?"

"I don't know about that," Annja replied. "It's all part of the learning process. I'm never sure where it will take me or why. I'm not even sure of all it can and can't do."

Joey tested their clothes. "They're almost done drying."

"Good," Annja said. "Once they're dry, we can get dressed and head back to town. We need to find Sheila and see if we can figure out exactly what is happening around here."

Chapter 29.

It took just under an hour for them to completely dry out and feel stong enough to move on. Joey was a perfect gentleman and left to let Annja and Jenny get dressed, returning only after he was sure they were fully clothed.

Jenny glanced at the river. "It might take me a long time before I think about swimming again."

"Everyone should learn how to swim," Annja said. "You never know when you might find yourself in a raging river."

"Or trapped in an underground cavern," Joey said. "These things happen."

"Don't you have some orienteering to do?" Jenny asked. "Aren't you supposed to be finding us a way back to town?"

Joey shrugged. "Already did while you guys were getting dressed."

"How close are we?" Annja asked.

"Three miles as the crow flies," Joey said. "Not that far. We can cover it in an hour or so."

"Then lead the way. The sooner we get to Sheila, the sooner she can tell us what's going on."

"You really think she knows?" Jenny asked. "And if she does, why haven't they silenced her yet?"

"Maybe the crackpot thing is just a cover." Annja shrugged. "If she knows the heat is on, it might just be a convenient ruse she uses to deflect their attention."

"Yeah, but she's still implicating David. I wouldn't think he'd put up with that," Jenny said.

"If he killed her, then maybe he thinks that would make people a.s.sume Sheila was right," Joey said. "He can't afford to have the townspeople suspect that he's a bad guy. But if he brushes Sheila off as a nut, then no one will ever believe her."

"Except us," Annja said.

"Exactly," Jenny said.

Joey led them down a slope that looked mostly overgrown. He picked his way down the trail as if he'd walked it a thousand times. He probably has, Annja thought.

"This isn't one of the trails used by hikers, is it?" she said.

Joey shook his head. "Nope. This is used by some of the larger animals in the area. It's not really a trail, just a large run of sorts."

"It leads toward town?"

"In the general direction." He glanced back over his shoulder. "I haven't led you guys wrong yet, have I?"

"Not yet," Annja said. "Just don't start, okay?"

"Sure."

Jenny walked along next to Annja. "Is this going to be good for you?"

"What?"

"The walking? You should be resting. That explosion really took a toll on you."

Annja smiled and called out to Joey. "Hey, Joey?"

"Yeah?"

"You feel like carrying me all the way back to town on your shoulders?"

He laughed. "h.e.l.l, no."

Annja looked at Jenny. "That's me walking, then." "Everything we've been through could be doing physical damage to you," Jenny said.

Annja nodded. "You're not telling me anything I haven't thought of, Jenny. I appreciate it, but I don't have a choice right now. We need to get back to town and find Sheila. We can't sit around and wait for my batteries to recharge."

"So tell me what happens. Have you ever not been able to summon the sword?"

"Well, yeah, a few times. It seems not to operate in certain environments like small rooms and stuff. But I've also found it gives me a lot of strength, agility, reflexes, that kind of thing."

"So, like anything else, this...power, if you want to call it that, isn't limitless. There have got to be some parameters for usage. Even if you haven't discovered them all yet."

Annja sighed. "That's about right. I learn as I go."