He circled too far and probably would have kept going if he hadn’t run smack into a familiar-looking rock wall. Though around here, every zhang-damn rock was beginning to look the same. He followed the escarpment eastward and sure enough, it came out at the waterfall. He gave his head a shake, glad his auto-tutor hadn’t seen that gaffe. He’d never known a computer program so capable of sarcasm. Fumbling around in the bushes made him lose precious time. He couldn’t stay away too much longer for fear of amplifying her suspicion. The closer he drew to the clearing, the more care he took placing his steps, sticking to the hard-packed soil and rock, avoiding the crunch of foliage. He scanned the vicinity until he found an ideal observation spot: two large rocks, boulders half as tall as he was, surrounded by brush. There would be just enough space to wiggle between them and crouch down, completely camouflaged, and still be able to see into their camp.
