human
Alice, come here! he called.
gpt
Stand where I am! That's right. Now put out your hand! Do you feel anything?
human
I feel a draught,
gpt
There's no doubt about it, he muttered,
human
Merciful God! cried Coquenil in a flash of understanding,
gpt
A blower?
human
No doubt of it! It's sucking through an air shaft--up there--in the ceiling.
gpt
I--I don't understand.
human
He's _forcing_ a draught from that room to this one. He has started a blower, I tell you, and----
gpt
What _is_ a blower?
human
It's like a big electric fan, it's drawing air out of this room very fast, with a powerful suction, and I'm afraid--unless----
gpt
There goes the first one! Come over here! He bent toward the logs, searching for something.
human
Ah, here it is! Do you feel the air blowing through _toward_ us? The blower has sucked out one of our cloth plugs. There goes another! he said, as the popping sound was repeated.
gpt
And another! It's all off with our barricade, little girl!
human
You--you mean the fire will come through now?