Exhausted, Lloyd grinned and slowly rose to his feet. He helped Boyce up onto his and they put their packs back on and started up the cliff-face, gain. As it was Lloyd's experience in climbing a few times before, the second-half of the climb was a little easier for him. Boyce had also found the next part easier to scale, losing his hold only briefly, near the top. The skies were beginning to take on a purple-orange colour as the sun fell behind the clouds far on the western horizon. Summoning the rest of their strength they finally reached the flat summit. It wasn't until an hour passed, and the sunlight was gone, but for the dimness left over, that the two men stood on their feet and cleared an area on which to sleep. The skies were turning to black velvet, with the diamond stars covering every space and some galaxies were seen lingering far behind some brighter stars. Directly overhead, a galaxy of fingernail size seemed to slowly pass over as they both lay back and watched it. Meteorites streaked across the sky ever-so-often and Boyce told Lloyd that they were angels racing one another through the heavens. It was a clear and beautifully warm night, and a splendidly colourful borealis shined in the north-western sky. Neither one knew when they fell asleep, and neither one woke up until noon the next day, barely noticing that they were being baked by the sun. Every bone in their bodies cracked and there wasn't one muscle excluded from feeling the brunt of their climb. Nothing much was said between them while they ate. When they were through, however, Boyce praised God, and turned to Lloyd. "I just thought of something." he said and Lloyd waited, interest shining from his eyes. "We could have cut holes into the rock face with our lasers! The climb wouldn't have taken us half the time!" "I considered that before we started to climb." Lloyd admitted to Boyce. "Why didn't we, then?" "It would have been too simple and you would not have valued the skill of the climb if we made it without the hardship and sweat. Climbing this escarpment is much the same as striving for a goal in life -- you do understand what I am trying to say?" Lloyd finished. "Yes, Lloyd, I do! You are teaching me things that you haven't promised my father you would teach to me. Nevertheless, I am grateful." The two men spent the day on the escarpment looking at the land that stretched for miles on each side of the precipice, but their main interest was in the land that was set directly ahead. The Krolalin Mountain Range was before them, with the chain of desolate old mountains at the head of the Virgin Mountains. They sat on the southern part of the escarpment and stared at the awesome sight. It was a mammoth forest canopied by clouds.