She was echoing Warrington's words as she took Harkness' hand in a friendly grasp. "I hope, indeed, that it is the lucky day for you, Monsieur. Our modern transportation--it is so marvelous, and I know so little of it. But I am learning. I shall think of you as developing your so-splendid properties wonderfully." * * * * * Only when she and Schwartzmann were gone did Harkness answer his counsellor's remark. The steady Harkness eyes were again wrinkled about with puckering lines; the shoulders seemed not so square as usual. "Lucky?" he said. "I hope you're right. You were Father's attorney for twenty years--your judgment ought to be good; and mine is not entirely worthless. "Yes, it is a good deal we have made--of course it is!--it bears every analysis. We need that land if we are to expand as we must, and the banks will carry me for the twenty million I can't swing. But, confound it, Warrington, I've had a hunch--and I've gone against it. Schwartzmann has tied me up for ready cash, and he represents the biggest competitors we have. They're planning something--but we need the land.... Oh, well, I've signed up; the property is mine; but...." The counsellor laughed. "You need a change," he said; "I never knew you to worry before. Why don't you jump on the China Mail this afternoon; it connects with a good line out of Shanghai. You can be tramping around the Himalayas to-morrow. A day or two there will fix you up." "Too busy," said Harkness. "Our experimental ship is about ready, so I'll go and play with that. We'll be shooting at the moon one of these days." "The moon!" the other snorted. "Crazy dreams! McInness tried it, and you know what happened. He came back out of control--couldn't check his speed against the repelling area--shot through and stripped his helicopters off against the heavy air. And that other fellow, Haldgren--" "Yes," said Harkness quietly, "Haldgren--he didn't fall back. He went on into space." * * * * * "Impossible!" the counsellor objected. "He must have fallen unobserved. No, no, Walter; be reasonable. I do not claim to know much about those things--I leave them to the Stratosphere Control Board--but I do know this much: that the lifting effect above the repelling area--what used to be known as the heaviside layer--counteracts gravity's pull. That's why our ships fly as they please when they have shot themselves through. But they have to fly close to it; its force is dissipated in another ten thousand feet, and the old earth's pull is still at work. It can't be done, my boy; the vast reaches of space--" "Are the next to be conquered," Harkness broke in. "And Chet and I intend to be in on it." He glanced toward the young flyer, and they exchanged a quiet smile.