Extreme Difference Read Online Free PDF Page B

have to warn her not to touch the pipe, as it will be as hot as the steam it carries.’
    Sandy noticed Nan had used the word ‘steam’, instead of hot gas as he usually did, and considered he had at last begun Nan’s process of re-education.
    Ben was quite happy to be left with the job of hammering the bits of sheet metal into a pipe, and making a jointed swivel end for the connection into Mop’s cooker, while Nan and Sandy returned to the cold cave to remove any dust and rubble from its floor.
    They were fortunate in that the floor level in the cave was a few centimetres below that of the outside passage, so if there were no leaks in the side walls, quite a lot of water would accumulate in the shallow well before it ran out into the tunnels.
    Sandy was allocated a sleeping cave, in which he could also keep his possessions, not that he had any at the moment.
    He retired for the night, exhausted, but his mind was still in a whirl after what had happened in one short day.
    ‘Three more days at this pace, and I’ll be a gibbering wreck.’ were his last thoughts as he gratefully slipped into a deep sleep on the smelly bed of rags which passed for a bed, for the time being.
    He was shaken awake next day by Ben, who was in a state of great excitement. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was, and Ben looked hurt by the lack of instant recognition.
    ‘What’s the time?’ he asked, rubbing his sore eyes.
    ‘Don’t know what you mean,’ Ben replied, ‘I don’t think we have any time here, at least not that I’ve heard of.’
    ‘Oh God. Alright, what part of the day is it? How long have the others been up?’
    ‘They’ve been up since dawn, it’s now nearly midday. Nan said to let you sleep on, but I thought you would want to see the steam experiment set-up before we try it out.’
    ‘Damn right I do.’ Sandy replied, heaving himself out of the pile of disgusting rags he had cuddled all night.
    ‘Lead the way, Ben, I’m a bit wobbly on me feet this morning.’ Sandy staggered about like a drunk, after a night out he was unable to recall.
    ‘Probably lack of food.’ Ben said cheerfully.
    ‘Oh, that’s what you call it.’ Sandy remembered the last greasy offering. ‘I had something else in mind.’
    Mop greeted them with her usual hopeful smile, mainly directed at Sandy, on whom it was totally wasted.
    ‘We’d like to try out our water maker.’ Ben said, doing his best to smile at the unlovely heap before him.
    ‘Go ahead, Benny, I don’t need the hot hole for a while, it’s a cold midday meal today.’
    The look on Ben’s face at that cheery news said it all, and Sandy wondered what frightful concoction she had dreamt up to tickle their taste buds this time.
    Mop disappeared down the tunnel, either disappointed that no one had taken advantage of her charms, or on some culinary errand for the evening meal. Sandy was in two minds as to which was the least formidable option.
    Ben removed the stone plug from the steam cavity, and swung the jointed pipe into the hole. It was a perfect fit, and he went up several notches in Sandy’s estimation.
    ‘There’s a deflector on the end, so most of the steam should be guided into the pipe.’ he said cheerfully. ‘Can’t say I like the sound of it though.’
    The pipe vibrated like a tin snake with a severe case of the shakes, accompanied by a shrill whistling noise as the steam was bent off its normal course up the vent hole, and into the transfer tube.
    ‘Let’s see what’s happening in the cold cave.’ said Ben, hurrying out of Mop’s kitchen and into the tunnel.
    ‘Yes, let’s.’ said Sandy, ‘after you.’
    ‘Who’s going to open the cover and take a peak inside?’ asked Ben, with a grin.
    ‘I’ll give you that honour,’ said Sandy, ‘I got messed up with that filthy black stuff last time, it took ages to get off.’
    Ben grinned again, and took a small metal blade from somewhere about his person, and gently prised the fabric