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She held up a glass beaker with an inch of charcoal-colored water in it

“This is the residue left behind by the fire I mixed it with distilled water In most cases, soot is prie, it’s also carrying a strange old And a strange speckling that’s quite hard to see”

Kurt looked closely at the water in the beaker, there was an odd, almost iridescent shimmer to it

“What’s causing it?”

Gah to tell us But they had a raphed the sa”

“Moving?” Kurt repeated “What do you ?”

“It’s not inert,” she said “The carbon and the residue are still, but so on or within the residue is still active Whatever it is, it’s so small, we can’t make it out under a microscope”

The news see the discussion for later, but this was the deal: it was going to be uncomfortable, and if she couldn’t handle it, noas the time to realize that

“Are we talking about a bacteria or soanism?” Kurt asked

“Could be,” Gauess”

Kurt considered this It was strange, but it didn’t really tell the For all they knehatever they’d found in this residue had been deposited on the boat after the fire

“Could this strange discovery, whatever it is, have caused the fire?” he asked

“I tried to burn it,” Gamay said “The residue isn’t flammable It’s oxidized carbon and metals”

“If that’s not the cause, then as?”

Gamay looked to Paul, who looked at Joe No one wanted to deliver the bad news