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Gryce retraced his steps, and barely stopping to note the boy eying him with eager glances from the doorway of Room A, he approached the iron balustrade guarding the small staircase, and cautiously looked over. A man was there! A man going down no, coming up; and this man, as he soon saw from his face and uniform, was Correy the attendant.
Gryce succeeded in hiding his extreme satisfaction, but not the perplexity into which he was thrown by this complete change of base. The Curator appeared to be impressed in much the same way, and shook his head in a doubtful fashion when Correy asked him if he recognized the bow as belonging to the museum.
The great circular door of each was open, as though opened that same day or a century before. "Three thousand feet, sir," said Correy. "Proceed at the same speed," I replied. Whatever fate had overtaken the men of the other ships had caused them to disappear entirely and without sign of a struggle. But what conceivable fate could that be? "Two thousand feet, sir," said Correy.
"What might I not be forced to encounter when the knob to this was turned! Some strolling guest Correy the attendant or even the guard who was never where he was needed and always where he was not! For anyone to be there of sufficient intelligence to note my face and the place from which I came meant the end of all things to me. It was not necessary for this imaginary person to be in the room.
Of these sections the middle one on either side is much larger than the rest; otherwise they do not differ. It was in the midst of this larger section that Correy now stood, awaiting their approach.
I waited grimly while an hour, two hours, went by. My field narrowed down to one continent, to a part of one continent. I glanced up at the surface temperature gauge and noted that the hand was registering a few degrees above normal. Correy, who had relieved Kincaide as navigating officer, followed my gaze. "Shall we reduce speed, sir?" he asked crisply. "To twice atmospheric speed," I nodded.
"It worked, sir. He flushed like a man who had been struck; then he grew white with indignation and blurted forth that it was no more his shadow than it was Mr. Roberts' that indeed it was much more like Mr. Roberts' than the Curator's. At which I simply remarked: 'You think so, Correy? To which he replied: 'I do not think anything.
Consequently it could not have served the purpose he had just ascribed to it. It must have had some other use. But when, after an impatient flinging aside of this nondescript article, Mr. Gryce spoke, it was to say: "I had a long talk with Correy to-day. It seems that he goes through both galleries every morning before the museum opens.
"One thousand feet, sir," said Correy. I hesitated an instant. Undoubtedly the atmosphere had been tested by the other ships before they landed. In the case of the second ship, at any rate, those in command must have been on the alert against danger. And yet both of those ships lay there motionless, vacant, deserted. I could feel the eyes of the men on me. My decision must be delayed no further.
Do you think" here he drew Correy into the gallery out of earshot of the boy, who was watching them with all the curiosity of his fourteen years "that this lad could have stolen from where we are standing now to the door where you first saw him, during the time you were making your rush up the stairs? Boys of his age are mighty quick, and " "I know it, sir; and I see what you mean.
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