Raphael was worried and walked faster. Turning a corner suddenly, he nearly bumped into four mechanical men who were blocking the sidewalk. One of them was much larger than the others. Raphael gasped, went pale, and half turned to run. Before him stood the creature that had stolen Cassandra--the Giant Sorcerer. ‘Hello, there,’ called the Sorcerer. ‘Don’t run. It won’t do any good. I’ve been waiting for you the last ten minutes. Come here, I won’t hurt you.’ To gain time Raphael asked rather weakly, ‘Are you the Giant Sorcerer?’ ‘Yes,’ said the Sorcerer easily. ‘Mechanus is my name. These are my mechanicos.’ And he motioned to the other three. ‘Where,’ faltered Raphael, ‘is Cassie?’ He passed his tongue over his dry lips. ‘So you want to see Cassandra, eh?’ remarked the Sorcerer. ‘She is safe enough. You may go,’ he said, turning to his three mechanicos. ‘I don’t think Raphael will be so foolish as to try to escape.’ Cassandra is safe, thought Raphael. He could fly. He was about to run and jump as high as he could in the air when he heard the thrum of a motor overhead. Above him floated a cigar-shaped balloon around which an aeroplane flew in graceful circles. There would be no use in trying to escape by flight. Well, thought Raphael, I shall go home with him and find out where Cassandra is hidden. The Sorcerer evidently did not mean to harm him. Raphael began to take heart. ‘Promise me that you won’t try to escape,’ said the Sorcerer. ‘I don’t want to tie you.’ ‘I promise I won’t try to escape now,’ answered Raphael. The Sorcerer beckoned to a white limousine driven by a mechanico which stood at the curb. ‘The Tower,’ said Mechanus when he and Raphael, aided by the footman, had climbed in. With a shriek of the horn, the white car made off like a wild thing. It rocked over the city streets, skimming through the traffic. As they flew along, lines of great trucks stopped for them, mechanicos dove out of their path, while mechanical police waved them on. Raphael sat silent, terrified at the frightful speed. ‘Well, my boy,’ said the Sorcerer genially, ‘how do you like it?’ ‘I hate it,’ said Raphael bitterly. ‘This is civilization,’ was the Sorcerer’s only comment. ‘Wait until I show you the town,’ he went on after a pause. ‘It is a beautiful sight. Avenues any city might be proud of, no waste, no silly parks cluttering up the place. I detest inefficiency.’ ‘Why do you drive so fast?’ asked Raphael sullenly as they skidded round a corner. ‘To save time, of course. Time is money. Money is success. That is why we are successful.’ ‘Then I don’t want to be successful,’ said Raphael. ‘Pshaw. Nerves. You suffer from nerves. Now my mechanicos have no nerves. It is one of my great inventions.’ ‘Why did you steal Cassandra?’ asked Raphael suddenly. ‘Why did I steal Cassandra? Because I wanted a daughter, a human child to live with me.’ ‘I don’t believe you,’ said Raphael rudely. ‘I don’t believe you ever wanted a daughter.’