Phineas put his trunk on the desk. Cyrus asked,"Are you sure you want to do this? Why are you so blamed suspicious about Professor Mardalan?" Phineas sighed,"I'm not really sure. Did you see Marygold's shoes when we pulled her out of that hole? Or Lilac's? They looked brand new, as if they had never been worn before! How could ANYONE walk across a vast field filled with rocks and scrub and still have unscuffed shoes? Did you notice how clean their dresses were? YOU fell in that hole, trying to reach them and you must have noticed how dirty YOU got! How did they NOT get dirty?" Cyrus shrugged,"I don't rightly know. It is a mystery. Why does it bother you so much?" Phineas waved his hands. "I'm not sure. There is definitely SOMETHING going on, and Professor Mardalan is at the heart of it. Did you know that Jules is basing the main character of his new novel on Archibald Mardalan? Ahem--Professor Arronax? Good lord. Mister Verne is completely taken in by him!" Cyrus said,"Phrased like that...someone CERTAINLY sounds suspicious! ...YOU! You sound a mite jealous,Phineas." Phineas sighed. "Maybe I do. I haven't felt myself since I touched that accursed crystal plate. I had another peculiar dream on the train. This time of round headed girl who chimed like bells at Christmas! She played ball with some little grey girl with hair like..." "...SUNSHINE in round hallways on some kind of ...Submarine? I bet the damned thing is called Nautilus like in Jule's new novel! If these crazy dreams don't stop soon, I'll go mad from it!" Cyrus looked stressed when he said that. "Are we possessed by the devil?" Phineas looked at him thoughtfully. Cyrus exclaimed,"YOU were SUPPOSED to say,'Hell,no,you handsome devil! I'm a man of science and I don't believe in such balderdash, and such like THAT!' NOT LOOK AT ME LIKE I'M POSSESSED!" Phineas shrugged. "I do not believe that we are possessed by any devil I've ever heard of. They were laughing happy children, not imps of the pit. They were other-worldly... like I do not know of." Cyrus asked,"Like 'Moon-people'? Or Martians? Maybe from Venus?" Phineas laughed."I'd as much as suspect Professor Mardalan of being a little green man from Mars! I don't know. I was looking right at that plate when it vanished into thin air when that red lightning heralded the appearance of Marygold and Lilac! There is mystery wrapped in enigma about the whole lot of them. I think if Professor Mardalan is up to something, he'll make a move tonight. I'd wager a guinea on it!" Cyrus shrugged. "Fine! I'm all for staying up all night if that means I won't dream like that for a while." He went over to the window and looked out. After a few minutes he sighed loudly. "I'm out a guinea it seems! There they go, like thieves in the night. We going to follow them in a hansom cab?" Cyrus looked over at his friend. Phineas shook his head. "I have a different idea! The game's afoot, time to out-think them." Cyrus laughed as they ran downstairs in the Inverness Arms, the old inn near the river. Cyrus said,"Good luck with that!" They ran out to the Nearest Hansom cab and Phineas exclaimed,"Take us to the nearest crossing of the Ness River!" The Cabbie said,"Might not see much with the fog coming in! Off we go!" Cyrus said,"You really think THEY will be hunting a river monster AT NIGHT IN THE FOG?" Phineas waved a hand,"That anarchist seemed intent on it,too! This must be tied up with this monster from thousands of years ago. I swear we'll get to the bottom of this! Whether this involves Mars, or Atlantis or whatever! I can't resist a good mystery!" Cyrus shouted over the sound of the wheels on the cobblestones," As long as we survive this... I'm all in favor of it!" --TO BE CONTINUED!--