Then, when he found
himself defeated, and his wishes disregarded, on all sides, he began to
hate us. It is easy enough to account for his feelings. Now, since our
recent astonishing triumph, being himself incredulous about our celestial
origin, he will try to undermine us by showing that our seeming miracle
is no miracle at all."
"And you gave him the chance by taking him in the car!" I could not help
exclaiming.
"Yes," said Edmund, with a smile. "I admit that I made a mistake. I
counted too much upon the influence of the sense of mystery. But it will
come out all right."
"I doubt it," I persisted. "He will never rest now until he has found out
the secret."
Nothing more was said on the subject, but Edmund was careful not to leave
the car unguarded. It was always kept afloat, though in contact with the
landing. The expenditure of energy needed to keep it thus anchored
without support was, Edmund assured us, insignificant in comparison with
the quantity stored in his mysterious batteries.
We were not long in finding, on all sides, evidence that our trip up
through the cloud dome had been a master stroke, and that the presumable
incredulity of Ingra with regard to our claims was not shared by others.
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