Chapter One: Trouble at the Stamen
Chapter 2: The Stamen End
Chapter Three: A Slippery Stamen-End
Chapter Four: The Sharp Exit

Chapter Five: The First Rescue

“Nimbus! Billow! Can you hear us!” Didda sounded, NImbus realized with some surprise, worried. Panicked, really.

“Nimber, Billbill?” Nimbus wrinkled her nose as Pearl resorted to their baby names.

“We’re here!” she called out, careful to shout over Billow’s head and not into her ear. “We fell into a — into a stomach or something. Careful! The wall openings are full of prickers!”

“Oh, my babies…” Mem sounded miserable.

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Chapter One: Trouble at the Stamen
Chapter 2: The Stamen End
Chapter Three: A Slippery Stamen-End

Chapter Four: The Sharp Exit

Billow’s lips were pursed and her hands were gripping Nimbus’ wrist tight enough to leave marks. Nimbus wanted to reassure her, but she needed all her breath just to keep pulling herself up the side of the slippery floor. For every three steps she managed upwards, it seemed like she slid down two.

“Hold… on…” she managed.

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Chapter One: Trouble at the Stamen
Chapter 2: The Stamen End

Chapter 3: The Slippery Stamen-End

Billow wasn’t screaming, or whining, or even whimpering. She was holding very still, slowly sliding towards the center of the stamen-bottom. Nimbus felt something tighten in her chest, but she didn’t have time for panic. She dropped to the ground, splaying her feet out and seeking some purchase, and reached for Billow.

She couldn’t quite reach, and if she moved any further forward she was going to end up on the wrong end of the slope.

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Chapter One: Trouble at the Stamen

Chapter 2: The Stamen End

“Aurora, do you really think we should bring Billow and Nimbus down there if something strange is going on?” Nimbus’ father was leaning down over the hole in the center of the island, tutting at Nimbus’ mother, who was already far down the narrow tube. He didn’t hear Nimbus coming up behind him, although he must have heard Billow, still waiting halfway down the steep climb, complaining.

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