Day Seven Hundred Forty Six #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Lung parted from our little band this morning. He made one last attempt to persuade Mei to return with him. But she was adamant about remaining with us.

Lung accepted her decision at the last, and even offered to report that she had perished back at the glacier.

I, however, suggested he merely report that they had been separated and that he had no knowledge where she was.

I believe he understood the gist of my comment, and hope to trust in his discretion. Though I have a nagging doubt where Lung is concerned.

Mei spent the day with the Captain. He had a lot to share about Tomas.

I went out with our young friend for a long conversation.

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Day Seven Hundred Forty Five #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Waited all day for an opportunity to talk to Tomas alone. I would have accompanied him on one of his jaunts, but didn’t want to leave Elijah and the Captain without my support. Lung has been outwardly calm, yet I can tell agitation is festering just below the surface. Every step is taking us further and further away from his unit. If only he would talk to Elijah again. Lung has been avoiding him ever since the glacier.

Thankfully, Tomas brought word of another path branching off this one. He is certain it will take Lung back down. If not to the lake, at least to the desert.

I also decided to put off my talk with Tomas until tomorrow.

Day Seven Hundred Forty Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Lung was continually on the lookout for another way down. Elijah assigned the Captain to stay by his side and save him from any rash action.

This has been made easier by the loss of both soldiers’ weapons back on the glacier. I judge we would not have been able to do so otherwise.

Elijah has kept Mei to himself all day. They have remained aloof, keeping their conversation only to themselves. Though I know for sure what they are discussing by her attention to Tomas each time he returns from his scouting.

I believe it will fall to me to talk to Tomas. Certain things he will have to do in the future require that he forgo others now.

Day Seven Hundred Forty Three #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We finally relented, and allowed Lung to go back down the trail, accompanied by Tomas. They reported that the trail was washed out by the force of the water from the glacier.  And that a huge chunk of the glacier had cascaded down to a lower elevation.

Still, Lung desires to get back to his unit with this intelligence. And to see if any of the runoff has made its way down to the lake.

Elijah advised him to continue on with us until another way down can be found.

At the same time, Mei let it be known that she does not want to return.

This caught Lung completely by surprise.

We put further discussion aside and continued on.

Day Seven Hundred Forty Two #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

When we reached Mei, Lung estimated that she had slipped deeper into the crevasse since his absence.

We could see the problem right off. Her wedged backpack was pulling her down, even as the crack opened more.

Tomas wasted no time and descended to her. An agony of minutes passed before he could free her from the dead weight. But as soon as he did, we pulled them both up.

We had no respite to savor the moment, for Mei urged us to depart immediately. That whole section of the glacier she felt was in danger of collapse.

So we ended up back with Elijah and the Captain today.

We had to restrain Lung from returning back down the mountain.

Day Seven Hundred Forty #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Lung and Mei parted company from us midday. I thought I detected a little reluctance on the part of Mei to do so.

As I thought, their destination was the glacier on this mountain. They will survey the feasibilities of getting the water locked within, down the mountain to their tanker trucks.

The Captain told me that he saw a flamethrower in the pack that Lung was carrying. He lamented to me that he hoped that they knew what they were doing.

We kept on our way with frequent backward glances. And soon we could no longer make out the figures of our former companions trekking up the mountain, for our trail took us around and down the other side.

Day Seven Hundred Thirty Nine #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

By the time we went into camp last night, the view of our surroundings was cut off by a thick fog. Or they may have been clouds, given our elevation.

This morning, whether it was clouds or fog, they had all dissipated under the gaze of the rising sun. And we could then see the lake winking at us far below.

The way ahead was more difficult, narrowing down to a mere track. Beside us water splashed down the rock bed of the ever present brook.

I looked ahead and could see Tomas stopped on a precipice. And guessed the destination our army companions.

Flashes of white behind Tomas drew my eye to a glacier on the next mountain peak.