Skylark Three

inian

ay, laden with empty containers, floated away fro

ed, curiously. "I can hardly beli

termined distance, as soon as the sending force is actuated. When you have finished your meal, the beam is shortened. Thus the tray is drawn back to the food laboratory, where other forces cleanse and sterilize the various utensils and place

t of the time, to keep our cook good-natured. Well, I see Rovol's got his boat here for me, so gues

ys and things you are going after makes me dizzy in the head. Mrs. Orlon is going to take us over to the Country of Youth-she sa

Seaton stepped out into the grounds,

hull tapered down smoothly to a needle point at each end. As Seaton entered and settled himself into the cushions, Rovol touched a lever. Instantly a transparent door slid across the opening, locking itself into position flush with the surface of the hull, and the flier darted into the air

ought us, I am confident that we shall be able to work out a satisfactory solution of the various problems involved. It will take us some few minu

how ignorant and dumb I am compared to you. There's a lot of things I don't get at all. First, and nearest, this airboat. I

ed in my laboratory. All that is here in the

ors and tide motors? I know that all your work is done by pr

ated in abundance in outer space, and that they could be collected upon spherical condensers and transmitted without loss to the surface of the planet b

get them fa

oduced from turbines, solar motors, and tide motors. With a few of them out, however, it was easy to obtain sufficient power to send out mor

will penetrate a zone of force. I am to

e of force, which is itself a fourth-order phenomenon, sets up a condition of stasis in the particles composing the ether. These particles are relatively so coarse, that rays and particles of the fifth order will pass through the fixed zone without retardation. Therefore, if there is anything between the particles of the ether-this matter is being debated

ill Rovolon

fourth, fifth, and probably higher orders of rays which, if they are generated in space at all, are beyond our present reach. The zone of force is necessary to shield certain

eplied cordially. "Just as the higher-powered a ra

allow interfering waves to enter sensitive electrical apparatus-in that same fashion will even the slightest ether vibration interfere

e theory of the fourth

s more or less similar and also highly useful forces which you have not yet discovered, but are allowing to go to waste. We know exactly what they are, how to liberate and control them, and how to use them. In fact, in the work which we are to begin today, we shall use

entrance of the imposing structure of vari-colored marble and gleaming metal and into the vast, glass-lined room that was his laboratory. Great be

uld be with dangerous frequencies and with high pressures, and that the suits were not only absolute insulators against electricity, heat, and sound, but w

ect job of plating, and one done in the twinkling of an eye. He then cut out a piece of the treated copper the size of a pea, and other forces rapidly built around it a structure of coils and metallic tubes. This apparatus he suspended in the air at the extremity of a small beam of force. The block of copper was next cut in two, and Rovol's fingers moved rapidly over the keys of a machine which resembled slightly an overgrown and exceedingly complic

it with anything," Seaton protested,

f force hurled themselves upon that brilliant spherical mirror of pure energy, seized it in mid-flight, and sh

have been intolerable but for the protective color-filters of his helmet. Tremendous flashes of lightning ripped and tore from the relief-points of the bench to the ground-rods, which flared at blue-white temperature under the ince

the bidding of that wonderful brain, stored with the accumulated knowledge of countless thousands of years of scientific research. Watching the ancient physicist work, Seaton compared himself to a schoolboy mixing chemicals indiscriminately and ignorantly, with no knowledge whatever of their properties, occasionally obtaining a reaction by pure chance. Whereas he had worked with intra-atomic energy sc

time in his zeal of accomplishment, the while carefully instru

ried a tubular network of latticed metal, mounted like an immense telescope. Near the upper, outer end of this openwork tube a group of nine forces held the field of force rigidly in place in its axis; at the lower extremity were mounted seats for two operators and the control panels necessary for the operation of the intricate system of forces and motors which would a

the controlling panel a mellow note sounded throughout the building, and he im

d I could not have accomplished nearly this much during one period of labor. The periods of exercise and of relaxation are at h

n. "Let's finish it up and shoot a litt

t such conduct is worse than foolish-it is criminal. We have labored the full period. Laboring for more than that length of time without recuperation results in a loss of power which, if persisted in, wreaks permanent injury to the mind; and by it you gain nothing. We have more than ample time to do t

way," lamented Seaton as the small airship tore t

to do more than can be accomplished efficiently? There is always tomorrow. I am more interested in that which we are now building than you can possibly be, since many generations of the Rovol have anticipated its construction; yet I realize that in the interest of our welfare and for the progress of civilization, today's la

mpetuous chemist conceded, as their cra

still strangers to the Terrestrials. In a few minutes Orlon's companion, a dignified, white-haired woman, entered; accompanied by Doro

y little th

building it and I am doing what little I can to help him. In a few days we shal

pure neutronium. There's nothing dense enough around here, even in the core of the central sun, so we're going out to a white dwarf star-one a good deal like the companion star to

been under the impression that it does not exi

ty. Got to have it for lenses and controls for the fifth-order forces. Those rays go right through anything less dense without measurable refraction. But I see R

you incorrigible young cub!"

ion and I'll shut up like a clam. I'd lik

clared. "We've been designing fabrics and orname

Orlon, it's your

ich are unfamiliar to you. You all swim, however, and as that

e changed abruptly. "Wait a minute-I don't know

n as in salt, and the pool is n

its polished metal bottom and sides strikingly decorated with jewels and glittering tiles in tasteful yet contrasting inlaid designs. Any desired depth of water was available and plainly marked, from the fenced-off shallows where the smalles

e out upon the apparatus and went through a series of methodical dives and gymnastic performances. It was evident that they swam, as Orlon had intimated, for exercise. To them, exercise

r, locked arms and sprang to surround the four

ped into the pool and turned around to watch. Seaton and Dorothy, both strong swimmers, locked arms and laughed

ny feet they went down before the cordon was broken and the individual units came to the surface. Then pandemonium reigned. Vigorous informal games, having to do with floating and sinking balls and effigies: pushball, in which the players never seemed to know, or to care, upon which side they were playing; water-fights and ducking c

Over and around him the lithe forms flashed, while the rest of the young people splashed water impartially over a

s, thoroughly ducked and almost half

ure ray-projector, no larger than a fountain pen, and flashed it briefly upon one of the hundreds of button-like

ing this, the period of relaxation and repose-it is so different from

as to be barely perceptible, while a peculiar somber fragrance pervaded the atmosphere. The music rapidly ran the gamut to the limit of audibility and, in the same tempo, the lights traversed the visible sp

incredibly complex loom of sound. As went the harmony, so the play of light accompanied it. Neither music nor illumination came from any apparent source; they simply pervaded the entire room. When the music was fast-and certain passages were of a rapidity impossible for any human fingers to attain-the li

k of it, Mrs. Sea

how much I like it. I never dreamed of such absolute perfection of execution, and the way the lig

er and continued: "You need not apologize. I had a reason for speaking as I did, for in you I recognize a real musician, and our music is indeed entirely soulless. That is the result of our ancient c

tatues are

we also had real music, but, unlike statuary, music at that time could not

rgaret take up her guitar, and strike four sonorous chords in "A." Then, as if they had been there in person, they heard themselves sing "The Bull-Frog" and all

oduction for a moment. "The entire planet was listening to you very attentiv

Margaret. "Were you broad

hey can do most anything w

uthful music, for we can now preserve it exactly as it is sung. But much as we enjoyed the quartette, Mrs. Seaton, it was your work upon the violin that took u

n't you rather I'd play you so

bor. We cou

right now, with somebody to listen, who really enjoys music; whereas,

Dot! I'll get

ore Dorothy, borne by a pencil of force. "While that temperament is incomprehensible to every

f lesser mental attainments; and their profound enjoyment of her playing, burned into her mind by the telepathic, almost hypnotic power of the Norlaminian mentality, raised her to heights of power she had never before attained. Playing as one inspired, she went through one tremendous solo after another-holding her listeners spellbound, urged on by their intens

usician almost collapsed into Seaton's arms. The profound silence, mor

inute. I wish they could have had that on a recorder-I'll never be

ar type to which yours belongs, yet we realized that each time you play you are doing something that no one, not even yourself, can ever do again in precisely the same subtle fashion. Therefore we allowed, in fact encouraged, you to go on as long as that creative impulse should endure-n