This time, Ray waited for me instead of charging ahead. We moved through the narrow passage together, Ray's natural impatience balanced by my methodical approach.
The Chamber of Columns opened before us—a vast space filled with limestone formations stretching from floor to ceiling. Our headlamps couldn't reach the top, giving the impression that the columns extended infinitely upward.
"Let's be systematic," I suggested. "You take the left, I'll take the right, but stay within sight of each other."
"Fifteen minutes here, then we regroup," Ray agreed.
I moved more cautiously than Ray as I went in the opposite direction, testing each foothold before committing my weight. The passage narrowed dramatically, forcing me to turn sideways and shuffle through a gap that couldn’t have been more than eighteen inches wide. My shoulders scraped against the stone, and for a moment I felt the familiar flutter of claustrophobia.
“You okay over there?” Ray’s voice drifted toward me.
“Managing,” I said, as I slithered back out of the passage.
We searched methodically, calling out observations and confirming areas were clear.
“There are two ways to go from here,” I explained. “The Chamber of Pools to the right and the Echo Hall straight ahead.”
We considered both options together, weighing the possibilities.
“The map marks the straight path as the main route,” I pointed out. “But the pools would offer more hiding places.”
“Let’s try the pools first,” Ray suggested. “Ten minutes there, and if we don’t find anything, we go straight to Echo Hall.”
“Good plan,” I agreed.
This collaborative decision-making felt natural now, no longer the struggle it had been at the start of the race. We’d found our rhythm—Ray adding the decisive energy that moved us forward, me contributing the analytical perspective that kept us on track.
The Chamber of Pools was eerily beautiful—a series of terraced limestone pools filled with crystal-clear water that reflected our headlamps like mirrors. We searched systematically, checking each pool and the surrounding formations.
"There!" Ray pointed to one of the deeper pools where a small golden figurine glinted on the bottom.
I hurried over to where he knelt. The water was so clear that we could see to the bottom, where a small golden statuette of a traveler with a backpack and walking stick rested on a bed of white sand. "It's too deep to reach by hand," he said
“Let’s think this through,” I said. “There must be a tool or something we can use.”
Rather than dismissing my caution, Ray nodded and pulled his arm back. “Good call. Getting soaked now would just slow us down later.”
“You test the water temperature and depth while I look for other clues around the pool. Then we decide together whether it’s safe for you to retrieve that idol.”
“Teamwork instead of parallel play,” I said.
“Exactly.” Together, we fashioned a retrieval tool from my belt and Ray's carabiner. It took three attempts, but we managed to scoop the golden figurine from the pool—Ray's physical skill guided by my problem-solving approach.
"Perfect teamwork," Ray said as we headed back toward the entrance.
The return journey seemed to take forever, especially when we got turned around in the Column Chamber and lost precious minutes finding the correct exit. By the time we emerged into the sunlight, we were both sweating and breathing hard, despite the cool cave air.
The race official handed us our next direction card in exchange for the figurine.
"Needle in a Haystack," I read. "Return to the marked section of beach in Nice and search for the rock painted with both of your astrological symbols."
Ray groaned. "From caves to beaches. At least we're staying in France."
As we jogged toward our waiting taxi, I felt the satisfaction of a challenge completed through genuine partnership. We'd found our rhythm—not the old pattern of Ray charging ahead while I worried, but something new and collaborative.
"Not bad for a couple of middle-aged guys," Ray said as we climbed into the car.
"Not bad at all," I agreed. "Though I have a feeling finding painted rocks on a French beach is going to be harder than it sounds."
