My interlocutor made a sign to her companions who withdrew, and approaching me said gently: “Bogardus, if what you say is true, you will find many startling changes. You must prepare yourself, but your arrival here is so revolutionary that in the interests of science we must guard against any shock that might affect your brain.” In my impatience, I started to make a feverish protest but a hand laid on my lips stopped me short. “Never fear. I shall take the best of care of you. Tomorrow, we’ll talk over many things. Now as the weather bureau is turning on the rain tonight, we must hurry down.” She stopped and looking at me with a fascinated intentness said, “Bogardus, you have the most beautiful hair and teeth I’ve ever seen. And I love your eyes and smile. We don’t have males like you now-a-days.” She put her arms under me and lifted me lightly up, holding me a moment suspended. Her blue eyes were close over mine, she was smiling with a smile that was tantalizing, magnetic, and ardently possessive. She reminded me, yes, all at once she reminded me of Ernesta. “I’ve seen you before,” I said drowsily. “What is your name?” “Acquilla.” I could not meet the flame in her glance, my eyelids closed and with a sigh, my head relaxed against her protecting breast. CHAPTER II My unconsciousness induced by weakness was only temporary. When I came to myself presently, I found myself in what I took at first to be a light diving suit, but which I divined was to protect me from the cold of the journey down. The helmet was open and I availed myself of the opportunity to explore more minutely. The deck, which I judged must be the top of a gigantic dirigible, extended almost a mile in every direction, rising and falling gently with the air currents. A number of electric heating plants in the shape of semaphores distilled a pleasant atmosphere of about 60 degrees. Near where we were standing a score of aeroplanes were parked, but of a shape that resembled nothing I remembered. At first sight they appeared to be large toadstools about twenty feet over the wing surface, and with light basket attachments on wheels. While I watched, these cars were constantly rising or descending, but with a lightness that was extraordinary in its precision. In fact, at that moment a machine arrived out of the blue, hung a moment over our heads and settled down among the others with hardly a foot to spare on either side. “Try walking about a little,” said Acquilla who was standing at my side, her helmet in her hand. I did so and found to my surprise that I experienced little inconvenience. “I don’t understand.” “What, Bogardus?” “After two hundred and fifty years--it’s amazing!” “But you have been electrically massaged for weeks.”