up."

Fort stared incredulously for a second, then saw that she meant it.
The blood rushed to his face, leaving him white and shaky with
excitement. He made a sudden move toward the girl, checking himself
just as suddenly.

"Well!" His usually easy speech nearly failed him. But he laughed as
boldly as ever. "I am convinced that you are far from being a well
woman, Miss Mona! I shall have to call--often!"

And with a short but exceedingly intense gaze of infinite meaning,
he wheeled, clapped his cap to his head, dashed to his machine and
was gone.






IX

THE STAGNANT WORLD





Smith entered the mind of his Capellan agent at a moment when he was
clearly off duty. In fact, the engineer of the Cobulus was at the