"We must go," Azuki cried, rushing out of the cave's big storage chamber into the smaller living quarters.

"Now," she cried, dodging into the porch and out the tiny passage that formed a door, tripping onto the ground at Yuta-sensei's feet. Suddenly conscious that there might be watchers, she rolled into the proper kneeling position and bowed deeply, her forehead nearly touching the ground. "Sensei, I have information for you," she said.

"We have to go!" Shota landed on ...