President Morey. At
the end of it, he left the office, ascended to the roof, and climbed
into his small helicopter. He rose to the local traffic level, and
waiting his chance, broke into the stream of planes bound for the great
airfields over in the Jersey district. A few minutes later he landed on
the roof of the Transcontinental Airways shops, entered them, and went
to the office of the Designing Engineer, John Fuller, an old schoolmate.
They had been able to help each other before, for Fuller had not paid as
much attention to theoretical physics as he might have, and though he
was probably one of the outstanding aeronautical designers, he often
consulted Arcot on the few theoretical details that he needed. Probably
it was Arcot who derived the greatest benefit from this association, for
the ability of the designer had many times brought his theoretical
successes to practical commercial production. Now, however, he was
consulting Fuller, because the plane he was to take that afternoon for
San Francisco was to be slightly changed for him.

He stayed in Fuller's office for the better part of an hour, then
returned to the roof and thence to his own roof, where Morey junior was
waiting for him.

"Hello, Dick! I heard from Dad that you were going this afternoon, and
came over here. I got your note and I have the things fixed up here. The
plane leaves at one, and it's ten-thirty now. Let's eat lunch and then
start."

It was half-past eleven when they reached the flying field. They went
directly to the private office which had been assigned to them aboard
the huge plane. It was right next to the mail-room, and through the wall
between the two a small hole had been cut. Directly beneath this hole
was a table, on which the two men now set up a small moving picture
camera they had brought with them.

"How many of the gas sample bottles did you bring, Bob?" asked Arcot.

"Jackson had only four ready, so I brought those. I think that will be
enough. Have we got that camera properly placed?"

"Everything's O.K., I believe. Nothing to do now but wait."

Time passed--then they heard a faint whir; the ventilator machinery had
started. This drew air in from outside, and pumped it up to the
necessary pressure for breathing in the ship, no matter what the
external pressure might be. There was a larger pump attached similarly
to each of the engines to supply it with the necessary oxygen. Any loss
in power by pumping the air in wa