a whole hour late, and very sorry, indeed, to have kept you
waiting so long. But now, my good fellow, you must be off; I will not
detain you a moment longer than it takes to thank you for your kindness
from the bottom of my heart."

So saying, I shook his hand warmly, and accompanying him to the balcony,
waved him adieu.

The gratitude which I had thus expressed to Reon, was by no means mere
acting. My hasty glance at the instructions had convinced me that he had
been the means of saving my life. Without noticing the hour mentioned, I
had just time enough, while Reon was speaking, to note that he was
instructed to turn on the current from the upper chamber of the
virator, and, half an hour later, to shut off the super-radium current.
I felt that Almos had in this way prepared to save my life, in case I
arrived at the observatory too late to return to Earth. With wonderful
forethought--perhaps even a premonition of my late return--he had
requested Reon to visit the observatory and instructed him what to do at
a certain time, with the result that Almos' spirit had been transferred
to my body in Paris, before it was lost forever by passing out of wave
contact.

Hastening to the virator, I now examined it, and found that Reon had
faithfully carried out the instructions, although he was unaware that in
so doing he had saved a life, doubtless thinking that in Almos' absence,
he had merely attended to the details of an important experiment.

I felt that I could never repay Almos for all he had undertaken for my
safety. The following evening I would enter the virator, and do
precisely as Almos had done on previous evenings. When Almos' spirit had
arrived, he would then change the current to an outflowing one, and
dispatch my spirit to Earth.

Although my thoughts of Zarlah had been interrupted by the excitement
incident to finding Reon at the observatory, I was soon absorbed once
more in the subject ever foremost in my mind. With my head resting on my
hands, I sat hour after hour, endeavoring to conceive some plan--no
matter how hazardous--that would result in my being able to remain on
Mars with Zarlah. But the gloom of despair only deepened, and all
solutions were perforce dismissed.

At my feet lay the slip of paper which bore the instructions for Reon.
Many times during the long hours of deep thought, had my eyes rested
upon it, only to seek a new object as a new problem confronted me.
Suddenly, starting to my feet