The Skylark of Space | Page 8

incessant
work had no effect. Seaton insisted that he must fix firmly just a few
more points before they eluded him, and stuck doggedly to his task.
Finally, Crane laid his work aside and went to call upon the girl. He
found her just leaving home, and fell into step beside her. For awhile
she tried to rouse herself to be entertaining, or at least friendly, but the
usual ease with which she chatted had deserted her, and her false
gayety did not deceive the keen-minded Crane for an instant. Soon the
two were silent as they walked along together. Crane's thoughts were
on the beautiful girl beside him, and on the splendid young genius
under his roof, so deeply immersed in his problem that he was
insensible to everything else.
* * * * *
"I have just left Dick," Crane said suddenly, and paying no attention to
her startled glance. "Did you ever in your life see anyone with his
singleness of purpose? With all his brilliance, one idea at a time is all
that he seems capable of--though that is probably why he is such a

genius. He is working himself insane. Has he told you about leaving the
Bureau?"
"No. Has he? Has it anything to do with what happened that day at the
laboratory? I haven't seen him since the accident, or discovery,
whichever it was, happened. He came to see me at half-past ten, when
he was invited for dinner--oh, Martin, I had been so angry!--and he told
such a preposterous story, I've been wondering since if I didn't dream
it."
"No, you didn't dream it, no matter how wild it sounded. He said it, and
it is all true. I cannot explain it to you; Dick himself cannot explain it,
even to me. But I can give you an idea of what we both think it may
come to."
"Yes, do."
"Well, he has discovered something that makes copper act mighty
queer--knocks it off its feet, so to speak. That day a piece went up and
never did come down."
"Yes, that is what is so preposterous!"
"Just a moment, please," replied the imperturbable Crane. "You should
know that nothing ordinary can account for Dick's behavior, and after
what I have seen this last week I shall never again think anything
preposterous. As I said, this piece of copper departed, via the window,
for scenes unknown. As far as a pair of good binoculars could follow it,
it held to a perfectly straight course toward those scenes. We intend to
follow it in some suitable vehicle."
He paused, looking at his companion's face, but she did not speak.
"Building the conveyance is where I come in," he continued in his
matter-of-fact voice. "As you know, I happen to have almost as much
money as Dick has brains, and some day, before the summer is over,
we expect to go somewhere. We do not know where, but it will be a
long way from this earth."

There was a silence, then Dorothy said, helplessly:
"Well, go on.... I can't understand...."
"Neither can I. All I know is that Dick wants to build a heavy steel hull,
and he is going to put something inside it that will take us out into
space. Only occasionally do I see a little light as he tries to explain the
mechanism of the thing to me."
After enjoining upon her the strictest secrecy he repeated the story that
Seaton had told him, and informed her as to the present condition of
affairs.
"It's no wonder the other chemists thought he was crazy, is it, Martin?"
"No, especially after the failure of his demonstration the next morning.
You see, he tried to prove to the others that he was right, and nothing
happened. He has found out since that an electrical machine in another
room, which was not running that morning, played a very important
part. When the copper refused to act as it had the night before they all
took the snap judgment that he had suffered an attack of temporary
insanity, and that the solution was worthless. They called him 'Nobody
Holme'."
"It almost fits, at that!" exclaimed Dorothy, laughing.
"But if he thought of that," she added, thoughtfully, "if he was brilliant
enough to build up such a wonderful theory ... think out such a thing as
actually traveling to the stars ... all on such a slight foundation of fact ...
I wonder why he couldn't have told me?"
She hadn't meant to utter the last thought. Nobody must know how
being left out of it had hurt her, and she would have recalled the words
if she could. Crane understood, and answered loyally.
"He will tell you all about it very soon, never fear. His is