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demonstrate.”
    Ellene lined her little doccy a few feet off the center of the flow heading into the gap. She back-paddled energetically, then when the rounded front of her craft was pointed dead on, she let out a whoop and plunged her paddle forward. The little doccy shot into the channel and was pulled along with alarming speed.
    Ellene deftly guided her passage with one, two strokes, then she was between the cliffs and sucked through to the other side. A joyful whistle floated back to them.
    Several more locals rode the water before O’Neill took his turn. He held position for long moments then launched with a hefty stroke of the paddle and a very loud ‘Yihaa!’.
    Teal’c watched, impressed, as O’Neill sped over the water and disappeared into the bay beyond. Soon only Jante and Teal’c remained.
    “Please proceed, Jante. I shall follow.”
    “Remember, if you get close to the rocks, don’t connect with them, it could overbalance the doccy .”
    Jante paddled off enthusiastically. Teal’c was left on his own to contemplate his new-found need for enjoyment.
    Well, he could not leave all the ‘fun’ to O’Neill.
    He took aim on the center of the race of water. It did appear higher against the cliff walls now than when Ellene had first embarked.
    The moment had come. Teal’c released his doccy to the tide’s grip. It surged ahead, quicker than expected. He could do little against the power of the water other than adjust his course with a nudge of the paddle. The cliffs loomed overhead. In a flash he was between them, ears assaulted by echoes of gurgling water. An eddy swirled in front of him, slewed him sideways. He dug into the water with the paddle, but his strength was insufficient. The nose of the doccy went down. Water flooded the hole in which he sat. Teal’c had time enough to gasp in one lungful of air then the doccy was sucked into a dizzying spiral and the water closed over his head.
    Teal’c kicked free from the sinking doccy , grateful O’Neill had advised him to remove his boots before embarking on this ill-advised adventure. The clarity of the water was remarkable. He clearly saw the protruding rock seconds before his shoulders impacted it. Symbiote-enhanced reflexes allowed him to grab it and stop his body spinning down into the depths.
    Resisting the urge to breathe, Teal’c instead forced the symbiote to provide his blood with oxygen. Peering up through the rushing sea, he spied several more rocks offering hand holds. He reached up and began to climb.
    Teal’c had not been long under the sea, but the first breath of air when he broke the surface was delightful. Cautiously, he hauled himself clear of the water, each shift of hand hold threatened to dump him back into the surge below.
    “Teal’c!”
    O’Neill — paddling furiously but ineffectively against the tide race — bobbed some distance away, frantically calling for him.
    Teal’c reached the base of the first tree growing on the side of the cliff. He tested its grip on the rocks, then pulled himself up and straddled the trunk. He relished a deep breath.
    “Teal’c! Teal’c!” O’Neill was becoming desperate.
    Teal’c stood, clambered further up into the trees and waved down at his friend and hosts. “O’Neill, I am here.”
    “Oh, for the love of Mike. You okay?”
    “I will be fine.”
    “You wanna jump? We’ll pull you in.”
    Teal’c felt his eyebrows rise. “I do not. I have had enough enjoyment for one day. I shall walk back to the village.”
    “What if you get lost?”
    He opened his mouth. Reconsidered his words and opted for, “I will not.”

    Once he had climbed to the top of the cliff, Teal’c was pleased to find his clothes drying in the midday sun. Picking a careful path through the forest, he headed around the cliff top, back to the bay — and his boots.
    When he finally had his boots back on, Teal’c sat in the sand and allowed himself to relax. He was never comfortable without footwear. One