Nanette, and don't under any condition leave the chair.
The path of the ray should pass within two feet of you, having a wide
margin of safety. All right, Karl. Set the dials of the inverse
dimensional tubes at point seven six eleven, and switch the power to
the Roentgen tube."

Through the dimly lighted laboratory came a spurt of bluish flame that
twisted and squirmed with slow undulations around the cathode
electrode.

"Fine," enthused Carruthers, "The cathode emanations coincide exactly
with the interference chart. Watch your meter gauges, Karl, while I
switch to the atomic ray."

* * * * *

His fingers closed over a switch. The indigo points of flame bathing
the electrode gathered themselves into a ring and began to revolve
around an invisible nucleus located near the electrode. Carruthers
studied the revolving flame for a moment, then switched off the
television machine. It was no longer needed.

Carefully, for the atomic ray was still a mysterious force to
Carruthers, he opened a small door in the panel and drew out the
focusing machine. It was shaped very much like a camera except that
the lens protruded several inches beyond the machine proper.

With infinite patience he made the final adjustments and moved away
from the front of the lens. "Ready?"

Danzig nodded and threw on the full power of the inverse dimensional
tubes. A low clear hum filled the quiet room of the laboratory. From
the lens of the focusing machine shot a pale, amber beam. It struck
the glass test tube squarely in the center and glowed against its
smooth sides.

Carruthers reached across his own machine and turned the final switch.
The amber beam emanating from the lens increased in intensity. And as
it increased it took on a deep violet color.

Nanette cried out in muffled alarm. But even as Vincent raised his
voice to quiet her fears the test tube suddenly shrunk to nothingness
and vanished into the ether.

"Aaron!" whispered the girl, awesomely. "It ... it's gone!"

Carruthers nodded. Beads of sweat stood out upon his forehead. Would
the returning ray work? He had made the test tube follow the same
route as that taken by Professor Dahlgren. Both were gone. He clicked
off the switch and the beam faded.

* * * * *

With a deliberate calmness that in no way matched the inner tumult
brought on by the experiment, he turned the dials of the machine he
and Danzig had