"This is my first visit to Mad Mountain, as you must know. Let's have our lunch."
The four were seated at a table, and lunch was served.
"Perhaps we can help Julian with his calculations," said Milo.
"The overpass should be a hundred yards wide, in order to match the route. The span will also be at least a hundred yards, with a clearance of--how much clearance are you planning, Julian?"
"Really, I haven't given the matter serious thought."
"A clearance of forty feet will allow the banjees to march below without dipping their lances. If Julian designs his ramps with a six percent grade, each approach will be about seven hundred feet long. Julian, how many cubic yards of material do you think you will require for your ramps?"
"I haven't gone anywhere near that far in my thinking. An overpass may or may not be the optimum approach. I am here to discover if a practical solution exists."
Wayness spoke in a soothing voice.
"Don't let Milo's foolishness disturb you. You do your surveys and think and plan as much as you like, and we'll keep out of your way.
Glawen, what do you suggest for this afternoon?"
"We can walk up Mad Mountain. There are some interesting ruins along the way: a stone platform and what seems to have been a tower. Archaeologists think they were built by an extinct tribe of banjees. You'll also see some blue darters.
They pretend to be flowers so that they can catch insects.
Tourists who try to pick them run into trouble. First, the blue darter spits on them, then shrieks and finally throws off its decoration, curls up its tail and stings."
"Interesting. What else?"
"You'll probably see rock orchids with glass flowers and creeping arbutus, which moves about planting its own seeds.
Farynxes live up the mountain. They hunt in a most ingenious fashion. One hides in the bushes; the other lies on its back and exudes the odor of carrion which presently attracts a scavenger bird. The hidden farynx makes a quick leap and both dine on fowl."
"You still haven't told us why it's called Mad Mountain."
"The story doesn't amount to much. A crotchety old gentleman came tottering down the trail shouting, "The mountain is mad!" It seems that he had gone up to study the ruins. Along the way he picked a blue darter which spit into his beard, stung his hand, screamed and ran away. He sat down on a creeping arbutus, which squirmed out
from under him. He came upon what appeared to be a sick farynx,|3 about to be torn apart by a fine fat corbalbird.
From the kindness of|| his heart, the old man chased away the bird, and both farynxes jumped's at him and bit his leg.
He limped on up to the ruins and there he'H found a troupe of poets performing interpretive dances, and this is | when he lost touch with reality. He tottered back down the trail, and Mount Stephen Tose has been "Mad Mountain' ever since."
Milo looked at Wayness.
"Do you believe him?"
"I have no choice. But I'd like to see these marvels for myself."
"I've had my lunch and I'm ready at any time," said Milo.
"I'm ready," said Wayness.
"Let's go. Julian, we'll be back before too long. Certainly before dinner."
"Just a minute," said Julian.
"Glawen was assigned to me as an assistant. I may need him."
Glawen stared in astonishment.
"What's this? Am I hearing correctly?"
"You heard correctly," said Milo.
"Julian needs someone to run back and forth carrying the end of his tape measure."
Glawen shook his head: "I fly the aircraft and identify animals. I will even try to save Julian's life if and when he does something foolish. My duties extend no further."
Julian swung away with a set expression on his face. He went to the balustrade, looked out over the plain for a moment, then turned back to the others.
"I've seen all I need to see, at least for the moment."
"Come along, then, and walk up the mountain," said Wayness.
"That's a good idea," said Julian.
"Let me change into my walking gear; I'll just be a minute."
So passed the afternoon. With Syrene low in the sky the four returned down the mountain. They went to sit on the terrace, where they drank sun downers and watched Syrene descend into the far mountains.
