Chapter EighteenThis time, Mariko's trip through the underground tunnels wasn't nearly so harrowing. The passages were still claustrophobic and convoluted, full of twists and sharp angles and drop-offs and cave-ins, but Folcrum set a humane pace and seemed genuinely considerate, unlike Nalo.
If Mariko slowed down or paused to rest, so did Folcrum. If she had to contort herself to squeeze through a tight space, Folcrum dug out the dirt walls around her as much as he could and talked to her to keep her calm. He never once left her alone in the pitch darkness to wonder if she had been abandoned to die.
That in itself made her happy that she had decided to go off with him. With each kindness that he demonstrated, she became more and more convinced that he wasn't leading her into a trap.
