normal,"
Manthis explained as the girl's pen raced over a pad. "That's why she
disappeared after dinner. I wanted you to get the full effect. Now
read this."

"The deadline is approaching," the girl's message read. "You'd better
take your injection now. It is 2:30 A.M."

"All right, prepare the hypodermics," directed the chemist. He had to
repeat this in a falsetto voice before June understood. "Make one for
Jack too."

June went out at express-train speed.

Baron glanced at his watch again. The minute hand was moving with the
speed at which the second hand usually traveled. Three fifteen
already!

When he looked up June was in the room again with two hypodermic
needles. Quickly she removed her father's coat and made the injection.

"Let her fix you up too, boy, unless you want to become a graven
image," commanded Manthis. His voice, which started at the ordinary
pitch, went up like a siren at the end as the drug took effect.
Dazedly Jack held out his arm.

* * * * *

The sting of the needle was followed by a roaring in his ears like a
hundred Niagaras. The room seemed to pitch and quiver. Staring down at
the watch he still clutched, Jack saw the hands slow down and at last
resume their accustomed pace. Gradually the unpleasant sensations died
away.

"That was a close shave," commented the doctor, drawing a long breath.
"I wouldn't have waited so long, except that I wanted to experience
the sensation of coming back from the edge of the infinite. Not very
nice! Like being pulled out of a whirlpool. It's 4:30 now. Took us an
hour to return to normal, although it seemed only minutes. We have an
hour and a half before the end. June, have you noticed anything
unusual on the streets?"

"Yes," whispered his daughter, her usually piquant face pinched and
white. "I've been watching from the balcony. It's dreadful. The people
creep about like things in a nightmare."

Manthis tried to reassure her. On his face was a great sadness which
was, however, overshadowed by a greater scientific curiosity.

"There's nothing we can do for them now," he said. "But we must learn
all we can. Let's go down and watch the city die."

They descended in an automatic elevator and hurried through the hotel
lobby. The lights of Fifth Avenue gleamed as brightly as ever. The
streets near the lower end of Central Park still were crowded. But
such crowds! They moved with infinite langour. Each step required