There
is no fuel for the flying platform."

* * * * *

The platform was in a warehouse which, like the rest of the structures
in Rathole, was a half-buried dome. The platform's ring-shaped base was
less than a meter thick, standing on four metal legs. On top of it, in
the center, was a railed circle that would hold two men, but would crowd
them. Two small gasoline engines sat on each side of this railed circle
and between them on a third side was the fuel tank. The passengers
entered it on the fourth side.

The machine was dusty and spotted with rust, Jan, surrounded by Sanchez,
Diego and a dozen men, inspected it thoughtfully. The letters USN*SES
were painted in white on the platform itself, and each engine bore the
label "Hiller."

Jan peered over the edge of the platform at the twin-ducted fans in
their plastic shrouds. They appeared in good shape. Each was powered by
one of the engines, transmitted to it by heavy rubber belts.

Jan sighed. It was an unhappy situation. As far as he could determine,
without making tests, the engines were in perfect condition. Two
perfectly good engines, and no fuel for them.

"You're sure there's no gasoline, anywhere in Rathole?" he asked
Sanchez.

Sanchez smiled ruefully, as he had once before, at Jan's appellation for
the community. The inhabitants' term for it was simply "_La Ciudad
Nuestra_"--"Our Town." But he made no protest. He turned to one of the
other men and talked rapidly for a few moments in Spanish.

"None, _senor_," he said, turning back to Jan. "The Americans, of
course, kept much of it when they were here, but the few things we take
to Oostpoort to trade could not buy precious gasoline. We have
electricity in plenty if you can power the platform with it."

Jan thought that over, trying to find a way.

"No, it wouldn't work," he said. "We could rig batteries on the platform
and electric motors to turn the propellers. But batteries big enough to
power it all the way to Oostpoort would be so heavy the machine couldn't
lift them off the ground. If there were some way to carry a power line
all the way to Oostpoort, or to broadcast the power to it.... But it's a
light-load machine, and must have an engine that gives it the necessary
power from very little weight."

Wild schemes ran through his head. If they were on water, instead of
land, he could rig up a sail. He could still rig up a sail, for a
groundcar, except for the chasm