The source is an extensive excerpt from a novel titled "Learning to Swim" by Sara J. Henry, indicated by the chapter listings and included pages. The narrative focuses on a woman named Troy Chance, who rescues a young, French-speaking boy, Paul, after witnessing him fall from a ferry into Lake Champlain. Troy quickly suspects Paul was a victim of a kidnapping and attempted murder, choosing to keep him safe at her home rather than immediately involving the police, who she fears will not believe her story. Her decision launches a personal investigation into Paul’s background, leading her to his father, Philippe Dumond, and ultimately uncovering a complex plot involving Paul’s presumed-dead mother, Madeleine, who faked her own death and was responsible for the kidnapping. The excerpt culminates with Troy aiding law enforcement in uncovering the truth and eventually confronting Madeleine, before departing from Paul and his father, who are reunited but forever changed by the events.

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