`` we have to talk to my uncle . waiting for him to fill in the silence and say what had happened . he smiled , trying to lighten the conversation , and turned on a battery-powered lantern , sitting it on top of a plastic crate , adjusting the brightness . then , in a voice filled with awe , `` we must be beneath the lake . certainly i have n't fallen in love with them . '' `` might want to cut her some slack , '' patch suggested . 