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of scientific equipment. But Jim thinks we’ll be all right…so lead on.”
    The ground shook again and Staci grabbed Jim’s arm. “Are you sure that heading towards the volcano is a good idea?”
    “It’s the safest way, kiddo.”
    Staci frowned. “I don’t see how, but if you insist.”
    Jim took Deefer’s lead and they set off through the forest.
    The ground shook at regular intervals.
    Lou hated them because she lost her footing with each tremor.
    Staci was terrified, obvious by the way she stuck to her side.
    Jim may not seem bothered, but Lou knew him well enough to know he was disturbed. He was probably praying as he walked. Not that praying would do them any good. After all, it hadn’t so far.
    They walked until first light.
    Lou stopped. “Jim, that’s enough. I’m tired. My leg hurts. Staci’s exhausted. We have to stop.”
    Jim shook his head. “We need to keep going.”
    “You keep going.” She leaned against the tree, slowly sliding down it. “I need to rest.”
    “Fine. Two hours.”
    “And the rest. I can’t go any further. Deefer’ll keep watch in his sleep if we ask him to.”
    Ailsa looked around. “We should be all right here.”
    “Too bad if we’re not,” Lou muttered.
    “I’ll take first watch,” Jim said.
    The girls settled down. Staci and Ailsa were soon asleep.
    Deefer put his head on his paws and cocked an ear.
    Jim took out the logbook and plumped down on the ground next to Lou. “Budge up a bit, mate.”
    Lou shifted slightly so Jim could lean against the tree, too. “How’s it going?”
    He opened the book and began to write. “Slowly. I decided to number the days now,” he said. “I’ll put the date in, followed by day whatever to indicate how long we’ve been on the island. For example, today is November twentieth and day three.”
    “Sounds good to me, but really, only day three ? It seems so much longer than that, already. Are we really in no danger from the volcano?” she asked.
    Jim glanced over at her. “We can’t outrun it if we are. And at your pace we can’t cover more than half a mile a day. That isn’t a problem, before you say anything. I know we came looking for my parents, and I also know we’re now just as lost. But there is nothing I can do about that. We just have to pray that if the volcano does blow, the blast goes the other way and not towards us.”
    “But we’re not sharing that piece of information with Staci, I take it.”
    He shook his head. “That’s between you and me and the logbook. And we both know she doesn’t read it.”
    “OK.” The sun blazed down and the heat and humidity rose. Lou let her eyes slide shut.
    “Want some more painkiller stuff?”
    “Later. I’m exhausted now. Might just check my eyelids for holes for a few minutes.”
    ~*~
    As light dawned on their fifth day on the island, they reached the edge of the lava fields. The volcano towered above them, still about a mile away.
    Jim would have gone faster if he could. He was convinced he could see a faint jet of steam issuing from the crater, but he merely left a passing note in the logbook.
    He was more concerned about Lou—but he didn’t write anything about that in the logbook.
    What little color she’d had when they’d been shipwrecked had long since gone. She grew tired far quicker than anyone else, yet rarely seemed to sleep. And although she laughed and joked, the hollow look in her eyes was evidence that she was playing along and hiding pain. She wouldn’t talk about it, no matter how much he tried to draw her out.
    “We should be safe now,” Ailsa said. “They won’t follow us here.”
    Jim nodded. “OK, then. We rest here for the day.”
    Lou sank to the ground. “I don’t feel so good,” she said. The ground shook again and she half-heartedly tapped it with her fist. “I wish you would stop doing that.”
    As Jim made a fire, Staci and Ailsa made breakfast.
    Staci looked across at Lou. “She’s asleep.”
    “She ought to eat