Using the wall as leverage, I scrapped the blob back down to the pointy end of the sword, then hooked the sword into my pack, so it hung point down.  Trying not to think of slimy death crawling up the blade towards me, I got a purchase on the wall and, after taking a moment to shake my arm out, began to climb again.

My goal this time was to get to the row of spikes before I got eaten.  Since I’d already done this climb once and was pretty well motivated, but was staring to get tired, this was a fair challenge.  I was aiming for Steve’s overalls, still providing safe passage through the spikes.

Its hard to climb whilst keeping one eye on a passenger that is determined to eat you, but if the alternative is to fall or get eaten that’s surprisingly motivating.  I had a couple of close calls where my climbing caused the sword to swing, bringing the little blob dangerously close.

In relatively good time I was back by the spikes and, again, I used the cover of Steve’s overalls to help me squeeze past the spikes.

Now it was time to part ways with my passenger.  I had avoided naming the blob; it wasn’t my friend or a pet.  It was probably doing its best to eat me, so I needed to treat it with care.
It was with such care that I scraped the blob onto the end of one of the spikes, clos to where I’d climbed through.  This was the cunning part of the plan, or possibly the part that caused it all to come undone.  All being well, the blob would make its squishy way up the spike and then run into Steve’s overalls which it would hopefully proceed to eat.  Next it would have a go at my rope.  I was covering my tracks, but at the cost of an additional risk.  If the blob was quicker than I though and ate my rope while I was still climbing and I happened to slip of the wall, I’d have nothing to halt my fall.  If it ate the coveralls and I fell, I’d have to use my backpack to get past the spikes and I would have to abandon my gear.  If what I suspected was waiting above, I was going to need it.

Gertrude was fast approaching and the blob was eating into my time as it crawled up the spike.

I had better get on with it.