The morning had been overtaken by afternoon, and despite their speed — they’d been going for over two hours — Colin was sure they hadn’t travelled far. Most of that was Dougal’s fault. If he’d let Veronica take the lead, then they wouldn’t have had to stop so often, as they did now. But it wasn’t Dougal’s way, to let somebody else make the decisions. ‘Um, keep going through there.’‘It’s too thick.’‘Well around it then.’‘Which way around it?’The more Dougal let his impatience grow, the more Veronica seemed to pause over her decisions, as if it was a game they were playing. And enjoying it too, that much was plain, and seeing it made Colin happy. Happy that they should be together, all three of them. Happy and together. It should be possible, a thing like that. It had to be possible. ‘To the left. No, your left. We’re heading that way.’‘That’s taking us backwards.’‘It’s taking us to the cave.’ ‘There is no cave.’‘So why do you care which way we’re going then?’‘I don’t.
