Tirseng left the tent, and Annette began rolling up the bedrolls. She paused, went back to packing, then stopped again. She crawled to where Curioso sat and kissed him. She then pulled his forehead to hers and told him, "Chere, we are all worried. There is no shame in that, but this cannot go on. You say he haunts every footstep? What about for the rest of your life? Can you endure that shadow forever? I cannot."

She sat before him, and took his bandaged hands in hers. "Nevermind the frère, these are the only hands I want to be in, chere. If we fail at this, so be it. At least we fail together and I do not have to wonder if you are even alive? That was much worse than anything your brother could ever do to me. That fear is gone now for me, and I can breathe again"

Curioso left the tent, sitting in the guise of incapacity, while Annette packed the tent. The sherpa guard and Tirseng made short work of their packing and morning meal, and the small group made their way back down the trail. Annette took the lion's share of Tirseng's pack, and the little man wedged himself under Curioso's arm to 'help' him down the trail. The group traveled quietly, all lost in their own thoughts, as they made the slow trip back to Shangri-La.

After a short while, Annette drifted back to the two men, and traded Tirseng pack for pack. She slid under Curioso's arm and smiled at him. He fell heavily across her shoulders and she looked up at him in amazement.
"Chere," she grunted, "surely you can walk?"
He slyly grinned down at her "But, I thought we had to make this look good? I am supposed to be incapacitated, non?"
She lightly jabbed her elbow into his side "Si vous ne faites pas attention, you soon will be!"

They continued in silence until Annette spoke, "Chere, I was thinking.... I know, cachez les enfants... mais, what of what Thubten said? These five poisons of the buddhism? Could one of these be strong enough to give us an advantage?"
As she quickly explained her ordeal behind the waterfall, Curioso straightened at her side. Anger flashed across his face. Annette continued, "Sûrement, he is full of the anger. All of this is a delusion... prideful, oui...also he has the envy and desire, non? Which of these is dearest to his black heart? You know him best of all, which is our key?"