leading edge of the wing to stop from falling. The whole
body of the plane gave a fraction of an inch and then resisted my
leaning weight with lazy power, just like a gyroscope.

"Antigravity," I croaked, though you couldn't have heard me two feet.
Then my voice came back. "Pop, Alice! They got antigravity!
Antigravity--and it's working!"

Alice had just come around the wing and was facing me. She was shaking
too and her face was white like I knew mine was. Pop was politely
standing off a little to one side, watching us curiously. "Told you
you'd won a real prize," he said in his matter-of-fact way.

Alice wet her lips. "Ray," she said, "we can get away."

Just those four words, but they did it. Something in me unlocked--no,
exploded describes it better.

"We can go places!" I almost shouted.

"Beyond the dust," she said. "Mexico City. South America!" She was
forgetting the Deathlander's cynical article of belief that the dust
never ends, but then so was I. It makes a difference whether or not
you've got a means of doing something.

"Rio!" I topped her with. "The Indies. Hong Kong. Bombay. Egypt.
Bermuda. The French Riviera!"

"Bullfights and clean beds," she burst out with. "Restaurants. Swimming
pools. Bathrooms!"

"Skindiving," I took it up with, as hysterical as she was. "Road races
and roulette tables."

"Bentleys and Porsches!"

"Aircoups and DC4s and Comets!"

"Martinis and hashish and ice cream sodas!"

"Hot food! Fresh coffee! Gambling, smoking, dancing, music, drinks!" I
was going to add _women_, but then I thought of how hard-bitten little
Alice would look beside the dream creatures I had in mind. I tactfully
suppressed the word but I filed the idea away.

I don't think either of us knew exactly what we were saying. Alice in
particular I don't believe was old enough to have experienced almost any
of the things the words referred to. They were mysterious symbols of
long-interdicted delights spewing out of us.

"Ray," Alice said, hurrying to me, "let's get aboard."

"Yes," I said eagerly and then I saw a little problem. The door to the
plane was a couple of feet above our heads. Whoever hoisted himself up
first--or got hoisted up, as would have to be the case with Alice on
account of her hand--would be momentarily at the other's mercy. I guess
it occurred to Alice too because she stopped and looked at me. It was a
little like the old teaser about the fox, the goose, and the corn.

Maybe, t