I have only a rudimentary grasp of chemistry.

Everywhere in the river appeared a very remarkable conglomerate, and like the slate in exhibiting all the stages of formation. The matrix was the blue clay of the bank, the rubble was the gravel of the bottom.

As most patients had only one blood culture drawn, it was not possible to ascertain the role of bacteria of uncertain clinical relevance, such as coagulase-negative staphylococci, diphtheroids and Bacillus species.

In my mind I had won. Lyndon was with me and not with Hope so whether the two of them shut me out of their reindeer games or included me, it didn't matter one iota to me.