"Come! Lead the way, Geos; let us take a look at your world!"
XXXVII
LOOKING DOWN
Presently the three men were standing at the door of a vast room,
one entire side of which was wide open to the outer air. It was
filled by a number of queer, shining objects. At first glance
Chick took them to be immense beetles.
The Jan Lucar spoke to the Geos:
"We had best take the June Bug of the Rhamda Avec."
Watson thought it best to say nothing, show nothing. The Jan ran
up to one of the glistening affairs, and without the slightest
noise he spun it gracefully around, running it out into the centre
of the mosaic floor.
"I presume," apologised the Geos, "that you have much finer
aircraft in your world."
Aircraft! Watson was all eagerness. He saw that the June Bug was
about ten feet high, with a bunchy, buglike body. On closer
scrutiny he could make out the outlines of wings folded tight
against the sides. As for the material, it must have been metal,
to use a term which does not explain very much, after all. In
every respect the machine was a duplicate of some great insect,
except that instead of legs it had well-braced rollers.
"How does it operate?" Watson wanted to know. "That is, what power
do you use, and how do you apply it?"
The Jan Lucar threw back a plate. Watson looked inside, and saw a
mass of fine spider-web threads, softer than the tips of rabbit's
hair, all radiating from a central grey object about the size of a
pea.
Pages:
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319