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"It's not my fault you take up the whole pit"

"I do not!"

"You do so" He heard Prudence crying again He said, "I'm sorry You don't take up the whole pit"

"Just most of it"

"Uer Soon I'll be even skinnier than Samantha, just a pile of bones"

"Don't talk like that We're going to get out of here"

"How?"

"Well-" Wendell stopped to think it over He gazed up at the top of the pit "I could get on your shoulders Maybe I could reach the top"

"That won't work"

"We have to at least try Unless you have a better idea"

"I guess we could try"

Prudence groaned again as she got to her feet Then she shook her head "It's not going to work We're not tall enough"

"We'll try anyway," Wendell said He waited for her to squat down so he could climb up on her back the way the toddlers did when they wanted a piggyback ride frorunted as she stood up with him on her shoulders "Go on," she said, her voice already strained froroan a couple more times as he planted his feet on her shoulders Then he stretched to his full height As Prudence had said, it wasn't going to work He was still a good three feet from the top "Get on your toes," he said "Stretch!"

"I'll try"

He had to plant a hand against the et hiot on his toes It wasn't any good He had narrowed the gap a little, but not enough to reach the top And from what he could see, there weren't any vines or roots or anything he could grab to pull hiasped He found hiain, until he landed on her for a third ti There has to be a way out"

"No there isn't We're going to die here Me and a stinky little boy no one likes"

"And I'hs at"

"You're a liar!"

"Am not"

"Are too!" A few seconds later he heard Prudence sob "You're right Everyone makes fun of me Even Saht of their to hian to pray for Samantha to find them