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           ,A ,RAPID ,RECOV]Y

  ,,:5 ,I RETURN$ 6! 3SCI\S;S ( EXI/;E1
,I F.D MYF SURR.D$ 0A K9D (
SEMIOBSCUR;Y1 LY+ ON "S ?ICK & S(T
COV]LETS4 ,MY UNCLE 0 WAT*+- 8 EYES FIX$
9T5TLY ON MY C.T5.E1 A GRAVE EXPRES.N ON
8 FACE1 A TE> 9 8 EYE4 ,AT ! F/ SI< :
/RU7L$ F MY BOSOM1 HE TOOK HOLD ( MY H&4
,:5 HE SAW MY EYES OP5 & FIX !MVS ^UHIS1 HE UTT]$ A L\D CRY ( L\D CRY   #BCC
( JOY4 8,HE LIVES6 HE LIVES60
  8,YES1 MY GD UNCLE10 ,I :ISP]$4
  8,MY DE> BOY10 3T9U$ ! GRIM
,PROFESSOR1 CLASP+ ME 6HIS HE>T1 8Y >E
SAV$60
  ,I 0 DEEPLY & UNA6ECT$LY T\*$ 0! T"O 9
: ^! ^WS 7 UTT]$1 & EV5 M 0! K9DLY C>E :
A3OMPANI$ !M4 ,! ,PROFESSOR1 H["E1 0 "O
( ^? M5 :O M/ 2 SEV]ELY TRI$ 9 ORD]
69DUCE ANY 4PLAY ( A6EC;N OR G5TLE
EMO;N4 ,AT ? MO;T \R FR ,HANS1 ! GUIDE1
JO9$ U4 ,HE SAW MY H& 9 T ( MY UNCLE1 &
,I V5TURE 6SAY T1 TACITURN Z HE WAS1 8
EYES B1M$ ) LIVELY SATISFAC;N4
  8,GOD DAG10 HE SD4
  8,GD "D1 ,HANS1 GD "D10 ,I REPLI$1 9 Z
HE>TY A T"O Z ,I CD ASSUME1 8& N[1
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ELSE40
  8,TM1 ,H>RY1 TM10 HE REPLI$4 8,TD Y >E
F> TOO W1K4 ,YR H1D IS SURR.D$ ) B&AGES
& P\LTICES T M/ N 2 T\*$4 ,SLEEP1 MY
BOY1 SLEEP1 & TM Y W "K ALL T YREQUIRE40                           #BCD
  8,B10 ,I CRI$1 LET ME "K :AT O'C X IS-
:AT "D X IS80
  8,X IS N[ ELEV5 O'C AT NI<T1 & ? IS
ONCE M ,SUN"D4 ,X IS N[ ! N9? (! MON? (
,AUGU/4 ,& ,I 4T9CTLY PROHIBIT Y F ASK+
ANY M "QS UNTIL ! T5? (! SAME40
  ,I WAS1 IF ! TRU? 7 TOLD1 V W1K 9DE$1
& MY EYES SOON CLOS$ 9VOLUNT>ILY4 ,I DID
REQUIRE A GD NI<T'S RE/1 & ,I W5T (F
REFLECT+ AT ! LA/ MO;T T MY P]IL\S
ADV5TURE 9 ! 9T]IOR (! E>?1 9 TOTAL
D>K;S1 _H LA/$ F\R "DS6
  ,ON ! MORN+ (! NEXT "D1 AT MY AWAK5+1
,I 2GAN 6LOOK >.D ME4 ,MY SLEEP+ PLACE1
MADE ( ALL \R TRAVEL+ B$D+1 0 9 A *>M+
GROTTO1 ADORN$ ) MAGNIFIC5T /ALAGMITES1
GLITT]+ 9 ALL ! COLORS (! RA9B[1 ! FLOOR
( S(T & SILV]Y S&4
  ,A DIM OBSCUR;Y PREVAIL$4 ,NO TOR*1 NO
LAMP 0 LI<T$1 & YET C]TA9 UNEXPLA9$ B1MS
( LI<T P5ETRAT$ F )\T1 & MADE _! WAY "?
! OP5+ (! B1UTI;L GROTTO4
  ,I1 MOREOV]1 HE>D A VAGUE & 9DEF9ITE
MURMUR1 L ! EBB & FL[ ( WAVES ^U A /R&1& "S"TS ,I V]ILY 2LIEV$ ,I CD HE>   #BCE
! SI<+ (! W9D4
  ,I 2GAN 62LIEVE T1 9/1D ( 2+ AWAKE1 ,I
M/ 2 DR1M+4 ,SURELY MY BRA9 _H N BE5
A6ECT$ 0MY FALL1 & ALL T O3URR$ DUR+ !
LA/ TW5TY-F\R H\RS 0 N ! FR5ZI$ VI.NS (
MAD;S8 ,& YET AF "S REFLEC;N1 A TRIAL (
MY FACULTIES1 ,I CAME 6! 3CLU.N T ,I CD
N 2 MISTAK54 ,EYES & E>S CD N SURELY BO?
DCV ME4
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6MYF1 8: HAS P5ETRAT$ "? "S MI<TY
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MURMUR ( WAVES1 ? UNMISTAKA# MOAN+ (!
SALT-SEA BILL[S8 ,I C HE>1 TOO1 PLA9LY
5\<1 ! :I/L+ (! W9D4 ,B C ,I 2 ALT
MISTAK58 ,IF MY UNCLE1 DUR+ MY ILL;S1
HAS B C>RI$ ME BACK 6! SURFACE (! E>?6
,HAS HE1 ON MY A3.T1 GIV5 UP 8 WONDR\S
EXP$I;N1 OR 9 "S /RANGE MANN] HAS X -E
6AN 5D80
  ,I 0 PUZZL+ MY BRA9 OV] ^! & O!R "QS1
:5 ! ,PROFESSOR JO9$ ME4
  8,GD "D1 ,H>RY10 HE CRI$ 9 A JOY\S
T"O4 8,I FANCY Y >E Q WELL40  8,I AM V M* BETT]10 ,I REPLI$1    #BCF
ACTU,Y SITT+ UP 9 MY B$4
  8,I KNEW T WD 2 ! 5D ( X1 Z Y SLEPT
BO? S.DLY & TRANQUILLY4 ,HANS & ,I H EA*
TAK5 TURN 6WAT*1 & E H\R WE H SE5 VISI#
SIGNS ( AMELIOR,N40
  8,Y M/ 2 "R1 ,UNCLE10 0 MY REPLY1 8=
,I FEEL Z IF ,I CD D JU/ICE 6ANY M1L Y
CD PUT 2F ME40
  8,Y % EAT1 MY BOY1 Y % EAT4 ,! FEV]
HAS LEFT Y4 ,\R EXCELL5T FR ,HANS HAS
RU2$ YR W.DS & BRUISES ) ,I "K N :AT
O9T;T1 ( : ! ,ICEL&]S AL"O POSSESS !
SECRET4 ,& !Y H H1L$ YR BRUISES 9 ! MO/
M>VEL\S MANN]4 ,AH1 HE'S A WISE FELL[ IS
,MA/] ,HANS40
  ,:ILE HE 0 SP1K+1 MY UNCLE 0 PLAC+ 2F
ME S"EAL >TICLES ( FOOD1 :1 DESPITE 8
E>NE/ 9JUNC;NS1 ,I R1DILY DEV\R$4 ,Z
SOON Z ! F/ RAGE ( HUNG] 0 APP1S$1 ,I
OV]:ELM$ HM ) "QS1 6: HE N[ NO L;G]
HESITAT$ 6GIVE ANSW]S4
  ,I !N LE>N$1 =! F/ "T1 T MY
PROVID5TIAL FALL _H BR"\ ME 6! BOTTOM (
AN ALM P]P5DICUL> GALL]Y4 ,Z ,I CAMED[N1 AMID/ A P]FECT %[] ( /"OS1 !   #BCG
L1/ ( : FALL+ ON ME WD H CRU%$ ME 6D1?1
!Y CAME 6! 3CLU.N T ,I _H C>RI$ ) ME AN
5TIRE 4LOCAT$ ROCK4 ,RID+ Z X 7 ON ?
T]RI# *>IOT1 ,I 0 CA/ H1DL;G 96MY
UNCLE'S >MS4 ,& 96!M ,I FELL1 9S5SI# &
COV]$ ) BLOOD4
  8,X IS 9DE$ A MIRACLE10 0 !
,PROFESSOR'S F9AL REM>K1 8T Y 7 N KILL$
A ?\S& "TS OV]4 ,B LET U TAKE C>E N"E
6SEP>ATE2 = SURELY WE %D RISK N"E MEET+
AG40
  8,LET U TAKE C>E N"E AG 6SEP>ATE40
  ,^! ^WS FELL )A SORT ( *ILL ^U MY
HE>T4 ,! J\RNEY1 !N1 0 N OV]4 ,I LOOK$
AT MY UNCLE ) SURPRISE & A/ONI%;T4 ,MY
UNCLE1 AF AN 9/ANT'S EXAM9,N ( MY
C.T5.E1 SD3 8,:AT IS ! MATT]1 ,H>RY80
  8,I WANT 6ASK Y A V S]I\S "Q4 ,Y SAY T
,I AM ALL "R 9 H1L?80
  8,C]TA9LY Y >E40
  8,& ALL MY LIMBS >E S.D & CAPA# ( NEW
EX];N80 ,I ASK$4
  8,MO/ UND\BT$LY40
  8,B :AT AB MY H1D80 0 MY NEXT ANXI\S"Q4                                 #BCH
  8,WELL1 YR H1D1 EXCEPT T Y H "O OR TWO
3TU.NS1 IS EXACTLY ": X "\ 6BE- ON YR
%\LD]S10 SD MY UNCLE1 LAU<+4
  8,WELL1 MY [N OP9ION IS T MY H1D IS N
EXACTLY "R4 ,9 FACT1 ,I 2LIEVE MYF
SLI<TLY DELIRI\S40
  8,:AT MAKES Y ?9K S80
  8,I W EXPLA9 :Y ,I FANCY ,I H LO/ MY
S5SES10 ,I CRI$4 8,H WE N RETURN$ 6!
SURFACE ( ,"M ,E>?80
  8,C]TA9LY N40
  8,!N TRULY ,I M/ 2 MAD1 = D ,I N SEE !
LI<T ( "D8 D ,I N HE> ! :I/L+ (! W9D8 &
C ,I N 4T+UI% ! WA% (A GRT SEA80
  8,& T IS ALL T MAKES Y UNEASY80 SD MY
UNCLE1 )A SMILE4
  8,C Y EXPLA980
  8,I W N MAKE ANY ATTEMPT 6EXPLA92 =!
:OLE MATT] IS UTT]LY 9EXPLICA#4 ,B Y %
SEE & JUDGE = YRF4 ,Y W !N F9D T
GEOLOGICAL SCI;E IS Z YET 9 XS 9FANCY- &
T WE >E DOOM$ 65LI<T5 ! _W40
  8,LET U ADV.E1 !N10 ,I CRI$ EAG]LY1 NO
L;G] A# 6RE/RA9 MY CURIOS;Y4  8,WAIT A MO;T1 MY DE> ,H>RY10     #BCI
HE RESPOND$2 8Y M/ TAKE PRECAU;NS AF YR
ILL;S 2F GO+ 96! OP5 AIR40
  8,! OP5 AIR80
  8,YES1 MY BOY4 ,I H 6W>N Y T ! W9D IS
R VIOL5T- & ,I H NO WI% = Y 6EXPOSE YRF
)\T NEC PRECAU;NS40
  8,B ,I BEG 6ASSURE Y T ,I AM P]FECTLY
RECOV]$ F MY ILL;S40
  8,H J A LL PATI;E1 MY BOY4 ,A RELAPSE
WD 2 9CONV5I5T 6ALL "PIES4 ,WE H NO "T
6LOSE- Z \R APPROA*+ SEA VOYAGE MAY 2 (
L;G DUR,N40
  8,SEA VOYAGE80 ,I CRI$1 M 2WILD]$ ?AN
"E4
  8,YES4 ,Y M/ TAKE ANO!R "D'S RE/1 & WE
% 2 R1DY 6G ON BO>D 0TM10 REPLI$ MY
UNCLE1 )A PECULI> SMILE4
  8,G ON BO>D60 ,! ^WS UTT]LY A/ONI%$
ME4
  ,G ON BO>D- :AT & H[8 ,_H WE -E ^U A
RIV]1 A LAKE1 _H WE 4COV]$ "S 9L& SEA8
,0 A VESSEL LY+ AT AN*OR 9 "S "P (!
9T]IOR (! E>?8
  ,MY CURIOS;Y 0 "W$ UP 6! V HI<E/ PIT*4,MY UNCLE MADE VA9 ATTEMPTS         #BDJ
6RE/RA9 ME4 ,:5 AT LA/1 H["E1 HE 4COV]$
T MY FEV]I% IMPATI;E WD D M H>M ?AN GD-
& T ! SATISFAC;N ( MY WI%ES CD AL"O
RE/ORE ME 6A CALM /ATE ( M9D- HE GAVE
WAY4
  ,I DRESS$ MYF RAPIDLY- & !N TAK+ !
PRECAU;N 6PL1SE MY UNCLE1 ( WRAPP+ MYF 9
"O (! COV]LETS1 ,I RU%$ \ (! GROTTO4