His audience was speechless with astonishment.
Earl went on: "Since then, it has been my theory that time is nothing but undirected vibrations of some unknown source. Vibrations which when left alone, follow certain paths. BUT WE KNOW NOW THAT THEY CAN BE DIRECTED AND CONTROLLED!"
The American's eyes flashed with zeal as he spoke. "Mina! Have Anton Yousopoff arrested on some charge. Make him the victim of one of your Gay Pay Oo midnight raids. Anything, just so he is kept from attending the Treaty Conference!"
The girl's eyes widened with excitement. "I will!" she cried. "It may cost me my position, but then if I do lose it, I won't need permission to marry you!"
She kissed Earl and dashed from the room.
The men sat silently until she returned. "It has been so ordered!" she announced.
But Earl was not finished. "Vassily, in order to study the control of these time vibrations, what do you say to another little trip to see what the new version of the Treaty Conference will be?"
Vassily looked uneasy and was about to object when Mina spoke up: "Why not take me Earl?"
The Russian relaxed. "Yes, why not take Mina?" he echoed.
It was Earl’s turn to object. "But there's always the chance of an accident—"
"All the more reason for me to be with you," was Mina's reply.
"Very well, then," he conceded. "Let's enter the cage. Oh! Comrade Mikhailloff! How about a one to twenty-four ratio for the first half hour and then a normal advance until the end of the period? We're not interested in the next twelve hours or so. It's what happens afterwards that counts."
Mikhailloff nodded in approval. "You're correct, my son."
The old man waved his hands in farewell and left to attend to the machinery. Vassily yawned and said that he would return in an hour to greet them on their arrival and the couple were left by themselves.
"Don't mind the flashes of light, Mina," he cautioned, "and if you can't feel your muscles or move your limbs, it's perfectly all right. Here you enter first." He lifted her to the cage. As he was about to follow, his eyes fell upon a heavily insulated cable attached to an outlet from the cell. Somehow it had worked loose from its binding post! For a second he was frozen to immobility!
In the next instant he had sprung from the cage and approached it, with the desperate hope that it was not too late.
Mina watched him, awed with a premonition of danger. In a flash he had the loosened part in his hand and had begun to tighten it when the power was turned on!
Like a writhing serpent the cable flew from his hand and the air was filled with the familiar electrical discharge. The cage began its voyage to the future. A sharp scream came to his ears. He raised his eyes. Mina's beloved features were fading fast.
Quickly he ran to the basement where a strange sight met his eyes. Mikhailloff and Vassily were jumping from one instrument to another, yelling aimless instructions and gesticulating wildly.
"Stop that damned machine—quick!" Earl shouted.
Vassily stopped and grasped Earl's
