#wind pump

Oliver helps Finny out of the water, which is quite different from how Finny pushed Oliver in. Finny thanks him, and Oliver just goes right in for a hug. For a brief moment, Finny smiles a bit.

But Theo gets right down to business. They don't have their evidence anymore, but they have a lot of information.

There's no reason to report to the police or the Yard anymore. So, Theo wants to go straight to our earl and Sebastian to make the report.

Idk if they are looking at the orphanage for a moment or if they are already walking away, but Finny notices the nearby windpump and recalls arriving there, just recently, with Snake... and it makes him cry.

One good thing about the staff waiting down there is they won't see the kids return but will assume they have drowned. They might keep someone down there (like in shifts) to wait for bodies to surface, but none will. Still, they will probably think the bodies are there and just stuck at the grating or something. No one from the orphanage will be looking for them outside... unless one of them finally discovers the busted grate.

I was hoping they would destroy the windpump and flood the underground facility, but it looks like they are focused on making a report and perhaps returning with reinforcements.

Finny might have thought he was a goner for sure this time, but Oliver hugs Finny to thank him. Theo isn't wasting much time and gets to thinking about the jars of organs, perhaps the fact they don't have them anymore. What are they going to use as evidence, if they get to the authorities?

Theo says something else, then they look back to the orphanage.

Finny looks at the nearby windpump and is reminded of when he and Snake arrived. Then he starts to cry.

The chapter isn't over just yet. Ultimately, I hope Finny and the others figure out a way to break the windpump and flood the underground facilities, along with any staff that might still be down there.

At first I wondered why they saw the drain and thought it was a dead end until someone heard running water. I guess it's because the water in the drain doesn't move fast enough to make that sound. It could be the river nearby that they hear.

I'd previously blogged about the wind pumps, more commonly called drainage windmills. Norfolk has a lot of them because the land is low-lying and might otherwise be a bit swampy. There are at least four rivers that help to drain the county: Wensum, Yare, Bure, and Ouse. Apparently, these wind pumps draw water away from areas that the rivers can't drain directly... then dump that water into a nearby river.

Artie is first to prepare for the water, and he mentions the mistletoe (parasitic plant). Mabel quickly follows suit, even though she's scared, because she's determined to help the other kids.

But Oliver refuses to leave because he can't swim. Perhaps he's hoping the staff will accept an apology from him if he stays? They don't know what part he's played in their activities, so far, so he could lie to stay alive... a little longer.

Finny rushes at Oliver to take him into the water with him, as staff open fire (which Oliver maybe wasn't expecting so soon, without first being questioned).

And Finny takes a bullet to the left calf, or possibly the shin. He has a bullet wound to his left shoulder from before, so that's two major wounds that are about to end up in the water... which probably isn't too clean. The bleeding will be worse in the water, but that's the only thing that might help keep the wounds from getting too infected. Unless he has healing abilities gained from the drug tests that we still haven't learned about....

We know he's strong, and we know he's tough (endurance), but is there more to it? Can he withstand these kinds of injuries?

And what will happen now that they -- including Oliver -- are in the water?

I'd love for them to make it to the mill. I wonder how long it would take to flood the underground tunnels and chambers (and drown those staff members), if they sabotaged the wind pump.