Beyond the Vanishing Point

lter's and another man's. I could see the distant monster shape of one. He was at first so far away that all his outline was visible. A seated man in a huge white room. I thought there were g

d to be a

d shoulders. He wore a white linen coat, open, soft collar and b

s familiar about his face. It was wrinkled and seamed

his white shirt and coat, a black splotch of

ow cry. "Why-

's words were not needed, t

determined to compound no more of our drugs? You would rather I

addressed. He must have

ce toward me. "George, i

't let him know I

was an agonized cry. The blur of him

nding, I could envis

I haf her here, safe. You always knew I would nefer be satisfied

, don't anger him. Do what he says. Dr. Polter, will you let me be with my father? Af

Babs iss

, after all these years wh

s them. He can do that. And that last secret reaction, only he can perform. He iss stubborn.

! I want only t

ce floated up to us. "Yo

ing. But you n

on, years of being beaten down, rebelling-but now this last blow

I will not make your drugs, Polte

ow we bargain. What do you care what I do to your world?

o ca

am done with the Earth world. It iss much nicer here. My friends, they haf a good time always. We like this littl

voice fell to an intimate tone of comradeship

ng assistant, the hunchback Polter. Iss it not so? Then why should we quarrel now? I am gifing up t

to say," retorte

dred feet. I haf a place, a room, secluded from prying eyes under a dome roof. I become very tall, holding a piece of gold. It is large when I am a hundred feet tall. So

, now. I am gifing up the Earth world. The mysterious man they know as Frank Rascor will vanish. I will hide our little fragment of quartz. No one up there will even try to find it. The

e will be friends, Kent. Our little Babs will lof me; why should she n

e now. That was her request, a moment ago. If

not spare her now. I am very bu

he bars of our cage. She called; "W

w, litt

e with my

t. She wanted the cage put on the floor, herself out, and a chance for me to

t now. I will take you with me on my last trip out. I

fresh drugs I will need to bring down all my men from the outer world. They will all be glad to come

es

and gif you the catalyst for that

es

whirl as Polter turned and left the room, lockin

ller ones adjoining, was at once his workshop and his prison. He stood at his shelves, selecting the basic chemicals. He coul

automatic; he had done all this so many times before. His mind was confused, and he was trembling from hea

me down from the world above. It was disast

nly hear

the

Two small figures were there on the floor beside him. They

boat, then diminished again and had come running throu

d; he sat in a chair while Alan swiftly told him what had happened. Babs was in t

l, Father. We have the

Show me. Oh, my boy, th

ry. We'll get

ted fingers could get out the vials. They took some of the diminish

s,

's the wrong dr

rembling hand spilled some of the p

an held an opalescent

y, "Listen! Is tha

hing footsteps. A moment passed

"That was nothing. W

, after all

a very queer sound came from across the room.

Father

unning across the floor. The fly ha

ging drug

the drug on the floor. And from the wa