The provided text is comprised of excerpts from the novel Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore, which primarily centers on cetacean research in Hawaii and the surreal disappearance and subsequent rescue of marine biologist Nathan Quinn. Quinn and his team, including his associate Amy Earhart and friend Clay Demodocus, face the mysterious ransacking of their office and the possible loss of their research data, all while dealing with rival scientists and military interference. The narrative takes a bizarre turn when Quinn is swallowed by a humpback whale-ship and discovers an advanced, self-aware subterranean world run by an organism known as the Goo, revealing that some whales are actually living, biologically engineered vessels piloted by small, amphibious creatures called whaley boys. The author also includes a conservation note at the end of the book, acknowledging the help of real-world researchers while discussing the ongoing threats to whales from whaling, habitat loss, and ocean pollution.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.