Charlotte accompanies Thaddeus on a lecture tour - where Thaddeus is revealing exciting details of a recent natural world discovery which has been made into a rare species - the Malucu Devil Spider. The entire event is suddenly disrupted by the unexpected intrusion of sinister men - eventually revealed to be led by the enigmatic Block, who for some unknown reason has stolen the spider and transported it to a mysterious destination. Meanwhile, staying in the Killimooin mountains on holiday - in the heart of Baronia - is a wonderful experience for the children.