Ant and Four 8 - Mountains Are Nice
by Winter

In the morning, a lot of Ant was still aching. His calves and his lower back made their presence known as he hauled his bleary-eyed self out of the couch and dragged it to the bathroom. A hot shower helped a little, and the water soaking his fur woke him up properly. Grooming afterwards made him aware that his arms were sore, all the way from shoulders to fingertips. It was unusual for him not to finish a brush-down, but he decided that the bits of him that would be covered by shirt and shorts, could wait until tomorrow.

There would be tangles, but right then, he didn't care.

The door opened just as he left the bathroom, and Four stepped in, greeting him with a smile and holding up a paper bag that smelled of... cinnamon rolls. Tailwags! As if on cue, Ant's stomach let hear a growl. He hurriedly tossed his towel into the laundry hamper and rummaged through his clothes drawer for something to wear.

* * * * * *

Ant was licking his lips occasionally as they walked through town, still tasting the sweet frosting. Lakeview was busier this morning. Not only were there plenty of cars on the main street, but the sidewalks were crowded as well. And everywhere, heads turned as he and Four walked by. Would this never end?

Four, who was poking at the datapad, seemed oblivious, but to Ant the attention was getting old. He pondered going back to New Mérida, or Laya, or any of the worlds they had spent time on. Some place where people already knew him, where he would feel more comfortable. But not yet. What would they miss out on? Ant still wanted to see the galaxy, he just wished he could do it without getting ogled.

"We could take the bus," Four said as they came to the square with the fountain. "It's a bit to walk."

"I'd like to walk," Ant said as he studied the jets of water. Part of him wanted to pounce them, try to catch them as they leapt back and forth. "I think my body needs to move, but not climb."

"We should have brought something for you to drink."

"Can you see any grocery stores?"

"There's one right up ahead." Four pocketed the datapad. "They should be open by now."

There was no jingling bell above this door, but the owner nevertheless appeared from a back room as soon as they entered. His jovial smile faltered when he laid eyes on them. Frowning, Ant went to the cooler and picked up two bottles of non-fizzy water, then a few apples from the grocery section. When he went to the cashier's desk to pay, he was met with a glare. The man took his coins and gave him a paper bag to put his things in, but he didn't say a word. Rather, he seemed relieved when they left.

"What's wrong with people in this town?" Ant muttered. "Most of them are friendly, but some look like wanna shoot me."

"I bet they're not used to strangers," Four said. "Not many people have seen talking wolves before."

"You keep saying that. It's annoying."

"Sorry."

"Not you, Four." Ant took his friend's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I meant that guy. And the lady yesterday. I still wanna learn how to climb, otherwise I'd like to leave."

"Caleb was nice. So were the rest of the people at Indoor Mountain."

"True. But you'd think people who live on tourist worlds would be a little more... open."

"Give them time."

"Not that guy." Ant huffed. "I'm not going in there again."

The two of them kept holding hands as they passed the side street that led to the climbing stores and gyms. Ant's tail wagged when he saw the fake bridge. He really liked it, and the illusion it created. Soon, the houses ended, and they walked alongside the lake. The sidewalk turned into a paved path, separate from the car road. Ant breathed in, enjoying the clean and clear air. Trees grew in clusters next to the lake shore, and they gave off a sharp smell. He made a mental note to find out what kind of trees they were.

The suspension bridge was even more impressive-looking up close. Ant let go of Four's hand and ran over to the railing. He leaned out as far as he could, watching the pylons disappear into the water. A salty smell filled his nostrils, and he realised that it was sea water underneath him. Looking back, he saw that they had left the lake behind, and that the bridge spanned an ocean bay. He glanced left and right but saw no cars, so he jumped the smaller railing that separated the walkway from the road, and ran across it.

"Aaant!"

Once he had cleared the roadside railing on the other side, he stopped, turned around and beckoned to Four. All he got in return was a head shake. Four pointed back the way they had come, and only then did Ant see the sign pointing to a tunnel passage. After a couple of minutes, Four appeared again, this time on the sea side of the bridge. By then, Ant was busy staring out over the vast body of water, stretching all the way to the horizon.

"I saw a boat," he said, tail still wagging. "It's gone now, you missed it."

"Ant, Ant." Four slipped an arm around Ant's waist. "What am I to do with you?"

"You could let me have an apple."

"You need to learn how to read signs."

"I can read, I just missed it. Did you go under the road?"

"Uh-huh," Four nodded. "There's art on the tunnel walls, it's really nice."

"Maybe I can see it on the way back."

"Here's your apple."

"Thanks." He took a large bite. "So, where does the road go?"

"Eww, don't spit apple juice on me! Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Sorry." Ant's tail drooped, and he gave his friend a sheepish smile. "I was looking at things. I'm not very good at paying attention when I get excited."

"There's another town about twelve kilometres that way." Four pointed along the coast. "They have cable cars, so we could see the mountains up close."

"I'd rather climb."

"Ant..."

"Don't worry, I'll be good." Ant leaned against his friend, and started poking his arm. "You're not angry with me, are you?"

"Ant..." The poking continued. "Ant, you know I... hey, no tickles! You know I can't be mad at you."

"'Cause you're my friend!" Ant grinned, and kissed Four's forehead. Leaving a mark of apple juice behind. "My best ever friend."

"I do think you're silly, though. Sometimes."

* * * * * *

Ant heard the cable cars long before he could see them. The whirr of strong electric motors, combined with other sounds he couldn't name. Metallic sounds, mechanical sounds. The excitement made him bounce, and Four let go of his hand. Taking that as permission, Ant rushed ahead. The path still followed the road, but now there were tall pines between the wolf and the mountains, blocking his view. Mildly annoying, but he could always watch the ocean. He had seen several boats, and something that looked like dark rainclouds. Four checked the datapad, just to make sure they weren't heading their way. All that was forgotten now, though, as Ant passed a couple of people out walking, and kept on jogging until he went round a bend. And halted with a gasp.

The forest ended abruptly, opening up a view of the tallest mountain Ant had ever seen with his own eyes. There were even clouds around its peak. Part of him wanted to climb up there right away, but he knew now that mountaineering wasn't quite as easy as he had envisioned. The town was little more than a village, made up mostly of single houses, with a couple of larger structures at its centre. Ant's tail, once more, began to wag.

He didn't really know what he had expected when it came to the cable cars. The picture he had found with the datapad showed a small train, scaling the side of a fairly steep hill. This, however, was a really large structure. The motor noise came from a square building, from which thick steel wires stretched up, and up, and up. Here and there along the way were tall poles, holding them aloft. Ant could count eight cars in all, blue bubble-shaped things that hung underneath the wires. Half of them were going up the mountain, the others were coming down. It looked like fun!

He was ready to take off running again, when Four caught up, panting slightly. The two of them stood there for a little while taking in the sight, and a few pictures.

Ant managed to calm himself down enough to walk into town. Mountainside, it was called. The name felt a bit silly to Ant, or maybe just lacking imagination. Still, it definitely fit. Where the mountain began to rise, the town rose with it, streets and houses climbing in layer upon layer. He really liked the look of it, and judging by his friend's wide smile, so did Four.

After a tour of the town centre, they stopped for an early lunch at a small café. Their arrival caused a minor commotion, but thankfully people settled down when Ant decided to have their meal to go. Instead they sat on a patch of grass underneath a large tree, in one corner of the square. It was a peaceful place, Ant thought. The air was clear, and smelled both of the mountain and the nearby ocean. The sun was warm, and there were butterflies going from flower to flower. If he hadn't been so eager to try the cable cars, Ant would have loved to take a nap.

The peace lasted for about half an hour. After that, people started streaming out of one of the larger houses facing the square. Most of them looked to be in their late teens or early twenties, and they carried books, papers, briefcases or datapads. Lines formed at food trucks, and the café filled up to burst. The sudden noise made Ant's ears twitch.

"They're students," Four said after looking at the datapad for a few seconds. "That building is a college, a school for young adults."

"Oh."

Ant's mood fell a bit. He had liked what he saw of Mountainside up until now, but a town full of teenagers was not somewhere he would like to stay very long. Memories of the gang that had accosted him and Four on Laya, still resurfaced in his mind too easily. Between that and the curious way some people glared at him, Ant would have been ready to leave this whole star system, if not for his climbing lessons. They finished their meal in silence, cleared away the trash, then made for the cable car station.

The ticket seller turned out to be one of the glarers, and took their money without so much as a word. Ant frowned. The old he would have caused a scene, but the now he followed Four deeper into the building, instead. He was getting soft. Thankfully, nobody waiting in line paid them much heed except for that initial double take. It took a good while, but in the end they joined a small group of people, and boarded one of the cars.

Ant sat down in one of the seats. His stomach did a flip as the car started moving with a jolt, and he took Four's hand. The ferry boy smiled at him, and gave him a squeeze as they left the ground. All around, the landscape came into wider view. Ahead loomed the grey rock wall of the mountain. Behind and to their right lay the ocean and the road back to Lakeview. To the left, more forest. However, Ant saw little of this. All his attention was focused down.

The car's floor was mostly clear glass. Or, well, whatever else see-through material it was. The ground quickly fell away, and Ant began to feel uneasy. He had completely forgotten his one and only ride in a Ferris Wheel, and how he hadn't felt very well during it. This was worse, and seeing the landscape through the floor made it doubly so. Then the car passed the first pole holding the wires up. There was a rattling noise, and the entire car shook. Ant let out a squeal, and felt close to panic for a second, before they settled into a smoother ride.

"First time going up?"

"Yes." Ant nodded, forcing his eyes to stop flicking back and forth. The one who had spoken was an elderly man, and his kind smile relaxed Ant a little. He didn't let go of Four's hand, though. "Is it really safe?"

"Very." The man chuckled. He nodded to the mountain. "I live up there, so I've been riding the cars more times than I can remember."

"It was so noisy."

"You'd better get used to it, my friend. That happens every time we pass a tower."

"Tower? Oh, you mean the pole things."

"Yes." The man smiled again, and Ant found that he liked his smile. "They are called towers, and the thing we're in is usually called a gondola."

"Why does it have a see-through floor?" Ant pouted. "I think I'd be fine otherwise."

"Not so good with heights?" Ant shook his head. "Try looking ahead, or at faraway things."

"Look there, Ant!" Four said excitedly, squeezing Ant's hand. "Beyond the Lakeview town. I can see me!"

"I can't see," Ant said as Four waved back the way they had come. "Your eyes are better than mine. I can barely see the town."

"See him?" the man asked. "I don't understand."

"I'm a proxy body," Four explained, pointing to the one purple lock in his blonde mop of hair. "The real me is a ferry, and I'm parked outside Lakeview. I blinked with my spotlights!"

"It's a long story," Ant said with a smile. "But it's true. Four is an electronic person."

"Well, I'll be." He laughed again, and nodded at Ant. "And I thought you were the strangest thing I'd see today."

"I'm a wolf," Ant proclaimed proudly, then let out another squeal as they passed one more tower. "And I'm not used to those things yet!"

The two boys kept talking to the man during the rest of their ascent. Other passengers joined in from time to time, and even though the entire ride took less than thirty minutes, Ant felt as if he had made a handful of new friends. The cable car gave one more rumbly scare as it entered another square building, then finally came to a stop. A woman wearing a blue uniform opened the door and let them out, but her smile faded as she spotted Ant. He didn't care, though. He was far too happy to feel solid ground underneath his feet.

* * * * * *

The village up here was a smaller copy of the one below, and Ant grinned as he saw a sign saying 'Welcome to Upper Mountainside'. The symmetry, as well as the silliness, really appealed to him. Other than that, there wasn't much to see. At least, not during this time of the year. According to the datapad, in the winter there would be slopes open for people to ski, or sled, or use plenty of other methods to surf on the snow.

Ant hadn't really minded falling off a surfboard when it was on water, but to fall going downhill on snow and ice... that would hurt.

His eyes went up, toward the peak of the mountain. It still seemed impossibly far away. Ant's body ached from one day of climbing practice. What would it feel like after going all the way up there? Another thought began to creep into his mind. What would happen to his fear of heights? That was one part of mountaineering he hadn't thought about at all.

Four had wandered off to look at the small village square, and Ant followed. The view of the ocean struck him, and he stopped to gather his breath. He found it absolutely beautiful. Sunlight twinkled at him from the water like a second sky of stars, catching in waves and currents and surfs. This was a place where he might like to stay a while. Only...

The closer he got to the square, where Four stood admiring several tall stone columns, the more he saw of the view down. The other side of the square opened to nothing. Just air and a long, long fall. True, there was a quite sturdy railing, but it did little to stop his stomach from lurching.

Going up a mountain had seemed such a good idea, down on the ground.

* * * * * *

It seemed to take forever, but in the end Ant made it over to the railing. He felt dizzy just looking out across the ocean, and whenever he glanced down he had half a mind to throw up. It was frustrating! Why was his own body doing this to him? Four stood by his side, and patted his arm every time a shudder went through him.

"It's okay, you know." His voice was soft, and it did soothe. A little. "Most people have something they're scared of, to some extent."

"Even you?"

"I'm not really people." Four leaned against him. "But I guess, if anything, I'm scared of having to go back."

"To the hospital station?"

"Partly. But also go back to being the old me. The one who just ferried people back and forth. I like my new life, with you."

"I gave you something to lose."

"Ant, no! You gave me something to have. A mind of my own, and a life of my own."

"So you finally agree with me," Ant said with a grin, as their eyes met. "That you are alive."

"No. Stubborn wolf." The tone was scalding, but Four did smile. "Just that I have a life. One I'm happy with."

"That's good." Ant realised that he felt a lot better when he was turning away from the abyss, and he lifted his eyes to the centre of the square. "So what are those about? The pillar things?"

"They've got the names of everyone who worked to build the towns, Mountainside and Upper Mountainside. Like a monument for their effort."

"That's nice. Does it say who came up with the names?"

"No. But I like the names."

"You get them immediately, I'll give 'em that."

"Should we go for a hike? I saw on the 'pad that there are trails with several levels of difficulty."

"Which one's the most trickiest?"

"The red one or the black one. Yellow and orange are not so bad, but I was thinking blue or green."

"I guess you're right." Ant sighed. "I have to deal with this fear of heights thing, or I'm gonna miss all of the fun."

* * * * * *

Ant huffed now and then as they set out on the green trail. Not being in full control of himself was still bothering him, and he had to resist an urge to show it by being snarky. That wouldn't do. Nothing about this was Four's fault, and taking it out on his friend would be dead wrong. So he kept his conversation civil, until he saw the red trail set off on a narrow shelf, down the steep side of the mountain. The black trail, conversely, ran almost straight up. The view from it would have been... Ant had to fight back a shiver just thinking about it. Instead, he gave Four a hug.

"Thank you."

"What for?" the boy giggled. "Do you want another apple?"

"Not yet. I'm just glad you're here, with me."

"Aww, you!" Four returned the hug. "Any special reason, or just my innate loveliness?"

"That, too." Ant chuckled, and poked his cheeky little friend. "But seriously, you make me a better Ant. The old me would have been out on the most difficult trail, wishing he wasn't."

"I know you want to push yourself, but off a cliff is maybe not the right way."

"I know that, now."

The green trail followed a mountain shelf that was wide enough for a motorcar, and had tall railings on the outside. Ant kept mostly to the sturdy cliff, but every now and then he braved the view when Four wanted to show him something. At one time a large sailboat, another time a sandy beach far below. That one, Ant only spared a glance, but he promised his excited friend they would check it out later.

After about half an hour's walk, the way ahead ended sharply. To Ant's relief, only to turn the side of the mountain. What awaited around the bend, took both their breaths away. Ant had thought forests only grew at ground level, but here one was! Granted, the trees weren't very tall, and they wouldn't hold for climbing. They were of a kind he had never seen before; smooth near-white trunks with darker splotches of rough bark. There were neither needles nor leaves, but when they got closer he could see the beginnings of buds.

Birches, Four proclaimed after consulting the datapad, handing it to Ant so he could see the pictures. Trees who liked high altitudes as well as cold. Before long they would be covered in bright green spring leaves. There were small birds hopping from branch to twig, curiously eyeing the newcomers. Ant, happy to move away from the railing, sauntered over to a narrow rill, which trickled down the mountainside in a series of small waterfalls, then passed through the forest until it finally fell off the cliff edge. Where it ended up, Ant didn't want to know. He was not going to lean over the railing to find out. Even from a distance he could smell how cold it was, and when he splashed across it, the chill made him gasp. Still, the water felt nice when he went back and stood in it. He had walked a lot that day, and his feet were a bit sore. A giggle made him turn around.

Four sat on the soft grass underneath a birch tree, and several birds hopped on the ground right next to him. A couple of them were playing with each other, or snapping at blades of grass, but most were gathered around Four. The boy reached out, and one flew up to perch in the palm of his hand, enticing more laughter. Ant smiled. Something inside him thought it would have been fun to dash over there and scatter the birds, but he resisted it. Instead, as quietly as he could, he raised the datapad and took picture after picture. Once one of the birds had taken the leap of faith, others followed. They picked at Four's shoes, sat on his shoulders, and one even got tangled in his sun-yellow hair. By then, Ant had switched to video. After a while, though, a shadow crossed the open space between the path and the forest, and the whole flock took flight. Ant looked up, and saw the tail of a larger bird as it disappeared behind a cliff.

"Oh, do you really have to go?" Four got to his feet, and waved into the air. "Bye! I'll miss you."

"You're amazing," Ant said in a hushed tone, as Four came over to join him. He stepped out of the rill, since his toes were beginning to feel numb. "All animals love you."

"They know I'm harmless." Four grinned, and winked at Ant. "All animals, huh. Does that include wolves?"

"One wolf, at least." Ant kissed his forehead, bringing out another clear peal of giggles. "You know you're my best ever friend."

"Yeah," Four sighed and leaned against his friend. Then he scrunched up his nose. "I love you too, Ant, but your wet footsies kinda stink."

A growl started up deep inside Ant's throat, and Four ran away with a squeal. He hid behind a tree trunk, and when Ant reached around it to catch him, he scurried over to another. After a couple of close calls, the chase became a game, and soon the two boys were running around the small forest, whooping and laughing to their hearts' content. Midday had given way to afternoon, by the time they collapsed on the spot where Four had met his bird friends.

"Who knew moving around could be so much fun?" Four panted. "Especially when you're not going anywhere. We were just running and running."

"That's the fun of it," Ant grinned. "We were like a pack of pups."

"You enjoyed it too, then?"

"Very much. I'm a happy wolf."

"Then I'm a happy robot." Four sat up. "It's getting kinda late, and there's still a few kilometres before we're back at Upper Mountainside. Maybe I should come and get us."

"I don't mind walking. Do you?"

"Not at all. I was just thinking, if it gets dark before we go down on the cable cars..."

"Maybe it'll be easier for me, if I can't see the ground." Ant frowned. "Then again, that might make it scarier."

"How 'bout we eat our apples and drink our water, then we go back to town and make up our minds there?"

"Sounds good to me."

"I can manoeuvre in the dark, so I can still pick us up any time."

After their shared snack, and after Ant had refilled the bottles from the rill, they reluctantly left the little forest. There was a tiny bridge where the path crossed the water, which was made to look like a miniature version of the fake one in Lakeview. A delighted Ant crossed it back and forth several times, while Four waited with a patient smile on his lips.

* * * * * *

The rest of the trail was pretty much a leisurely stroll, with one exception. They came to the north face of the mountain, and in the places where the sun couldn't shine, the two of them had their first close encounter with snow. There wasn't much, and for the most part it had frozen to ice. But just where the trail turned around there was a bit of open space that the wind hadn't reached, and the snow there was soft and powdery. When Ant stepped in it, he sank to his ankles. He grinned back at Four, handed him the backpack and the datapad, then he got down on all fours and started jumping around. Snow flew everywhere, and his jaws snapped at flakes that got too close. In the end he let himself fall on his back, gathered up as much snow as he could in his arms, and threw it into the air so it fell down on him. His tail drew patterns in the white; once again, he was a very happy wolf.

"Why don't you try it?" he asked while Four helped him brush off. "It was the best! If it wasn't so cold, I'd like to live in some place where there's lots of snow."

"No thanks. I don't want to end up an icicle."

"It's not that cold."

"Still. I like playing in sand better."

"How 'bout we go back to Indoor Mountain tomorrow, then the day after, we go to the beach?"

"Okay!"

The back half of the trail led down a gentle slope, onto a shelf below the one they had started out on. From this angle they could see the road back to Lakeview, and in the distance the pylons of the bay bridge stuck up over the treetops. Where he walked, close to the safe cliff, Ant could appreciate the view. As long as he didn't have too look straight down.

It was almost dark by the time they returned to Upper Mountainside, and Ant gratefully accepted when Four once more offered to collect them. The boy got a faraway look in his eyes, and now and then he leaned to one side or the other. Probably making a turn, Ant thought, smiling. It took a couple of minutes, but soon the little ferry landed in a quiet corner of the square. The two of them went inside, and as soon as the ramp was up and the door closed, they took off.

At that very moment, Ant wouldn't have minded if they left the Range behind and went anywhere else. They had passed three more glarers entering town, and for the life of him, Ant couldn't understand why. If it had been an overall hostile planet, then sure. They had been to a couple of those, even been forced to run away from angry people. But here only some glared, while the rest seemed... well, surprised to see him, sure, but generally friendly. He had promised Caleb to come back for more climbing lessons, though. And Four had had so much fun learning to become an obstacle warrior. It would be worth it to stay a few more days, surely.

Once the Fourtitude was back in its parking space, the two of them helped make a late supper. Four, who could easily download techniques and recipes from the datanet, was an excellent cook, and under his supervision Ant was becoming a passable sous chef. They made a fried rice salad, using up what few fresh vegetables they had left, and Four made a sour dressing which tickled Ant's tongue when he stole a taste. Of course, the ferry boy could only sample a few morsels, so Ant scarfed down most of it.

After a thorough shower together, followed by a tangled grooming for Ant, the boys tucked themselves in on the couch, and went to sleep.

* * * * * *

As every morning since their arrival, the sight of the mountains nearly took Ant's breath away as he stepped out onto the ramp. Scary though it may have been up there, with both feet on the ground he found the view beautiful. As he and Four walked through town, thankfully meeting no glarers, Ant wasn't sure if he were going to Indoor Mountain to keep on climbing, or to say goodbye. After all, why learn mountaineering skills if he weren't going to use them?

The fake bridge still amused him, though, and his tail wagged as he leaned over the railing. He wasn't sure why he enjoyed bridges so much. Maybe it was their rigid structure and the ingenuity that went into their construction, that spoke to the maker in him. He set his mind right then and there, to try and build a toy bridge, just large enough for his little tin cars to drive across. Leaving this particular bridge behind, he shared his thought with Four, and they spent a while bouncing ideas back and forth.

When they passed through the suburb, they saw no children this time. Maybe it was a school morning, or maybe the kids were sleeping in. Or, Ant thought sombrely, their parents kept them inside because he might come along. His mood did brighten when they reached the climbing district. A couple of food trucks were already open, so the two of them stopped for a light breakfast.

A little while later, they walked into Indoor Mountain again.

* * * * * *

Before the door had even closed behind Ant, he heard a shrill shriek, which was answered with a squeal from Four.

"Chee!"

The girl ran over to Four, and they danced around, hands on each other's shoulders. Chee was in her late teens, as far as Ant could tell, but she was no more than a couple of centimetres taller than Four. She had golden tanned skin, and her eyes were so dark they almost matched her short, jet black hair. In a way, she reminded him a little of Raeder, the captain of the Morning Calm. Only smaller, and female. As soon as she saw Four, her face lit up in a wide grin, and now the two of them disappeared towards the obstacle course.

Usually, Four asked Ant for permission before he did something, or at least sought his advice. It warmed Ant's heart to see his friend go off on his own, with not a thought back. Then his own muzzle found a grin, as Caleb came over.

"How's your feet? And your back?"

"Better, this morning. We spent yesterday hiking, and I kinda needed it."

"Everyone gets sore at first." Caleb glanced down at Ant's feet. "Forgot something?"

"I prefer walking barefoot," Ant said as he opened his backpack, and pulled out his climbing shoes. "I wanna get up there today!"

"I'm sure you will, my friend."

Before he let Ant hit the wall, Caleb showed him the gym. Side by side, the two of them warmed up by doing sit-ups, squats and jumps, then lifted some weights. To Ant's surprise, he didn't feel tired afterwards, but rather pumped-up and ready to go. He glanced over at the obstacle course, just in time to see Four have a try.

The ferry boy cleared the first obstacle easily enough; it was just a series of steps with a rubber foam pit underneath. Next, Four had to swing a rope across another pit, which he barely managed. For a second he stood on the edge of the other side, waving his arms like windmills before he found his balance. After that came something like looked like a climbing wall, but sideways. Four clung to the wall and moved slowly from foothold to foothold, and he almost made it. But the last step was longer, and he missed it. Falling didn't seem to faze him, though, because Ant heard his happy laughter from across the room.

Grinning and with fresh tailwags, he gave his friend a thumb up, before he followed Caleb over to the practice wall.

* * * * * *

It took most of the morning, before Ant finally managed to get his fingers over the top of the wall. He heaved himself up, then let out a shout of joy. From below he could hear applause, and when he glanced down he saw that everyone in the large room was looking at him. Feeling a bit sheepish, he waved at them, and blew a kiss to Four, who was bouncing up and down.

The wall wasn't tall enough to trigger his fear of heights, so he let himself fall off it. The harness tightened around him, and he was slowly lowered to the ground. Caleb clapped his shoulders, beaming happily.

"That was good," he said, then began hopping from foot to foot. "You're finding your point of balance, your centre of mass. That way you don't overreach and lose your grip."

"Thanks." Ant bumped fists with the young man. This, he had learned during the day, was a friendly greeting some humans used, especially younger males. Almost like a high five. First time someone tried it with him, he almost snarled at the person, before he came to his senses. "But I think that's it for today. I'm getting sore all over the place. We'll be back, though, but not tomorrow. I promised Four we'll go to the beach."

"Keep up like this," Caleb said, "and we might get you started outside in a few weeks' time."

"Really?" Ant's ears perked. "Like, real rock?"

"Real rock. No freeclimbing yet, though. You'll be wearing a harness for some time. And I won't let you go all the way up to the peaks."

"Fair enough." Ant nodded, and gave the man a sheepish grin. "I've kind of put that thought out of my head."

"How so?"

"Promise not to laugh, but I found out I'm afraid of heights."

Caleb did laugh. But it was a hearty chuckle, and Ant couldn't help but join in. He paid for a half-day of wall-climbing and obstacle training, then he and Four set off into town. This time, they did not pass the book store by.