CHAPTER 3

The plane touched down on the dusty runway. As Franklin kicked the dust from his boots, and watched dust-storms form in the far-off distance, he couldn't help but smile. Australia was exactly as he remembered - really freakin' dusty.

A familiar voice called out to Franklin. "Franklin Landover!" It said. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

Hearing the voice, Franklin smiled, then coughed a little bit.

"Watch that Australian dust," the man said, "It can be rough on those little pink things you Americans like to call lungs."

"Really, Leonard," Franklin said, cracking another trademark smile, the third such this chatper, "What do you call them, then?"

"Lungs," said Leonard, surprised a renowned academic such as Professor Landover didn't know that the Australians, much like the English, also spoke American.

"But you didn't come here to quibble over anatomy, did you Franklin?"

"Only the anatomy of mystery, my good chum." Franklin responded. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

As he said this, Professor Landover presented the object he held in his left hand, previously hidden behind his back.

"The diary." Leonard said, with a thin smile.

"Yes," Landover responded. "The diary. Who would have thought that such a tiny little book, filled with tiny little written words, could hold so many sentences."

"And those sentences making up paragraphs." Leonard said.

"And those paragraphs," Robert chuckled, "Well, we know what those paragraphs make up."

As the two men shared a laugh, mirthful but not overly jocular, a third figure appeared at the door. The men stopped, and turned to face this newcomer.

"Well boys," the figure said. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"On the contrary, Miss Katia Manlison," Leonard said in an introductory fashion, "Your interuption will allow us to continue the most important work of all."