The Missing Barbegazi

The Missing Barbegazi — page 7 — balance The binocular-strap jerked at her neck as she let go of them Tessa threw all her weight onto her left ski but it was sliding sideways toward the drop then stopped with a screech on a flat rock that was sticking out of the snow Tessa’s breaths came in sharp gulps She balanced on her left leg It shook with the effort Stupid Stupid Stupid How many times had Opa told her to watch out for overhangs after a storm Below her hovering right ski the bulk of snow she’d released was now tumbling down the mountainside gathering speed and volume and growing into a mini avalanche When she lowered her right leg only a narrow strip of the ski rested on solid ground She’d not slid far but her ski poles were beyond reach What could she do If she jumped the drop and landed on both feet she could ski down the steep slope She’d done it before with Opa Though not from this height Not with this much new snow And never alone Instead with the carefulness of a tightrope walker she shifted her weight to the right ski testing its hold on the rock It held In slow motion she lifted the left ski a tiny bit and pushed it left She balanced shifted her weight and continued lifting one ski at a time very slowly inching away from the edge When she had made it to the other side of her ski poles she collapsed on the snow sobbing Her whole body quivered Only now did she dare to think what might have happened if both her skis had been on the overhang After Tessa stopped shaking she hauled herself back to the 13

The Missing Barbegazi — page 8 — ski area By the barrier nets she paused and looked back at the outcrop Had she imagined the movement earlier or really seen a barbegazi As she turned round she collided with a tall man in a white ski outfit a white helmet and mirrored goggles who was pushing pushing through the gap in the nets He grabbed her arm Watch where you’re going he snarled his teeth gritted below a pale wispy mustache which was so thin it looked like a pair of frowning eyebrows Sorry Tessa wrenched her jacket out of his hold The man skied along the ridge past the breach Tessa had made in the overhang before he disappeared down the steep decline into the gully All in white How stupid No one would ever find him if he got caught in an avalanche 14

The Missing Barbegazi — page 9 — 2 Gawion Gawion was too hungry and too warm to wait for the avalanche any longer He left his sister below the most unstable-looking snow cornice and traversed the steep mountainside to their cave entrance After wrapping his long beard round his neck three times he dived down into the hole and propelled himself through the narrow snow tunnel His enormous foot got stuck when he forgot to twist it at a bend but two paddling kicks soon enlarged the tunnel and freed his foot He arrived home sliding on his belly Ahh it is awfully nice and chilly in here he said His eyes adjusted to the dim light and he hurried over to the huge chunk of glacier ice in the center of the cozy cave Pointing his feet outward outward he leaned his whole body against it to absorb the coldness Papa sat on a smaller cube of ice around the other side with Liel on his knees They both stretched their furry hands toward the blue ice Gawion had once sneaked down to the village after dark and seen humans sit in exactly the same way in front of flames

The Missing Barbegazi — page 10 — Next he lay down on his back and shuffled the soles of his long feet up to the glacier ice cooler Only the claws on the ends of his toes stuck out above it Gawion his mother screeched You have soiled my newly snowed floor Sorry Maman He began picking up the pine needles and moss that had come off his fur and dirtied the floor With a swish Maman swung her long beard over her shoulder shoulder so she would not stumble on it and marched back into the eating cave Gawion followed her hungry as always This smaller cave was closest to the rock face and the cascading icicles of a frozen waterfall decorated the back wall He threw the dirt into a crack between the snowy floor and the gleaming ice Gawion scooped a handful of snow out of the wall next to the waterfall his favorite flavor of snow inside the cluster of linked caves and stuffed it into his mouth The tiny crystals prickled his tongue He munched and sucked on them with loud smacking noises This snow had the delicious taste of a particularly icy snowstorm Are there any raspberries he asked Stop talking with your mouth full Maman sighed She looked tired and her eyes had a faint sun-colored tint around their sky-blue center We are out of raspberries You can have one blackberry She carefully removed the shard of ice in front of their berry store picked a large one from the tiny pile inside and popped it into his mouth Gawion savored it sucking on the hard frozen 16

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