On ? ??s?l?t? st??tch ?? c??stlin? kn?wn ??? its ?????? ????t? ?n? th? h??ntin? s?n?s ?? th? w?v?s, ? st??n?? ?n? ?ns?ttlin? ?v?nt ?n??l??? th?t w??l? ????l? th? w??l?. Th? s??si?? t?wn ?? ?l??i??? h?? ?lw??s ???n ? h?v?n ??? s?il??s ?n? ?ish??m?n, ??t this ??? w??l? ????v?? ?lt?? th?i? ??l?ti?nshi? with th? ?c??n. It w?s ? mist? m??nin? wh?n ? l?n? ?ish??m?n, S?m??l, v?nt???? ??t t? s?? in s???ch ?? his ??il? c?tch.
Th? h??iz?n w?s sh?????? in ???, c?stin? ?n ???i? ?m?i?nc? ?v?? th? t??n??il w?t??s. ?s S?m??l c?st his n?t int? th? ???ths, h? n?tic?? s?m?thin? ??c?li?? ??i?tin? t?w???s his ???t. ?t ?i?st, h? th???ht th?? w??? sim?l? s?? ????is, ??t ?s th? ??j?cts ???w n?????, his h???t ??c?? with ?is??li??.
Th??s?n?s ?? st??n??, t??nsl?c?nt ???s, ?nlik? ?n?thin? h? h?? ?v?? s??n, ?????? ?n th? s????c?. Th?? w??? th? siz? ?? ? h?m?n h?n?, ?list?nin? with ?n ?th??w??l?l? sh??n, ?n? ??ch ?n? h?l? ? ??c?li??, swi?lin? l?min?sc?nc? within. ???? ?n?w?? ?t S?m??l’s h???t ?s h? h??l?? ? n?t ??ll ?? th?s? m?st??i??s ???s ?nt? his ???t.
H? h?? h???? t?l?s ?? st??n?? h????nin?s ?t s??, ??t n?thin? c??l? h?v? ???????? him ??? this ?n???thl? si?ht. ??nic s?iz?? him ?s h? ???liz?? h? w?s n?t ?l?n? in this ?iz???? ?nc??nt??. ?th?? s???????s, ???wn ?? c??i?sit? ?n? th? ???i? ???i?nc? ?n th? h??iz?n, h?? ??th???? th?i? v?ss?ls ????n? S?m??l’s ???t. Th?i? ??c?s c?nt??t?? with ? mix ?? ?w? ?n? ???? ?s th?? ??h?l? th? st??n?? ???s.
Whis???s ?? ?li?ns ?n? s?? m?nst??s ?ill?? th? s?lt? ?i?, ?n? ?nxi?t? s????? lik? wil??i?? ?m?n? th? s?il??s. N?ws ?? th? ?iz???? ?isc?v??? ??ickl? ???ch?? th? t?wn ?? ?l??i???. Sci?ntists, m??in? ?i?l??ists, ?n? ??v??nm?nt ???ici?ls ??sc?n??? ???n th? sc?n?, h??in? t? ?n??v?l th? m?st???. S?m?l?s w??? c?ll?ct??, ?n? t?sts w??? c?n??ct??, ??t th? ??s?lts ?nl? ?????n?? th? ?ni?m?.
Th? ???s w??? ?nlik? ?n? kn?wn s??ci?s ?n ???th. Th?? c?nt?in?? n? i??nti?i??l? ?N?, ?n? th?i? inn?? ?l?w ??m?in?? ?n ?n?x?l?in?? ?h?n?m?n?n. Th???i?s ??n??? ???m ? n?t???l ?cc????nc? t? ?xt??t????st?i?l ??i?ins, s???kin? h??t?? ????t?s ?m?n? ?x???ts. ?s th? w??l?’s ?tt?nti?n ??c?s?? ?n ?l??i???, th? ?nc?-??i?t t?wn t??ns???m?? int? ? h?? ?? sci?nti?ic in??i?? ?n? m??i? ???nz?. C?ns?i??c? th???i?s s????? lik? wil??i??, ?n? th? c??stlin? ??c?m? ? m??n?t ??? ??? ?nth?si?sts ?n? c?ns?i??c? th???ists, ????? t? ??c??? th? s?c??ts ?? th?s? ???s. W??ks t??n?? int? m?nths, ?n? th? st??n?? ???s ??m?in?? ? m?st???.
Th?? sh?w?? n? si?ns ?? h?tchin? ?? ch?n?in?, l??vin? sci?ntists ????l?? ?n? th? s???????s ????l? ?ns?ttl??. ?l??i???, ?nc? kn?wn ??? its s???n? ????t?, h?? ??c?m? s?n?n?m??s with th? ?n?x?l?in??. In th? ?n?, th? ???s ?n? th?i? ??i?ins ??m?in?? ?n ?n???in? ?ni?m?, l??vin? th? ????l? ?? ?l??i??? ?n? th? w??l? t? w?n??? ????t th? m?st??i?s ?? th? ????. Th? c??stlin?, ????v?? ch?n??? ?? this in?x?lic??l? ?v?nt, h?l? its s?c??ts cl?s?, ?s i? ?????in? th? t??th ??hin? th?s? th??s?n?s ?? ???i?, l?min??s ???s th?t h?? w?sh?? ?sh???, l??vin? ? ??????n? m??k ?n th? h???ts ?n? min?s ?? th?s? wh? witn?ss?? th? in?x?lic??l?.