Beyond the Vanishing Point

ion. They stood transfixed, staring with cold terror at the fly which was scurrying along the floor close to the wall. It was already as large as Alan's hand. It ran into the

lan was aware of Dr. Kent rushing with trembling steps to a shelf where bottle

a membrane sac of eggs, was now as large as his head; its wides

the fly, crashed against the ceiling, came down with splinterin

struck the monstrous fly, but did not hurt it. The fly stood with hairy legs braced under its bulging body. Its multiple eyes were staring at the humans. And with its size

ts growth would soon fill this room. Burst it; burst upward through a wrecke

"Father, get back! It's too

is thing was horrifying! The fly was already half the length of his own body. In a moment it might be twice t

e girl, get out of her

! Sodden, gray-black and green-slimed monsters of the deep; palpitating masses of pulp! One lay rocking, already as large as a football with streamers of ooze hanging from it, and squirting a bl

of the shattered bottle of chemicals were choking Alan. He

e to the o

loor; pouring acids upon them. Some eluded

re of Polter who, undoubtedly, had been attracted by the noise. He shouted a startled oath. Alan heard it above the beating wings of t

ot the enlarging drug, Glor

ward this room, from the laboratory. Alan, with averted face, choke

sounds from the laboratory, and the whole palace now ringing wit

s into a corridor. We must get out of here. A crack under the door-is that it, off there?" Dr. Kent pointed in

o a spread of cellular surface, ridged with broken, tubelike tunnels; pits

ed hurriedly. "The door is where

tle. The door was distinguishable-a square panel several hundred feet in width and to

rd a glow of light. Then they came from under the door into a corridor-and shrank against a cliff wall as with a rush of wind

's too far in this size. We must get larger-

wait. The excessive dose they took of the drug made the corridor shrink with dizzying speed. They rushed along

nd them. The palace was rocking. Its roof heaved upward and then smashed and fell aside with the clatter of tumbling masonry. The monstrous fly, its hideous face mashed and oozing, reared itself up and, with

hing the palace walls outward. In a m

Overhead were the stars, shining peacefully remote. Nearby lay a rapidly narrowing channel of shining water. A tiny city was across it. Lights were movi

g the other way. He lunged and scrambled into a yawning black hole in the mountains. Polter was escaping! None of these peo

ay. And that is Polter going. I do not think

ross-or leap over, and follow him out. Babs is wi

erical. "Why, this, all this-why look, Glora, it's funny! This little wo

for it; others, floundering in the water, were trying to climb upon it. Dr. Kent had stepped a

t's funny, isn't it? All those

we'll wade across. Polter won't have much start on us. We mustn't get too close to

l to one side of the toy city. Their growth had almost stopped. But sudden

hat are y

I cannot forsake it now. I must give the enlarging drug to

lo

. There is a chance they can save their cit

Alan. You have enough of t

You can't! If you do,

girl who had cajoled Polter, or tricked him and stolen several of the vials from him, heavens knows how, an

-stricken tiny city, the island with its monsters rising to overwhelm this tiny world-it s

hought that I was back on that island. But Babs, a prisoner in the golden cage, w

this drug, can conquer and enslave our Earth as he has enslaved Orena-just o

ooped and kissed her white forehead; his fingers

bye, G

ran for the cliff. They were too large to squeeze into the little hole. But in a moment they made thems

ra's world only an hour or two before. The distant island beyond the city showed plainly with the shining water around it. The vegetation ther

Come,

his lips, Alan plunged into the dim