“What ever is it?” asked Mavis. For answer, Sir John poured the liquid into three glasses and handed one to each. “Try it,” he suggested. “It’s quite cold. That was an electric needle which generates a coldness below freezing point.” “Another invention?” this from Desmond. “Yes.” “There’s no smell,” said Mavis, as she delicately wrinkled her pretty nose. “And no taste,” averred Alan. “It reminds me of something,” said Desmond. “I’m sure I’ve tasted something like it before.” “What is it, Uncle John? Do tell us,” pleaded Mavis. Sir John laughed. “Water, my dear, just plain water. Desmond is quite right, he has tasted it before.” “Water,” said Alan in bewilderment, “but surely frozen water has a greater bulk than when it is in a liquid form?” “So it has, my boy. But I call this ‘concentrated essence of water.’ There is enough in that cupboard to last eighteen months. Of course we should never want such a quantity, but the experiments pleased and cheered an old man in his loneliness.” He then opened another press and showed that it was packed with concentrated tea, concentrated essence of beef and chicken, concentrated essence of milk; it had everything in it that had been devised for reducing food bulk to the minimum with a maximum amount of caloric value. “Eighteen months’ provisions,” he chuckled. “The Argenta could withstand a siege.” The boat was sailing beautifully, ten thousand feet up; it was a glorious day, cloudless and fine. “Now for the chef d’œuvre,” said Sir John. “Why, where is Masters? This is his work.” He telephoned through: “All going well?” he asked. “Splendidly, Sir John.” “What speed?” “About three hundred an hour. We’ve just sighted Plymouth.” “Plymouth,” said Mavis in amazement. “Why, we have only just left Scotland.” “Come along to us, Masters. I want you to demonstrate the working of the atmospheric shutters.” “Will you come into the compressed air room?” said Masters as soon as he arrived. They found it was quite a small room which held no furnishings of any kind. Levers and switches and strange electrical contrivances were everywhere, and on one side of the room were twelve levers, very like those in a signal box on the railways.