ington, I've had a hunch--and I've gone against it.
Schwartzmann has tied me up for ready cash, and he represents the
biggest competitors we have. They're planning something--but we need
the land.... Oh, well, I've signed up; the property is mine; but...."

The counsellor laughed. "You need a change," he said; "I never knew
you to worry before. Why don't you jump on the China Mail this
afternoon; it connects with a good line out of Shanghai. You can be
tramping around the Himalayas to-morrow. A day or two there will fix
you up."

"Too busy," said Harkness. "Our experimental ship is about ready, so
I'll go and play with that. We'll be shooting at the moon one of these
days."

"The moon!" the other snorted. "Crazy dreams! McInness tried it, and
you know what happened. He came back out of control--couldn't check
his speed against the repelling area--shot through and stripped his
helicopters off against the heavy air. And that other fellow,
Haldgren--"

"Yes," said Harkness quietly, "Haldgren--he didn't fall back. He went
on into space."

* * * * *

"Impossible!" the counsellor objected. "He must have fallen unobserved.
No, no, Walter; be reasonable. I do not claim to know much about those
things--I leave them to the Stratosphere Control Board--but I do know this
much: that the lifting effect above the repelling area--what used to be
known as the heaviside layer--counteracts gravity's pull. That's why our
ships fly as they please when they have shot themselves through. But they
have to fly close to it; its force is dissipated in another ten thousand
feet, and the old earth's pull is still at work. It can't be done, my boy;
the vast reaches of space--"

"Are the next to be conquered," Harkness broke in. "And Chet and I
intend to be in on it." He glanced toward the young flyer, and they
exchanged a quiet smile.

"Remember how my father was laughed at when he dared to vision the
commerce of to-day? Crazy dreams, Warrington? That's what they said
when Dad built the first unit of our plant, the landing stages for the
big freighters, the docks for ocean ships while they lasted, the
berths for the big submarines that he knew were coming. They jeered at
him then. 'Harkness' Folly,' the first plant was called. And
now--well you know what we are doing."

He laughed softly. "Leave us our crazy dreams, Warrington," he
protested; "sometimes those dreams come true.... And I'll try to
forget my