clearly
labeled seasickremedy, and then sucked at pills from various boxes whose
purpose was not so obvious. To conclude, he unstopped a glass vial and
sniffed at it. All the while Gootes hovered over him, solicitously
deluging him with friendly queries in one accent or another.

I lost interest in both fellowpassengers, for the plane, after shaking
us violently, started forward, and before I was clearly aware of it had
left the ground. Looking from the windows I regretted my first airplane
ride hadnt been taken under less trying circumstances, for it was an
extraordinarily pleasant experience to see the field dwindle into a
miniature of itself and the ground beneath become nothing more than a
large and highly colored reliefmap.

To our right was the stagnant river, dammed up behind the blockading arm
of grass. Leftward, downtown, the thumb of the cityhall pointed rudely
upward and far beyond was the listless Pacific. Ahead, the gridiron of
streets was shockingly interrupted and severed by the great green mass
plumped in its center.

It grew to enormous bigness and everything else disappeared; we were
over and looked down upon it, a pasture hummock magnified beyond belief;
retaining its essential identity, but made ominous by its unappropriate
situation and size. As we hovered above the very pinnacle, the rounded
peak which poked up at us, the pilot spoke over the intercommunication
system. "We will circle till the load is disposed of. First the animals
will be dropped, then the equipment, finally the passengers. Is that
clear?"

Everything was clear to me except how we should escape from that green
mountain once we had got upon it. This was apparently in the hands of Le
ffacase, a realization, remembering his grisly conversation, making me
no easier in my mind. Nor did I relish the pilot's casual description of
myself as part of a "load"--to be disposed of.

Slafe suddenly came to life and after peering through a sort of
lorgnette hanging round his neck, mumbling unintelligibly to himself all
the while, started his camera which went on clicking magically with no
apparent help from him. Efficiently and swiftly the crew fastened upon
the helpless and bleating sheep their parachutes and onebyone dropped
them through the open bombbay. The goat went last and she did not bleat,
but dextrously butted two of her persecutors and micturated upon the
third before being cast into space.

I would have forgone the dubious ho