see them, Doctor Dorn stopped. He said we should
rest awhile and eat a little of the food, and then we would talk.

Theodor Cook was the first one to ask him the question we were all
thinking about. "When will we die?" he asked.

Doctor Dorn said he didn't know. The food and water we had been given
was supposed to last for ten awakes and sleeps. If we were very, very
careful, it might last for much longer. The oil would probably become
used up first, and when there was no more light, then probably the
Groles would get us.

Theodor asked whether the dead bones we had seen were people who had
been killed by the Groles.

Doctor Dorn said he didn't know, but he didn't think so. When the Groles
found someone, there were not supposed to be even dead bones left. No
one had ever seen a Grole because they came only when there was no light
at all.

Doctor Dorn said he was sorry he had to say such frightening things. But
he wanted us to know and understand the worst before he told us things
that might give us hope.

There was the smallest chance, Doctor Dorn said, that Black Passage
might go to some other State where there was life, the way Copper
Passage from Deep City went to the State of the Savages. Our hope was
terribly small though, because even if the passage did go to such a
place, it would probably be many more awakes and sleeps away than we had
oil for; and also, the life there might be wild the way it was in the
State of the Savages.

It is strange though how even a hope so small as to be almost nothing
can give new strength to the heart.

Doctor Dorn talked more, telling us how we would have to learn to live
with less and less light so that the oil would last as long as possible.
In the beginning we would burn four lamps. Because the passage was not
wide enough for more than two people to walk together, one of us would
have to walk alone. But whoever walked alone would always carry one of
the lighted lamps, and would never be first or last. When we became used
to four lamps, we would turn one off and try walking with only three.
After a while another lamp would be turned off and only two lamps would
be kept lighted, one at the beginning and one at the end of the column.
During sleeps we would keep two lamps on. One would be enough to
frighten away the Groles, but there was always the danger it might go
out, so it was safer to use two.

Theodor asked wouldn't we get the Black Fear, with so little light.

D