,*APT] ,,XXIV

,! ,HI45 ,C;Y

  ,GA!R$ 2Y ! M\? (! TUNNEL1 F> 5 AWAY S
T ! W9D (! GRT BLA/ WD N B[L !M OV] L T5
P9S1 /OOD ,TOM ,SWIFT & 8 FRS4 ,9 8 H&
,TOM HELD ! BATT]Y BOX1 ! SETT+ (! SWIT*
9 : WD -PLETE ! ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT & SET
(F ! HUNDR$S ( P.DS ( EXPLOSIVE BURI$
DEEP 9 ! H>D ROCK4
  8,>E ALL ! M5 \80 ASK$ ! "Y 9V5TOR (
,TIM ,SULLIVAN1 :O _H *>GE ( ? IMPORTANT
MATT]4 ,TIM 0 9 SOLE *>GE Z =EMAN N[1
HAV+ PICK$ UP 5 (! ,9DIAN LANGUAGE 6GET
AL;G )\T AN 9T]PRET]4
  8,ALL \1 SOR10 ,TIM RESPOND$4 8,YEZ K9
FIRE :9 R1DY1 ,MR4 ,SWIFT40
  ,X 0 A PORT5T\S MO;T4 ,NO WOND] ,TOM
,SWIFT HESITAT$4 ,9 A S5SE HE & 8 FRS1 !
3TRACTORS1 _H /AK$ _! ALL ON A S+LE ?R[4
,IF ? BLA/ FAIL$ X 0 N LIKELY T ANO!R WD
SU3E$1 EV5 IF !R %D 2 "T 6PREP>E "O4
  ,! "T LIMIT _H ALM EXPIR$1 & "! 0 / A
HALF MILE ( H>D ROCK 2T ! LA/ H1D+ &!
F>!R 5D (! BIG TUNNEL4 ,IF ! BLA/ SU3E$$
5 ROCK MI<T 2 BR"\ D[N 65A# ! "W 6G ON1
0US+ A NI<T & "D %IFT ( M54 ,!N1 TOO1 "!
0 ! *.E T ! H>D /RATA ( ROCK WD -E 6AN
5D & S(T] /"O1 OR EASILY-DUG DIRT1 2
5C.T]$4

8,WELL1 WE MAY Z WELL H X OV] )10 SD
  ,TOM 9 A
L[ VOICE4 ,E "O 0 V QUIET--T5SELY QUIET4

,! "Y 9V5TOR LOOK$ UP 6SEE ,PROFESSOR
  ,BUMP]
OBS]V+ HM4

  8,:Y1 ,PROFESSOR60 ,TOM EXCLAIM$1 8,I
?"\ Y _H G"O (F 6! M.TA9S AG1 LOOK+ =!
LO/ C;Y40
  8,I AM GO+1 ,TOM1 V SOON4 ,I ?"\ ,I WD
/OP & SEE ! E6ECT ( YR BIG BLA/4 ,? IS
MY LA/ TRIP4 ,IF ,I D N F9D ! HI45 C;Y (
,PEL"O ? "T1 ,I AM GO+ 6GIVE UP40
  8,GIVE UP60 CRI$ ,MR4 ,DAMON4 8,B.S MY
F.TA9 P560
  8,OH1 N ALT10 W5T ON ! BALD-H1D$
SCI5TI/4 8,I M1N ,I W GIVE UP SE>*+ 9 ?
"P ( ,P]U1 & G ELSE":4 ,B ,I W N"E
-PLETELY GIVE UP ! SE>*1 = ,I AM SURE !
HI45 C;Y EXI/S "S": "U ^! M.TA9S10 & HE
LOOK$ (F T[>D ! SN[-COV]$ P1KS (! ,&ES4
  ,TOM LOOK$ AT ! BATT]Y BOX4 ,HE DREW A
L;G BR1?1 & SD3
  8,"H %E GOES60
  ,"! 0 A 3TRAC;N ( 8 H& Z HE PRESS$ !
SWIT* OV]1 & !N1 = P]H A HALF SECOND1
NO?+ HAPP5$4 ,J = AN 9/ANT ,TOM FE>$
"S?+ _H G"O WR;G T ! ELECTRIC CURR5T _H
FAIL$1 OR T ! WIRES _H 2COME 4CONNECT$--
P]H "? "S AC;N (! PLOTT+ RIVALS4
  ,& !N1 G5TLY AT F/1 B ) 9CR1S+ 9T5S;Y1
! SOLID GR.D ON : !Y 7 ALL /&+ SEEM$
6ROCK & SWAY1 6H1VE XF UP1 & !N S9K D[N4
  8,B.S MY--0 2GAN ,MR4 ,DAMON1 B HE GOT
NO FUR!R1 =A MI<TY GU/ ( W9D SWEPT \ (!
TUNNEL1 & BLEW (F 8 HAT4 ,T GU/ 0 B A
G5TLE BREEZE1 ?\<1 -P>$ 6:AT FOLL[$4 ,=
"! CAME S* A RU% ( AIR T X ALM BLEW OV]
^? /&+ NE> ! OP5+ (! GRT %AFT DRIV5 "U !
M.TA94 ,"! 0 A RO> Z ( ,NIAG>A1 A H[L+ Z
9 ! ,CAVE (! ,W9DS1 & !Y ALL B5T 6!
BLA/4
  ,!N FOLL[$ A DULL1 RUMBL+ RO>1 N Z L\D
Z MI<T H BE5 EXPECT$1 B AW;L 9 XS
9T5S;Y4 ,DEEP D[N "U ! V F.D,NS (! E>? X
SEEM$ 6RUM#4
  8,RUN6 ,RUN BACK60 CRI$ ,TOM ,SWIFT4
8,"!'S A BACK-DRAFT &! P[D] GAS IS
POISON\S4 ,/OOP D[N & RUN BACK60
  ,!Y "U/OOD :AT HE M1NT4 ,! VAPOR F !
P[D] 0 D1DLY IF BR1!D 9 A 3F9$ SPACE4
,EV5 9 ! OP5 X GAVE "O A T]RI# H1DA*E4
,& ,TOM CD SEE FLOAT+ \ (! TUNNEL ! F/
WISPS ( SMOKE F ! FIR$ EXPLOSIVE4 ,X 0
LI<T] ?AN AIR1 & WD RISE4 ,H;E !
NECESS;Y1 Z 9 A SMOKE-FILL$ ROOM1 (
KEEP+ L[ D[N ": ! AIR IS PUR]4
  ,!Y ALL RU%$ BACK1 /OOP+ L[4 ,MR4
,DAMON /UM#D &
FELL1 B ,KOKU PICK$ HM UP &1 TUCK+ HM "U
"O >M1 Z HE MI<T H D"O A *1 ! GIANT
FOLL[$ ,TOM 6A PLACE ( SAFETY4
  8,WELL1 ,TOM1 X W5T (F ALL "R10 SD
,MR4 ,JOB ,TITUS1 Z !Y /OOD AM;G ! %ACKS
(! "WM5 & WAT*$ ! SMOKE P\R+ \ (! TUNNEL
M\?4
8,YES1 X W5T (F4 ,B DID X D ! "W8 ,T'S
  :AT
WE'VE GOT 6F9D \40

  ,!Y WAIT$ IMPATI5TLY =! D1DLY VAPOR
6CLE> \ (! TUNNEL4 ,X 0 M ?AN AN H\R 2F
!Y D>$ V5TURE IN1 & !N X 0 ) SM>T+ EYES
& PUCK]$ ?ROATS4 ,B ! ATMOSPH]E 0 QKLY
CLE>+4
  8,SWIT* ON ! LI<TS10 CRI$ ,TOM 6,TIM1
=! ILLUM9AT+ CURR5T _H BE5 CUT (F :5 !
BLA/ 0 FIR$4 8,LET'S SEE :AT WE'VE BR"\
D[N40
  ,FOLL[+ ! EAG] "Y 9V5TOR CAME !
3TRACTORS1 "S (! :ITE "W]S1 ,MR4 ,DAMON
& ,PROFESSOR ,BUMP]4 ,! LL SCI5TI/ SD HE
WD L 6SEE ! E6ECT (! BIG BLA/4
  ,AL;G !Y /UM#D OV] PIECES ( ROCK1 L>GE
& SMALL4
  8,"S =CE 6X10 OBS]V$ ,JOB ,TITUS1 Z HE
OBS]V$ PIECES ( ROCK CLOSE 6! M\? (!
TUNNEL4 8,IF X ONLY EX]T$ ! =CE ! O!R
WAY1 AG/ ! FACE (! ROCK1 Z WELL Z BACK ?
WAY1 WE'LL 2 ALL "R40

8,! GRT] =CE 0 9 ! OPPOSITE DIREC;N10
  ,TOM
SD4

  ,A BIG SE>*-LI<T _H BE5 GOT R1DY 6FLA%
ON ! PLACE ": ! BLA/ _H BE5 SET (F4 ,? 0
65A# !M 6SEE H[ M* ROCK _H BE5 TORN
AWAY4 ,&1 Z !Y R1*$ ! PLACE ": ! FL9T-L
WALL _H BE51 !Y SAW A /RANGE SI<T4
  8,B.S MY /RAWB]RY %ORT-CAKE60 GASP$
,MR4 ,DAMON4 8,:AT A HOLE60

8,X IS A BOLE10 ADMITT$ ,TOM1 9 A L[
  VOICE4 8,A BI7]
HOLE ?AN ,I D>$ HOPE =40

  ,=A GRT CAVE1 SEEM+LY1 _H BE5 BL[N 9 !
FACE (! ROCK WALL T _H H9D]$ ! PROGRESS
(! TUNNEL4 ,A GRT BLACK VOID 3FRONT$ !M4

8,%IFT ! LI<T OV] ? WAY10 CALL$ ,TOM
  6,WALT]
,TITUS1 :O 0 OP]AT+ X4 8,I C'T SEE
  ANY?+40

  ,! GRT B1M ( LI<T FLA%$ 96! VOID1 & !N
A MURMUR ( AWE CAME F E ?ROAT4
  ,= "!1 REV1L$ 9 ! P[];L ELECTRICAL
RAYS1 0 :AT SEEM$ 6BE A L;G TUNNEL1 HI<
& WIDE1 Z SMOO? Z A PAV$ /REET4 ,& ON EI
SIDE ( X 7 :AT APPE>$ 6BE BUILD+S1 "S
L[1 O!RS TALL]4 ,&1 BRAN*+ (F F ! MA9
TUNNEL1 OR /REET1 7 O!R PASSAGES1 AL L9$
) BUILD+S1 "S ( : _H CRUM#D 6RU9S4
  8,B.S MY DIC;N>Y60 CRI$ ,MR4 ,DAMON4
8,:AT IS X80

,PROFESSOR ,BUMP] _H CRAWL$ =W>D OV] !
  MASS (
BROK5 ROCK4 ,HE GAZ$ Z IF FASC9AT$ AT
  :AT !
SE>*LI<T %[$1 & !N HE CRI$3

  8,I H F.D X6 ,I H F.D X6 ,! HI45 C;Y (
,PEL"O60





