Ina probed, "So why, then?"

Static suddenly rose, almost popping, and built into a persistent whine from the quad-meter in Peter's hand.

"Ah ha!" He blurted.

"Ah ha? Really?" Frankie said.

Peter, abashed, toddled a few yards deeper into the cave, the meter's whine growing ever more annoying.

Wilder grimaced. "Please turn that off! It's killing me!"

"Oh, sorry, Wilder," Peter said as he flicked a switch to silence the alarm.

He slowed, finally coming to a standstill in a small puddle and pointing the meter at a flat, featureless section of wall. "It's here. Can't be more than a few inches deep."

Frankie pulled her hefty Bowie knife from its scabbard and knelt beside her brother, saying, &quo...

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