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that Karl showed us on the map. It would be nice to know that we start walking tomorrow.’

‘Maybe you’re right,’ Kevin agreed.

The reddish cliffs encroached upon the riverbank. It was as if suddenly the river had no banks at all.

‘This must be it,’ Kevin declared. ‘Get ready. We should sight the island any minute now. When we do, you start rowing to the left as hard as you can. If we run into any serious trouble, jump overboard and swim for shore. This is starting to look like it must be the canyon.’

We were both on edge, alert. The current grew stronger. Where in hell was the island?

There was a large rock near the right-hand bank. We were swiftly being drawn toward it. To its left the riverbed dropped sharply, though it was impossible to see just how far. Nevertheless the water cascaded over the edge with a mighty roar. Maybe we could pass to the right of the rock, between it and the riverbank.

‘To the right, to the right! Harder, faster!’

I was rowing desperately with all my strength. I closed my eyes, and we rammed into the rock with tremendous force.

‘Are you all right, Yossi?’

Like me, Kevin was in the river, hanging on to the ropes of the raft. The water rushed past us on both sides, but the raft wasn’t moving. It was protruding from the river at a sixty-degree angle, stuck on a sandbar, riding up against the rock.