was in reality a tremendous explosion, as the
motion. Then they were in the open air.
released vortex disintegrated everything
In the half-gloom, a huge Stutgart around it into flying particles. I doubt if loomed before them. Wistert scrambled in the
anyone can be alive in any of the sub-levels.”
cabin, half pulled by his companion. He saw
“And that’s the end of Bergmann’s
as in a daze that Y-44 was in one of the twin
mad work,” said Wistert thoughtfully.
pilot seats, darting her hands around. A dull
“Betrayed by one of his own gland-men!
roar sounded ahead. Y-44’s face, a little pale,
Well, he had it coming.”
swung around to him.
The ship winged its way toward
“All set to go, S-23. But you’ll have to
Egypt—and honor for its two pilots—as a red
handle the stick and vanes. It’s a two-man job
dawn lit up the world below in rosy tints. That
running one of these monsters. Oh!”—It was a
same dawn that was to have marked their
wholly feminine scream—“you’re hurt!”
deaths as spies. The sun rose ever higher.
Wistert pushed her roughly away as
Y-44 had bound Wistert’s wound as
best she could. She turned suddenly to him, a
immense effort of will he caught his lagging
little piqued.
senses, hammered them into alertness with
“May I inform you, S-23, that you
pure mental concentration. He threw himself
have been staring at me for one solid hour.
into the other pilot seat.
What can be so interesting in my grimy face,
He was fully awake now. While the
anyway?”
engines warmed up, he scanned the strange
“I was just wondering,” said Wistert
controls carefully. Then he nodded toward dreamily, “if your eyes are blue or Y-44, who, to his irritation, was watching him
perhaps-violet. That will be my next
anxiously.
mission—a private one—but rather important,
With a roar the huge airplane’s three
in a way.”