Leaving Myrle Unconscious Upon The Reddish Planet, We Render To The Narrative of Her Heroic Younger Blood brother, In the Course of Which the Free-Port of Ph'Arhpuu'Xxipllspringg is Described, and Jack Havock and I Make Our Descent Into the Air current-Race.

In Which I Brand Chat With The Smashing Storm

In Which We Face up Fresh Perils 'Mid Saturn'southward Desolate Rings.

Photo on 1-17-15 at 1.40 PM #2 Photo on 1-17-15 at 1.41 PM Photo on 1-17-15 at 1.41 PM #2

Beloved gentle readers and Larklight fans,

In Chapter 12, Art, Jack and the crew of Sophronia make quick repairs to the ship and start their search for the spider ship and Myrtle.  They make a grade for Io, one of Jupiter's moons, in the hope that they will get a lead on where the spider transport could exist.  On Io J.H. and Art meet Mr. Guel who takes them on his ship to transport them to Thunderhead "the storm".

In Chapter 13,  J.H. and Art meet Thunderhead, who  says that he knew Art's female parent and describes her as  a "kind and gentle being".  Thunderhead refers to Art equally "shaper kin" – all this information is disruptive to me as a reader and also to Art.  Thunderhead gets very excited when Art mentions Larklight and says that Art needs to keep the key away from he spiders so that they don't get "lamp of dawn."  This continues to confuse Art and J.H. who don't know what his has to do with finding the spiders and Myrtle, simply they understand that it is important somehow.  Thunderhead tells them that they must leave as "danger is approaching" and sends them back to Gruel'due south transport.  Gruel has been waiting for them and was clearly eavesdropping as he has a gun dawn and demands that Art hands over "the cardinal". Gruel says that the spiders are very powerful and thinks that if he gives them something that the spiders want, that in return they will "look kindly" on him.  Gruel is zapped past a ligtning bolt and then Fine art and J.H. escape on the back of a behemothic space whale.  While they are traveling by whale, Fine art shows J.H. his mother's locket, which J.H. sees at one time is more than what it appears.  J.H. manages to open a hush-hush compartment that reveals an intricate auto that is clearly the key that the spiders are after. Jack and Art eventually make it back to the Sophronia but not before being attached by a giant squid that is existence controlled past spiders.  At the very end of the affiliate Jack has the crew brand ready to voyage to Saturn, where he figures the spiders have gone.  Fine art discovers to his dismay that Jack has stolen the locket, which he plans to give to the spiders in exchange for Myrtle.

In Chapter 15, Fine art struggles with his feelings well-nigh Jack stealing the locket. Although Art doesn't' empathize what is happening and why the spiders want the locket, or how information technology is related to Larklight and his mother, Fine art wants to proceed the locket abroad from the spiders based on the suggest of Thunderhead.  Fine art also doesn't understand why Jack is so clearly wanting to give the spiders the locket to get Myrtle dorsum.  The Sophronia makes its mode to Saturn'due south icy rings and they get caught up, like all the other ships they see, stuck in giant spider webs.  They notice themselves being surrounded by spiders who are trying to break into the ship.  Information technology is at this time that Nipper and Ssill explicate that Jack is in beloved with Myrtle, which is why he desperately wants to make the trade and is willing to risk his life.  Art is shocked but begins remembering little things that take happened in their travels and begins to meet everything a little more clearly.

Vocabulary:

Coercion: an irresistible urge to conduct in a certainway, especially against one's conscious wishes.

Gothic: belonging to or redolent of the Dark Ages; gloomy or horrifying.

Thistledown: light fluffy down that is fastened to thistle seeds, enabling them to be blown about in the current of air.

Jovian: of or relating to the planet Jupiter or the class of giant planets to which Jupiter belongs.

Mottle: mark with spots or smears of color.

Bulkhead: a dividing wall or barrier between compartments in a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle.

Hastened: be quick to do something.

Cilium: a short, microscopic, hairlike vibrating structure.

Flummox: perplex (someone) greatly; dement.

Desolate: (of a place) deserted of people and in a state of dour and depressing emptiness.

Shoals: a large number of fish swimming together.

Animalcule: a microscopic fauna.

Saffron: the orange-xanthous colour of dye made from the dried crocus.