FromthewayPolynesiatalked,Iguessedthatthisideaofaholidaywaspartofherplan. TheDoctormadenoreply;andwewalkedonsilentlytowardsthetown.Icouldsee,neverthelessthatherwordshadmadeanimpressiononhim. Aftersupperhedisappearedfromthepalacewithoutsayingwherehewasgoing—athinghehadneverdonebefore. Ofcourseweallknewwherehehadgone:backtothebeachtositupwiththesnail. WeweresureofitbecausehehadsaidnothingtoBumpoaboutattendingtothematter. AssoonasthedoorswereclosedupontheCabinetMeetingthatnight,PolynesiaaddressedtheMinistry: "Lookhere,youfellows,"saidshe:"we'vesimplygottogettheDoctortotakethisholidaysomehow—unlesswe'rewillingtostayinthisblessedislandfortherestofourlives." "Butwhatdifference,"Bumpoasked,"ishistakingaholidaygoingtomake?" ImpatientlyPolynesiaturnedupontheMinisteroftheInterior. "Don'tyousee?Ifhehasaclearweektogetthoroughlyinterestedinhisnaturalhistoryagain—marinestuff,hisdreamofseeingtheflooroftheoceanandallthat—theremaybesomechanceofhisconsentingtoleavethispeskyplace. Butwhileheishereondutyaskinghenevergetsamomenttothinkofanythingoutsideofthebusinessofgovernment." "Yes,that'strue.He'sfartooconsententiousBumpoagreed. "Andbesides,"Polynesiawenton,"hisonlyhopeofevergettingawayfromherewouldbetoescapesecretly. He'sgottoleavewhileheisholiday-making,incognito—whennooneknowswhereheisorwhathe'sdoing,butus. Ifhebuiltashipbigenoughtocrosstheseain,alltheIndianswouldseeit,andhearit,beingbuilt;andthey'daskwhatitwasfor.Theywouldinterfere. They'dsoonerhaveanythinghappenthanlosetheDoctor. Why,Ibelieveiftheythoughthehadanyideaofescapingtheywouldputchainsonhim." "Yes,Ireallythinktheywould,"Iagreed."YetwithoutashipofsomekindIdon'tseehowtheDoctorisgoingtogetaway,evensecretly." "Well,I'lltellyou,"saidPolynesia."Ifwedosucceedinmakinghimtakethisholiday,ournextstepwillbetogetthesea-snailtopromisetotakeusallinhisshellandcarryustothemouthofPuddlebyRiver. Ifwecanoncegetthesnailwilling,thetemptationwillbetoomuchforJohnDolittleandhe'llcome,Iknow—especiallyashe'llbeabletotakethosenewplantsanddrugsofLongArrow'stotheEnglishdoctors,aswellasseetheflooroftheoceanontheway." "Howthrilling!"Icried."DoyoumeanthesnailcouldtakeusundertheseaallthewaybacktoPuddleby?" "Certainly,"saidPolynesia,"alittletriplikethatisnothingtohim. HewouldcrawlalongtheflooroftheoceanandtheDoctorcouldseeallthesights.Perfectlysimple. Oh,JohnDolittlewillcomeallright,ifwecanonlygethimtotakethatholiday—ANDifthesnailwillconsenttogiveustheride." "Golly,Ihopehedoes!"sighedJip. "I'msickofthesebeastlytropics—theymakeyoufeelsolazyandgood-for-nothing. Andtherearenoratsoranythinghere—notthatafellowwouldhavetheenergytochase'emeveniftherewere. My,wouldn'tIbegladtoseeoldPuddlebyandthegardenagain! Andwon'tDab-Dabbegladtohaveusback!" "Bytheendofnextmonth,"saidI,"itwillbetwowholeyearssinceweleftEngland—sincewepulleduptheanchoratKingsbridgeandbumpedourwayoutintotheriver." "Andgotstuckonthemud-bank,"addedChee-Cheeinadreamy,far-awayvoice. "Doyourememberhowallthepeoplewavedtousfromtheriver-wall?"Iasked. "Yes.AndIsupposethey'veoftentalkedaboutusinthetownsince,"saidJip—"wonderingwhetherwe'redeadoralive." "Cease,"saidBumpo,"IfeelIamabouttoweepfromsediment." 
