Gladys Hickson reported to Tony Stackhouse that the Back Half residents had moved into the access tunnel. She confirmed staff could not enter and the children could not exit. Gladys said the children had attempted to use their psychic abilities on staff; while these efforts did not work on prepared minds, they created a distracting, growing hum felt throughout Front Half.

Stackhouse, concerned about the hum’s increasing strength and its implications, sounded out Gladys about a “final solution” if the tunnel standoff required lethal action. Gladys, drawing on basic practical knowledge, proposed generating chlorine gas by mixing bleach and toilet bowl cleaner and feeding it into the tunnel through the HVAC intake. She advised placing buckets of the mixture under the intake and using a tarp to ensure strong suction, and noted staff in Back Half might need clearing if there was only one intake.

Stackhouse authorized Gladys to prepare the materials with Fred Clark from janitorial as a contingency while withholding operational details about Julia Sigsby’s whereabouts. Gladys departed to collect supplies, enthusiastic at the prospect of ending both the children’s occupation and the hum.

Alone, Stackhouse reflected on the Institute’s history and readiness to accept deaths as part of the work. He considered Sigsby’s risky operation in South Carolina potentially effective despite its apparent recklessness, comparing crisis conditions to a boxing match where plans collapse once blows land.

Stackhouse reviewed his own long-standing escape plan—money, false passports, travel logistics, and destination already set—but chose to stay for now, motivated by loyalty to Sigsby and belief in the mission to keep the world safe. He resolved to wait for a call on the special box phone; Sigsby’s report would determine his next move, and silence would also be an answer.