obvious that my first surmise was all wrong. The speed of the earth's
rotation can't have been increased, because if it had to the extent
we see, we'd have been thrown off into space long ago. But--have
you read anything about the Fourth Dimension?"

Estelle shook her head hopelessly.

"Well, then, have you ever read anything by Wells? The 'Time
Machine,' for instance?"

Again she shook her head.

"I don't know how I'm going to say it so you'll understand, but
time is just as much a dimension as length and breadth. From what I
can judge, I'd say there has been an earthquake, and the ground has
settled a little with our building on it, only instead of settling
down toward the center of the earth, or side-wise, it's settled in
this fourth dimension."

"But what does that mean?" asked Estelle uncomprehendingly.

"If the earth had settled down, we'd have been lower. If it had
settled to one side, we'd have been moved one way or another, but as
it's settled back in the Fourth Dimension, we're going back in time."

"Then--"

"We're in a runaway skyscraper, bound for some time back before
the discovery of America!"