
    ,,*APT] ,,XV -- ,,! ,,L&SLIDE
  ,GA!R$ AB ! "Y 9V5TOR1 ! ?REE M5 LOOK$
AT ! W>N+4 ,! WRIT+ 0 POOR1 & X 0 EVID5T
T AN ATTEMPT _H BE5 MADE 64GUISE X4 ,B
"! 0 NO MISSPELL+ ( ^WS1 & "! 7 NO
RUDELY DRAWN DA7]S1 OR BLOODY H&S OR
ANY?+ ( T SORT4 ,9 FACT1 X 0 A V BUSI;S-
L SORT ( W>N+4
  8,R ODD10 -;T$ ,MR4 ,J5KS4 8,BLACK
PAP] & :ITE 9K40
  8,:ITE 9K IS EASY 5 6MAKE10 /AT$ ,MR4
,P>K]4 8,I FANCY !Y WANT$ X Z 3SPICU\S Z
POSSI#40
  8,YES10 AGRE$ ,TOM1 8& ? W>N+1 TGR )!
ANTICS (! ?+ 9 :ITE LA/ NI<T1 %[S T !Y
>E AW>E ( \R PRES;E "H1 & P]H "K :O WE
>E4 ,WE W H 6BE ON \R GU>D40
  8,D Y ?9K T FELL[ ,MUNSON1 :OM WE LEFT
9 ! =E/1 CD H GOTT5 "H & W>N$ !M80 ASK$
,MR4 ,DAMON4
  8,X'S POSSI#10 ADMITT$ ,TOM1 8B N[
LET'S SEE IF ! P]SON :O P9N$ ? W>N+ ON
\R T5T TOOK ANY ( \R ?+S40
  ,A HA/Y EXAM9,N1 H["E1 %[$ T NO?+ _H
BE5 4TURB$1 & ,TOM & ,MR4 ,DAMON 7 SOON
GETT+ SUPP] R1DY1 "EY"O TALK+1 DUR+ !
PROGRESS (! M1L1 AB ! EV5TS (! "D1 &! R
WEIRD CULM9,N ( X4
  8,WELL1 WE HAV5'T _H A GRT D1L (
SU3ESS--S F>10 ADMITT$ ,TOM1 Z !Y SAT AB
! FIRE1 9 ! FA/ GA!R+ DUSK4 8,I ?9K1
P]H1 WE'D BETT] TRY ON ! O!R SIDE (!
M.TA9 TM4 ,WE'VE EXPLOR$ ? SIDE PRETTY
?OR\<LY40
  8,GD IDEA10 -;T$ ,MR4 ,J5KS4 8,WE'LL D
X1 & MOVE \R CAMP4 ,I ONLY HOPE ^?
FELL[S DON'T F9D \R AIR%IP & DE/ROY X4
,WE'LL H A H>D "T GETT+ BACK 6CIVILIZ,N
AG1 IF WE H 6WALK ALL ! WAY40
  ,? 3T+5CY CAUS$ ,TOM "S UNEASI;S4 ,HE
DID N L 6?9K T ! UNSCRUPUL\S M5 MI<T
DAMAGE ! ,R$ ,CL\D1 T _H BE5 BUILT ONLY
AF H>D LABOR4 ,B HE KNEW HE CD A3OMPLI%
NO?+ 0WORRY+1 & HE TRI$ 64MISS ! MATT] F
8 M9D4
  ,!Y R EXPECT$ 6SEE ! ?+ 9 :ITE AG T
NI<T1 B X DID N APPE>1 & MORN+ CAME )\T
ANY?+ HAV+ 4TURB$ _! H1VY SLEEP1 = !Y 7
TIR$ F ! "D'S TRAMP4
  ,X TOOK !M ! GRT] "P (! "D 6MAKE A
CIRCUIT (! BASE ( ,PHANTOM ,M.TA9 9 ORD]
6GET 6A PLACE ": A SORT ( TRAIL L$
UPW>D4
  8,X'S TOO LATE 6D ANY?+ TN10 DECID$
,TOM1 Z !Y SET UP ! T5T4 8,WE'LL RE/1 &
/>T ! F/ ?+ 9 ! MORN+40
  8,&! <O/ ISN'T LIKELY 6F9D U "H10 A4$
,MR4 ,DAMON4 8,": >E Y GO+1 ,MR4 ,P>K]80
HE ASK$1 Z HE SAW ! SCI5TI/ TRAMP+ A LL
WAY UP ! SIDE (! M.TA94
  8,I AM GO+ 6MAKE "S OBS]V,NS10 0 !
ANSW]1 & NO "O PD ANY M ATT5;N 6HM = "S
"T4 ,SUPP] 0 NE>LY R1DY :5 ,MR4 ,P>K]
RETURN$4 ,8 FACE WORE A R S]I\S AIR1 &
,MR4 ,DAMON1 NOT+ X1 ASK$ LAU<+LY3
  8,WELL1 DID Y 4COV] ANY VOLCANOES1 T
MAY ERUPT DUR+ ! NI<T1 & SC>E U 6D1?80
  8,NO10 REPLI$ ,MR4 ,P>K]1 CALMLY1 8B
"! IS E 9DIC,N T WE W SOON H A T]RIFIC
ELECTRICAL /ORM4 ,F A HI< P1K ,I CAU<T A
GLIMPSE ( "O "W+ ? WAY ACR ! M.TA9S40
  8,!N WE'D BETT] FA/5 ! T5T WELL D[N10
CALL$ ,TOM4 8,WE DON'T WANT X 6BL[
AWAY40
  8,"! W N 2 M* DANG] F W9D10 0 ,MR4
,P>K]'S OP9ION4
  8,F :AT !N80 ASK$ ,MR4 ,J5KS4
  8,F ! 4*>GES ( LI<TN+ AM;G ^! M.TA9
P1KS1 : 3TA9 S M* IRON ORE4 ,WE W 2 9
GRAVE DANG]40
  ,! FACT T ! SCI5TI/ _H N ALW MADE
CORRECT PREDIC;NS 0 N N[ 3SID]$ 0HIS
HE>]S1 & ,TOM &! TWO M5 GAZ$ AT ,MR4
,P>K] 9 "S AL>M4
  8,IS "! ANY?+ WE C D 6AVOID X80 ASK$
,MR4 ,J5KS4
  8,! ONLY ?+ 6D WD 2 6L1VE ! M.TA910 0
! ANSW]1 8&1 Z ! IRON ORE EXT5DS =
MILES1 WE C N GET \ (! DANG] Z"O 2F !
/ORM W R1* U4 ,X W 2 "H 9 LESS ?AN HALF
AN H\R40
  8,!N WE'D BETT] H SUPP]10 REM>K$ ,TOM1
PRACTIC,Y1 8&
GET R1DY = X4 ,P]H X MAY N 2 Z BAD Z
,MR4 ,P>K] FE>S40
  8,X W 2 BAD 5\<10 DCLD ! GLOOMY
SCI5TI/1 & HE SEEM$ 6F9D PL1SURE 9 8
ANN\NCE;T4
  ,! M1L 0 SOON OV]1 & ,TOM BUSI$ HMF 9
LOOK+ 6! GUY ROPES (! T5T1 = HE FE>$ LE/
"! MI<T 2 W9D )! /ORM4 ,T X 0 -+ 0
EVID5T1 = N[ L[ MUTT]+S ( ?"U CD 2 HE>D
(F T[>D ! WE/4
  ,BLACK CL\DS RAPIDLY OBSCUR$ ! H1V5S1
&! S.D ( ?"U 9CR1S$4 ,FIT;L FLA%ES (
LI<TN+ CD 2 SE5 =K+ ACR ! SKY 9 JA7$
*A9S ( PURPLE LI<T4
  8,X'S GO+ 6BE A H1VY /ORM10 ,TOM
ADMITT$ 6HMF4 8,I HOPE LI<TN+ DOESN'T
/RIKE >.D "H40
  ,! /ORM CAME ON RAPIDLY1 B "! 0 A
CURI\S QUIET;S 9 ! AIR T 0 M AL>M+ ?AN
IF A W9D _H BL[N4 ,! CAMPFIRE BURN$
/1DILY1 & "! 0 A C]TA9 OPPRESSIVE;S 9 !
ATMOSPH]E4
  ,X 0 N[ Q D>K1 SAVE :5 ! FIT;L LI<TN+
FLA%ES CAME1 & !Y ILLUM9AT$ ! SC5E
BRILLIANTLY =A FEW SECONDS4 ,!N1 03TRA/1
X 0 BLACK] ?AN "E4
  ,SU45LY1 Z ,TOM 0 GAZ+ UP T[>D ! P1K (
,PHANTOM ,M.TA91 HE SAW "S?+ T CAUS$ HM
6CRY \ 9 AL>M4 ,HE PO9T$ UPW>D1 & :ISP]$
HO>SELY3
  8,! <O/ AG6 ,"!'S \R FR 9 :ITE60
  ,! O!RS LOOK$1 & SAW ! SAME WEIRD
FIGURE T _H M5AC$ !M :5 !Y 7 5CAMP$ ON !
O!R SIDE (! P1K4
  8,!Y M/ H FOLL[$ U10 SD ,MR4 ,J5KS1 9
A L[ VOICE4
  ,SL[LY ! FIGURE ADV.ED1 ,X WAV$ ! L;G
:ITE >MS1 Z IF 9 W>N+4 ,AT "TS X WD 2
ONLY DIMLY VISI# 9 ! BLACK;S1 !N1 SU45LY
X WD /& \ 9 BOLD RELIEF Z A GRT FLA% (
FIRE SPLIT ! CL\DS4
  ,! ?"U1 M1N:ILE1 _H BE5 GR[+ L\D] &
%>P]1 9DICAT+ ! NE>] APPROA* (! /ORM4
,EA* LI<TN+ FLA% 0 FOLL[$ 9 A SECOND OR
TWO1 0A T]RIFIC CLAP4 ,/ "! 0 NO W9D NOR
RA91 &! CAMPFIRE BURN$ /1DILY4
  ,ALL AT ONCE "! 0 A CRA% Z IF ! V
M.TA9 _H SPLIT AS"U1 &! ADV5TUR]S SAW A
GRT BALL ( PURPLE-BLUI% FIRE %OOT D[N1 Z
IF F "S CL\D1 & /RIKE AG/ ! SIDE (!
CRAG1 N A HUNDR$ FEET F ": /OOD ! <O/LY
FIGURE 9 :ITE4
  8,T 0 A BAD "O10 CRI$ ,MR4 ,DAMON1
%\T+ S Z 6BE HE>D ABV ! E*OES (!
?"UCLAP4
  ,ALM Z HE SPOKE "! CAME ANO!R EXPLO.N1
EV5 L\D] ?AN ! "O PREC$+4 ,A GRT BALL (
FIRE1 PE> %AP$1 L1P$ =! SAME SPOT 9 !
M.TA94
  8,"!'S A MASS ( IRON ORE "!60 YELL$
,MR4 ,P>K]4 8,! LI<TN+ IS ATTRACT$ 6X60
  ,8 VOICE 0 SWALL[$ UP 9 ! T]RIFIC CRA%
T FOLL[$1 &1 Z "! CAME ANO!R FLA% (!
CELE/IAL FIRE1 ! FIGURE 9 :ITE CD 2 SE5
HURRY+ BACK UP ! M.TA9 TRAIL4 ,EVID5TLY
! ELECTRICAL /ORM1 ) LI<TN+ BOLTS 4*>G+
S CLOSE1 0 TOO M* =! 8<O/40
  ,9 ANO!R 9/ANT X LOOK$ Z IF ! :OLE
PLACE AB ": ! DIAMOND SEEK]S /OOD1 0 A
MASS ( FIRE4 ,GRT =K$ T;GUES ( LI<TN+
L1P$ F ! CL\DS1 & SEEM$ 6LICK ! GR.D4
,"! 0 A RATTLE & BANG ( ?"U1 L ! FIR+ (A
BATT]Y ( GUNS4 ,TOM &! O!RS FELT !MVS
T+L+ ALL OV]1 Z IF !Y _H HOLD ( AN
ELECTRICAL BATT]Y1 & "! 0 A /R;G SMELL (
SULPHUR 9 ! AIR4
  8,WE >E 9 ! MID/ (! /ORM60 CRI$ ,MR4
,P>K]4 8,WE >E /&+ ON A MASS ( IRON ORE6
,ANY M9UTE MAY 2 \R LA/60
  ,B FATE _H N 9T5D$ ! ADV5TUR]S = D1?
0LI<TN+4 ,ALM Z SU45LY Z X _H 2GUN1 !
4*>GE (! T;GUES ( FIRE C1S$ 9 ! IMM
VIC9;Y ( \R FRS4 ,!Y /OOD /--AW$--N "K+
:AT 6D4
  ,!N1 ONCE M1 CAME A T]RIFIC CLAP6 ,A
GRT MASS ( FIRE1 L "S R$-HOT 9GOT F A
F.DRY1 0 HURL$ "? ! AIR1 /RAI<T AT !
FACE (! M.TA91 & AT ! SPOT ": ! FIGURE 9
:ITE _H /OOD B A FEW M9UTES 2F4
  ,9/ANTLY ! E>? TREM#D1 Z X _H AT
,E>?QUAKE ,ISL&1 B X 0 N ! SAME4 ,X 0
OV] 9 A FEW SECONDS4 ,!N1 Z ! DIAMOND
SEEK]S LOOK$1 !Y SAW 9 ! GL>E (A SCORE (
LI<TN+ FLA%ES T FOLL[$ ! "O GRT CLAP1 !
:OLE SIDE (! M.TA9 SLIP AWAY1 & G CRA%+
96! VALLEY 2L4
  8,A L&SLIDE60 CRI$ ,MR4 ,P>K]4 8,T IS
! L&SLIDE : ,I
PREDICT$6 ,! LI<TN+ BOLT HAS SPLIT
,PHANTOM ,M.TA960






