I am unsure about everything.
There are beads of something wet near my feet. They feel heavy when I stir them around with my foot. I want to press forward with digging, but I am tired and still distracted. I haven’t got clear thinking and I don’t hear the words any more. I am confused about that.
The girl is humming to herself. At least we’ve pushed the tunnel walls solid, and I can breathe easier about it.

I realize the spiral staircase is a symbol of art and beauty and adventure and that’s why it’s taking me so long to decide how to go about building it. No pressure or anything! I tell myself, and laugh out loud. It breaks the tension. I decide to look closely at whatever the wet and silvery beads are that have appeared on the tunnel floor.
I kneel down and touch. It’s mercury. I stir the droplets around with my fingertip. I begin to hear the words rise up from around my fingers. I’m glad it wasn’t my imagination. I can pick up information if I am careful. I lift up some of it and put it in a dry pocket for later. Right now I feel like getting back to work. I must decide: tunnel or staircase? This is Day Nine.