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Show Chapter Ten Unbelieving, Sandy stared at the other girl. The other girl stared back in equal astonishment. Then Sandy's raft turned,and the figure disappeared. "Oh, no! Another whirlpool!" Sure enough, a whirlpool, exactly like the other one, lay before her. As she circled helplessly toward it, she saw a ledge which seemed to float in the air above her. Getting to her feet, she balanced herself against the rim of the raft, and jumped toward the mysterious shelf. Her aim was excellent. She caught the shelf and, exerting all her strength, pulled herself up onto it, just as the raft disappeared into the depths of the whirlpool. Shivering, Sandy stood up, and saw to her amazement that she was back on the steps leading to the top of the mountain. She clambered up the steps before they could break off again and drop her back into the ocean. When she reached the platform which hid the well shaft, she sat down and drew Verus from her pocket. "Oh, Verus! I've just been in the most horrible ocean in the whole world!" "Ocean? There is no ocean in the Inner Mountains," said Verus. "Yes there is! I was on it! There were monstrous whirlpools, and no land anywhere, and - and hundreds of people floating around." Sandy paused. "And one of them looked just like me! It was dreadful." "I think I know where you've been," said Verus, after a moment. "Can you climb to the top of this peak?" Sandy looked up at the domed mountain top. "Yes," she said. "It wouldn't be too hard." |