Lawrence looked through, and he saw what appeared to be the door of an enormous safe-deposit k vault. “That,” nodded “Specs,” “is the door to the safe in which the Deionizer is kept. No one on earth excepting Mr. Edestone knows the combination that will open those doors. That is run by a one hundred H. P. motor in the engine room, and from it run the deionizing cables which run down the port and starboard sides of the vessel.” “Do you mean to say,” said Lawrence, “that I have no weight?” as he felt his large biceps with an expression of pride. This caused “Specs” to laugh, and in response to the numberless questions put to him by the young man, he explained the different mechanisms by which the weight of the ship and its contents was kept at the weight of the amount of air displaced by it. “So,” said Lawrence, “we are floating not by virtue of gas bags filled with gas lighter than air, but by the amount of air displaced by all metallic substances on this vessel, which for all practical purposes are rendered lighter than air?” “Yes,” replied “Specs,” with a look of pity for the other man’s ignorance, “I suppose that is the way you would express it. If you really want to understand, and are willing to give the time to it, come to my quarters, and I will give you the scientific explanation.” “No, thank you,” said Lawrence; “I’ll take your word for it, but I am glad to know that when I get back to earth I’m not liable at any time to be blown away like a thistledown.” At lunch Edestone appeared very thoughtful and seemed to feel great anxiety about the outcome of his note. They had observed that soon after the message had been sent automobiles were coming and going from the Palace in great numbers, and gathered that the Emperor apparently was holding a council of war. They had also seen with powerful glasses that, in certain parts of the city there was great activity of some kind, but they were unable to ascertain exactly what it was. “I cannot understand,” frowned Edestone, “how they can possibly decline a proposition _pour parler_. I asked them to agree to nothing. I assured them that I would use my influence in favour of a just settlement of all the claims arising out of the war and of the incidents leading up to it. I appealed to their humanity, and guaranteed as far as lay within my power to protect the lives and property of Germans all over the world if they would only stop all actual fighting until I could make an exactly similar appeal to the other Governments that are involved.” Just then an officer came in and handed Edestone a wireless message which had just been received. Edestone read it hurriedly, but as he glanced up it was easy to see from the expression on his face that he was pleased.