He looks over his shoulder, down the long slope leading back toward the lake. There's a brief, dizzying second where the space seems too big, the whiteness stretching on to some infinite, unconfined point he'll never reach, and Curtis has to shut his eyes until he's sure it's passed.

When he opens them again, the view's much more manageable. Much more beautiful. He breathes in, taking a moment to settle the rest of his thoughts; then he turns back to Dejah with a smile.

"So you think this is the spot?"