"That's the expert climber?" Sarah whispered in disbelief. "A middle-aged human?"
"Appearances are deceptive, and he is not human," Tula said, pulling back to look at him. "Okidu is one of the seven Odus who served Princess Annani."
"The Odus?" Beulah's eyes widened, studying the pudgy, harmless-looking man with new interest. "I thought that they were destroyed along with the gods."
Tula shook her head. "They were not, but this is not the time to explain."
"But how is it possible that he's here?" Liliat asked.
"Ladies!" Yamanu lifted his hand. "I understand that you have many questions, and they'll all be answered when you're safely on the submarine. We shouldn't linger here more than absolutely necessary."
He turned to Tony, who'd gone even paler if that was possible. "Ready?"
"Not really."
"Perfect." Yamanu handed Okidu the harness.
The Odu helped Tony into it, checking each buckle and strap.
"You will be secured to me here, here, and here," Okidu explained, indicating the connection points. "You will also be clipped to the rope. The chance of both systems failing simultaneously is statistically insignificant."
"Statistically insignificant isn't zero," Tony pointed out.
"It is approximately 0.0003%."
"That's not helping," Tony murmured. "Not if I happen to be one of the three in a million."
Yamanu watched the ladies' faces as Okidu positioned Tony for the descent. Terror, fascination, and hope warred for dominance in their expressions. He hoped they would calm down when they saw how well it worked.
"Ladies, come closer," he instructed. "Watch the descent and see how secure it is."
They crept forward, though none came all the way to the edge.
Okidu turned his back to Tony. "Climb on."
It took some awkward maneuvering, but soon Tony was positioned on the Odu's back, secured by multiple straps and clips. He looked like an overgrown child getting a piggyback ride from a patient parent.
"Do not move more than necessary," Okidu instructed. "Stay as inert as possible."
"Inert is about all I can manage," Tony muttered.
Okidu moved to the cliff's edge with no more concern than he would exhibit if approaching a curb. He turned, gripped the rope, hooked what needed hooking, and began his descent.
To Tony's credit, he hadn't screamed or even whimpered. He'd remained utterly silent. Perhaps he was praying?
The ladies moved as close to the edge as they dared, watching as the Odu rappelled down the cliff face with Tony on his back.
"Dear Fates," Raviki breathed. "He makes it look easy, but I'm sure Tony is terrified."
"For Okidu, it is easy." Tula sat on the edge, her legs dangling over the drop, and looked down. She was a completely different female now that she was no longer saddled with crushing guilt. "He doesn't get tired, and he doesn't make mistakes. He's done this before. This is how Carol escaped."
What she wasn't telling them was that Okidu could make mistakes, or miscalculate, as had become glaringly evident when he'd fallen off the cliff during Carol's rescue. Miraculously, he'd hit water instead of rocks and had sunk to the bottom.
"Carol escaped?" Rolenna asked.
"She's not dead?" Liliat asked.
"Yes, she escaped, and no, she's not dead," Tula said. "She was rescued the same way we are being rescued now."
