Read Atherton #3: The Dark Planet (No. 3) for Free Online Page B

got, and along with it, Edgar's desire to touch the
    side of Atherton with his hands. He couldn't stand the idea of
    turning back.
    "You know how fast I can climb," said Edgar. "I've been down
    there a bunch of times already and nothing's come out of those
    holes."
    Vincent knelt down in front of Edgar and looked at the boy with
    a mix of concern and hope. Edgar didn't know quite how to read
    the expression.
    "None of this is going to matter if you can't reach the bottom of
    the longest path," said Vincent. "According to the map, that's
    where you'll find this thing called the bridge of fire and the way
    into the docking station. But you're going to find something else
    as well and we don't know what it is."
    Vincent was torn between his duty to protect this boy and the
    need to reconnect with the Dark Planet. If there was a chance
    Edgar could find his way safely to the docking station it could
    mean saving thousands more.
    He thought of all the things Edgar had already accomplished on
    his own. He'd climbed a mile up to the Highlands and two miles
    down to the Flatlands. There was no reason to believe Edgar
    couldn't climb quietly past a few holes in search of a way to
    reconnect.
    "Don't go any closer to the holes than you absolutely must to
    get by them," said Vincent, reluctantly making up his mind.
    "Now listen to me, Edgar. After you find the station you have to
    turn back. The last thing we want is for you accidentally to end
    up on the Dark Planet without us. That would be a disaster and
    it could happen if you're not careful. The docking station is-well, it's what we call automated. By that I mean it can do
    certain things on its own."
    Vincent shook his head. It was impossible to explain how the
    station worked and what would be found there. It was all so
    alien to Edgar.
    "Just promise me you'll turn back once you get there. What
    you're trying to do is enter the docking station from the way out
    of Atherton. Dr. Harding left us a map and a few words, so he
    must have imagined it could be entered this way, but no one
    has ever done it before."
    Then Vincent said what he was truly thinking, the only thing that
    seemed to make sense as he stood before a boy who could
    climb like a spider. "Something tells me Dr. Harding imagined it
    would be you who would follow this path someday. There's
    certainly no one else who could do it."
    Edgar could hardly wait to start down the side of Atherton. "I can
    do it, Vincent. I know I can."
    Vincent touched Edgar on the shoulder and turned more
    serious. "Remember--turn back the moment you feel the
    slightest concern. The heat can tire you out and make your
    hands dangerously slippery from the sweat. Don't make the
    mistake of thinking you can do more than you're capable of."
    The two began walking once more. Very soon they were on
    their bellies, crawling up close to the place where Edgar would
    start. In this particular spot, the flat surface of Atherton had
    cracked wide open. The crevice started at the edge of Atherton
    and jutted in for a hundred yards, where it created a gap of fifty
    or more feet across. Edgar felt a growing exhilaration as he
    turned and kicked his feet over and into the long chasm.
    "Remember," said Vincent. "To the docking station and back
    and no more, and only if you can manage it. I can't come down
    after you. No one can. But I'll wait for you."
    "You shouldn't expect my return until after nightfall," said Edgar.
    He secretly knew that he could get to the bottom in only a
    couple of hours if he wanted to. But he didn't want to be in the
    least bit rushed in case his plans changed. "Six or seven hours,
    I would guess."
    Vincent nodded, astounded by what Edgar was capable of.
    Seven hours of climbing up and down the side of a wall of
    stone? He wondered what Dr. Harding had done to Edgar that
    made him so strong.
    "Be careful," said Vincent.
    And with that, Edgar was gone. Faster than Vincent believed
    possible, Edgar was so far down the crevice he