bably stop
the magma temporarily. We may even have another one of those lens-shaped
pools develop."

Big Hobart Zircon poked at the sketch with a huge finger. "Jeff, how far
below the surface is this stratum?"

"Slightly over a quarter of a mile, I'd guess. It's hard to be accurate
within a few feet. On that side of the mountain the ocean bottom is a
few hundred feet below sea level, and I'd say the hard rock is probably
a thousand feet below that."

Zircon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If we could somehow breach that
hard rock and allow room for the magma to flow upward, what would
happen?" he inquired.

Esteben Balgos exclaimed excitedly, "Once through the layer of hard
rock, the magma would encounter plenty of surface water. Look at Jeff's
sketch. Above the hard rock there are many fissures, which must have a
high water content. If the magma reaches those, we will have violent
eruption through the western side of the mountain, probably right about
sea level."

Rick could see instantly what Balgos meant. "Dad, an eruption on the
west side would be perfect! The mountain itself would protect Calor and
the rest of the island!"

"That's true, Rick," Hartson Brant agreed. "The problem is, how can we
possibly create a break in a layer of hard rock so far underground?"

David Riddle answered him. "There's one way. Drive a tunnel down through
it."

All eyes looked at him.

"Can it be done?" Julius Weiss demanded.

"Yes. If there's enough time, enough machinery, and enough manpower. But
look at the problem. Once the magma starts to move upward through those
faults Jeff has drawn, it will move fast. The tunnel would have to be
done before the magma started to move. Otherwise, the heat would be too
great for men to work, and even if they could work they'd be drilling
right into magma."

"This stuff is beyond me," Connel said. "Let me know what you decide,
will you?" He turned and walked from the room.

Rick's eyes met Scotty's. The ex-Marine nodded, and in a moment quietly
slipped out of the room.

Julius Weiss demanded, "Are you seriously proposing that we drive a
tunnel for over a quarter mile, almost straight down, through solid
rock?"

Riddle shrugged. "Do you know any other way of releasing the magma
safely? I don't."

"Perhaps it could be done," Hartson Brant said thoughtfully. "But, as
Dave says, we'd need time, machinery, and manpower. I'm sure we can get
the machinery and the manpower from the gov