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Jake curled himself into a kneeling position, poked his head down through the hole and spent several minutes assessing the situation. When he looked back up, a small part of the grimness had gone away. "Take a look, Researcher. I think we've found what we're looking for." |
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It didn't take me as long as Madden. I poked my head through the hole and feasted my eyes on a cathedral-like cavern bathed in a world of eerie half-light, a universe of majestic limestone structures above and below, and thundering through the middle of it, a black, turbulent underground river. |
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I came back up, caught my breath and looked at Madden. I don't understand," I began cautiously. "Where's the light coming from?" |
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"There's torches placed at intervals all along the far wall. I think we've stumbled onto their main passageway." He propped himself back against the wall and began to reassemble his gear, checking the items in his backpack and his tool belt. "Damn," he muttered, "I think we finally caught up with 'em.'' |
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"Okay, now that we've found them, what's your plan?" |
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"We're gonna blow 'em to kingdom come. I don't think there's much hope of findin' old Bert alive down there. I just hope he didn't have to suffer much." |
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