rth the big scientist was getting at.

"The pursuit of truth has led me along many devious routes," Zircon
continued. "I have tried, with some success and many failures, to plumb
the mysteries of Nature. But while I have tried to make the business of
our natural universe my own, I have never thrust my not-inconsiderable
nose into the business of neighbors. However, this admirable reticence
has limits, since, as a scientist, I am also possessed of that inherent
trait of curiosity without which no person can succeed in science."

Rick exploded into laughter. "And what you're leading up to is, you want
to go see what those people are doing!"

"Precisely," Zircon admitted.

Tony and the boys roared with laughter.

"Hobart," Tony said with a chuckle, "you never fail to astonish me. And
how do you propose to stick your not-inconsiderable nose into the
business now going on over there?"

Zircon waved his hand. "The method was developed by our young Mr. Brant,
who sometimes shows slight sparks of intelligence. He has a device which
projects infrared light, and glasses that allow the wearer to see
whatever that light illuminates."

Rick stared. Zircon was proposing that they take his underwater camera
and use it for illumination. That must mean ... "You want to swim over
with the lungs?" he asked incredulously.

"And why not?"

"But we've never done any night diving!"

"You tested the camera at night, did you not?"

"Yes," Rick admitted, "but that was in water that we knew, off Pirate's
Field at home. And we only stayed in long enough to expose a few feet of
film."

"We know enough about these waters to know that there are no dangerous
obstructions beyond the reef, at least between here and the _Maiden
Hand_."

Scotty laughed. "This is a day I never thought would come. It's usually
the other way around, with Rick trying to sell some idea that everyone
else opposes. Why not swim at night, Rick?"

"No reason," Rick admitted. "It was just that it hadn't occurred to me.
There's one difficulty, though. I have only two pairs of glasses with
infrared-sensitive lenses. So only two of us could go."

"Only two could dive with the camera," Tony corrected. "But all of us
could go. Two would remain on the surface, with the floats, in case of
trouble."

"Who would dive and who would stay on the surface?" Scotty demanded.

Rick produced a quarter. "Let coins decide. Except for the professor. He
thought of it, so he dives.