If an explosion was destined to come from that cannon, the whole Earth would be gone at once.
There were great speculations on the possibility of a mass migration.
"We're in a trap," the news commentators would howl. "Death is in store. We don't know what lies beyond this shell. But there must be atmosphere, and that is enough. Why don't we have our expert space men cut tunnels through this shell and take us out of here?"
"We can't agree with those calamity howlers," the astronomers would retort, "who assure us that there is atmosphere outside our shell. There are living creatures, to be sure, but we are in another universe now. We do not know whether these living creatures require air to breathe, as we do, or whether they run on some other kind of fuel. However, if the expert space men are willing to make an expedition to investigate the conditions that lie beyond, this should be done at once."
The space men answered this challenge. "We are probably too late. All the space ships in the world could not handle one percent of the Earth's population for an immediate mass migration. For years we have argued for huge space fleets, but our argument has been ignored. Whether there is any escape for us, it will soon be known. We can break through the shell. The Battering Rams equipped with augers are equal to the task. And everyone knows we can count on Lester Allison to lead the way."
Something in this proposal caught the imagination of the people. No longer were they paralyzed with fear. This panic in contrast to former ones was a call for action.
"Build more ships! Cut tunnels through the shell! Break away from this civilization! Start afresh!"
Perhaps it was more a mania of unrest than a sane, calculated plan of action. The conservative engineers were sure that the proposal was utterly impossible.
Kirk Riley was one of the first to go to work. He knew the Battering Rams by now, and he had helped Allison with one drilling job. While other Battering Rams were being prepared with the automatic boring mechanisms, Kirk selected a crew of his own and opened his power drive upon the crystal wall.
Meanwhile, June Allison and Diana Scott went to the Ohio Zoo to appeal to Lester. Their meeting was disheartening. Allison did not want to talk. He was taking a vacation, he said.
They came away resolved to leave him alone until he had had a rest. It was true he had been under great pressure in recent weeks.
But the space men were sending out such urgent calls for him that June decided to make another effort. She and Diana Scott enlisted Professor Haycox in the cause, and the three of them went back to Ohio.
Haycox was not much help. In the presence of these huge specimens, flapping silently against the top of a pen, he was something of a goggle-eyed schoolboy himself.
"I think it was a mistake," June whispered, "for us to bring him along. Now we can't get a word out of either of them."
"I was that way the first time I saw an elephant," said Diana, "but those boys act a little goofy to me. 'Scuse me, June, I didn't mean to insult your husband."
"That's all right. I know Lester's not goofy." But June's voice was troubled.
Then, to make matters worse, the manager of the zoo sauntered past and
