"Might, to kill some time." McBride reacted fluorine with silicon in a combustion chamber and then called for Hannigan to run the charge down again. They watched, and as they expected, nothing happened. "That's it," said McBride. "We're stumped." "I wonder--" mused Hammond. "Have you any doubt? Are you thinking of automatically operated space-chambers set up for the formation of Silicon-acetyldiethyl-sulfanomid?" "That might work if we had time to build 'em. But look, Mac. Suppose we generate a terrific electrogravitic field, monopolar as according to the first orders of gravitic fields. Generate this field in a volume of less than a foot in diameter, and accordingly intense. Then we'll negatize the ship, and at the same time bombard the electrogravitic sphere with electrons from a standard electron-gun. It'll take gobs of power, John, to drive 'em in, but the field will help, and also keep 'em there. What do you think?" "Sort of localizing our collection of electrons, hey? Hm-m-m. We'll have to do that in vacuo--but that'll keep the atmosphere from combining, too, and is better as she goes. We have plenty of electrons when the ship runs negative, and that'll tend to collect them in the place where they're needed the most. Might work, Steve. Break out the E-grav and we'll try." Hammond called Pete Thurman and James Wilson and told them what he wanted. They all set to work, but an interruption came for Hammond and Hannigan as the _Pyromaniac_ returned in a blaze of fire. The rocket went off, and the _Haywire Queen's_ pilot did some fancy work until the inert rocket ship entered the space lock above. Larry Timkins emerged, holding his head between his hands. "It's murder," he said. "Downright murder!" "What's murder?" "Manipulating that fire-breathing gargoyle. Y'know how the regular drive takes hold all at once? Well, this thing sort of hangs fire. There's a bit of a lag--ever so little--since the jets are sheer mechanical and the time-function requires that the mechanical linkages from lever-turn to fuel-release, ignition, and ultimate movement--well, they act in considerably less time than the electrogravitic drive." "Do you have to use it again?" "Nope. I planted the spotter-generators and--picked up a souvenir of Soaky. Look," and he pulled a piece of crystal from his spacesuit pouch and dropped it on the table. "Dirty looking hunk of glass," said Hammond. "Going to use it for a paperweight?" "It'd go better on the gal friend's finger, but I'm going to sell it and lay away the profits for my edification and amusement. It'll assay four karats if it's worth a dime, and that ain't quartz." "Diamond?" asked Hammond in surprise. "It has an index of refraction higher than 2.4, and is harder than Sandra Drake's heart." "Sounds like. How did it get there?"