WEBVTT

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So I'm just really
jumping around.

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Here's another Chen section.

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He ends up-- well, after he goes
through the Mayan underworld,

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has some very intensely
unpleasant experiences there,

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he ends up delivering
a baby in ancient Egypt

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in an unfinished pyramid.

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[LAUGHTER]

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So there's some references
in the section to an oculus.

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That's the top of the
unfinished pyramid, where

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you can see up to the sky.

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And there's a boat
in the pyramid

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because ancient-- in
Egyptian funeral rites,

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they oftentimes
put a solar boat,

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a small scale model of a boat
that would take you to the sun.

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What else?

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Oh, there's some translator
notes that start to pop up.

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So I'll just mark them.

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And I go like this.

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"31."

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"Dawn with her frosted
pink fingernails

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raked away night's remains.

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Migrating egrets traverse
the brightening oculus.

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Here and there,
Chen could make out

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pointillist colonies of
wildflowers sprinkled around

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the verdant edge.

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Cradling the baby in
his arms-- in her arms,

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Neph climbed onto
the solar boat."

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Neph is the mother.

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"She propped herself
against the curved prow

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and patiently wrangled the
child, fussing at her breast.

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The infant's flailing hand
grasped a miniature ore

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and began to row.

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'Oh, Sudi,' cooed
the girl, 'be good.'

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They looked like a
surrealist parade float,

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or a lost scene from
Gulliver's Travels,

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or a girl nursing her baby on
a scale model funeral vessel.

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But somehow, everything
fell into proportion.

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Only the cataract of blood
trickling over the ship's

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gunnel spoiled the illusion.

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'What's that?' Chen cried out.

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Neph frowned
thoughtfully at her lap.

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'I don't know,' she said,
beginning to shiver.

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'I thought it was over.'

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The umbilicus tethering her
to the baby pulsed weakly

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then stopped.

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Chen reached up and tugged
at the slippery cord

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as if it were a bit
of loose rigging.

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'Ouch,' Chen screeched--

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Neph screeched.

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'Don't do that.'

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Never, under any circumstances
whatsoever, pull the cord.

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Trans.

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[LAUGHTER]

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A scarlet puddle had formed on
the masonry around Chen's feet.

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Neph doubled over, clutching
the baby to her chest.

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Pulling himself
up on tiptoe, Chen

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peered over the edge of the
deck and watched a veinous lump

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spill out from the girl
like a cadaver decomposition

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island [INAUDIBLE] postscript
in gynecological space time.

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'Twins?' He squeaked."

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He's had some bad
experiences with twins.

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"'Ugh,' Neph said, breathless,
'It's the after birth.

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It's nothing.

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It's over, Chang.

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Christ.' Chen scooped up the
bloody remainder in one hand.

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With the other, he fumbled
for the travel-sized stainless

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steel scissors in his trousers.

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Sunrise flooded the
unfinished pyramid.

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For a heartbeat, Chen
felt like a deathless God

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upholding the balance.

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'May I?' He asked,
bowing deeply.

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A passing dragonfly landed
on the ornamental rudder.

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'Thanks,' Neph said,
reaching for the scissors.

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'I think I'll take
it from here.'"

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