But we were now at
the summit of favor and influence, and it is impossible to guess what
thoughts may have been in their minds. At any rate, it showed how
completely Edmund had established himself in Ala's esteem, and I suspect
that her woman's curiosity had played a large part in the decision. There
was another thing which astonished me yet more, and, in fact, awakened a
good deal of apprehension in my mind. I could not but wonder that Edmund,
after all the precautions that he had previously taken, should now think
of admitting these people into the car, where they could witness his
manipulations of the mechanism. I spoke to him about it. "Rest your mind
easy about that," he said. "Now that everything goes like a charm, they
will suspect nothing. It will be all a complete mystery to them. Even the
gods used natural agencies when they visited the earth without shaking
the belief of mankind in them. I employ no force of which they have the
least idea, and if they see me touch a button, or pull a knob, what can
that convey to their minds except an impression of mysterious power?"
I said no more, but I was not convinced, and the sequel proved that, for
once, Edmund had made a serious mistake, the more amazing because he had
been the first to detect the exceptional intelligence and shrewdness of
Ingra.
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