 Why did Don want to walk by the creek?
Radio messages stated simply that Superior had seceded from Earth. He backed up two hundred feet, set out flares, then sped off to a telephone. A pilot who flew over it reported that it looked as if a great ice-cream scoop had bitten into the Ohio countryside. A National Guard officer volunteered to take a jeep down into the pit, having found a spot that seemed navigable. The object loomed out of a cloudbank at twelve thousand feet and Studley changed course to avoid it. Don Cort had been dozing in what passed for the club car on the Buckeye Cannonball when the train braked to a stop. Don hesitated, shrugged at the redhead, said, "Excuse me," and followed the conductor. Don made his way up to the locomotive and found a bigger knot of people gathered in front of the cowcatcher. Don saw two men who must have been the engineer and the fireman talking to an old bearded gentleman wearing a civil defense helmet, a topcoat and riding boots. "Something even Columbus couldn't find. Don Cort and the fireman walked cautiously toward the edge while the professor ambled ahead with the familiarity of one who had been there before. Nevertheless, Don could see that it apparently was a neat, sharp edge, not one of your old ragged, random edges such as might have been caused by an explosion. He didn't have to stand on tiptoe any more than he had to sit on the edge of his seat during the exciting part of a movie, but the situation seemed to call for it.
 to learn more about the levitating town
 to see if they could get off of Superior via the creek  to learn more about the levitating town  to get to know Alis better  to help get rid of the handcuff