The Power of One Chapter 19 Summary

  • Over the Easter break Doc and Peekay take a hike out to where Doc is convinced there must be a cave, due to some funky rock formations he saw last time he was there.
  • They set out on a Friday morning and make camp at the base of the cliff, where they'll do their exploring the next day.
  • In the morning they eat breakfast then set out to scale the wall. They climb for a few of hours, and Doc, who is really no spring chicken, has to stop and rest. They still haven't found the cave, but are sure that there must be one because of the way a waterfall comes out of the cliff and the fact that the rock has some dolomite in it.
  • Peekay climbs around the ledge they're resting on and finds their cave. They have to build a handrail out of rope so that Doc can make it, and he does.
  • They scare some bats out, and find that the cave keeps going through an opening in the back.
  • When they haul themselves through the hole they find a beautiful cave covered in crystal stalagmites and stalactites, with a big slab of crystal in the back that looks like a platform. Sounds magical.
  • Doc says it looks like Merlin's cave, then goes up to the ledge in the back and lies down on it. This gives Peekay the creeps, and he begs him to come down. He doesn't like thinking about the fact that Doc will die someday.
  • They make it out of the cave and Doc makes Peekay promise never to tell anyone about their crystal cave of Africa. He also tells Peekay to leave the handrail, which is out of character.
  • When they make it back home Doc is exhausted and Peekay knows that it's the last big hike they'll take together.