The two men were floated downwards and were free, for the vengeance was complete; a little later the _Regina_ was housed and the government notified of the accident, with full particulars. This time the four left the shed, they were not molested by so much as an inquiry. All the same, the incident, while filling every one with a fear of taking strong measures with so powerful an adversary, capable of such relentless and successful pursuit, did but whet the general curiosity which now rose to fever-heat. ‘Wave’ messages and other communications arrived every moment, far too numerous to be dealt with, so all were treated with the same silence, one message only in government code being sent all over the world intimating that at present no information could be given. That was all very well, but the public wanted to know what was afoot; why the _Regina_, when in excellent condition and under perfect control, was allowed to rest unused, and why so much secrecy; and dozens of air-craft waited at various hailing distances, ready to flash the news by ‘wave’ to their various centres directly anything was discovered, by accident or design. Weeks passed, then months, yet not a word the wiser was any one. At last, nearly three years after the return from Jupiter, an announcement was made which almost caused the hair of every scientist to stand on end, and set every thinking being aghast with astonishment and incredulity. The message was short and to the point; every wave apparatus received the words,—“The _Regina_ will sail within ten days into the Sun.” CHAPTER IX TESTING THE WEB “Let’s keep them In desperate hope of understanding us.” (+Cartwright.+) No bomb could have been more startling than the simple statement from the _Regina_. Surely there must be some mistake, or the men were mad, for who in their senses would think of going into the _sun!_ Various instruments were compared but all gave the same word “sun.” Had the adventurers been any other men they would probably have been derided, but it was evidently a case of _non compos mentis_, and though to a certain extent they could act as they pleased in all that concerned themselves personally, in the interests of science they should not be allowed to destroy the _Regina_ in attempting such an insane act as that contemplated. No one could understand it. Mental aberration occasionally plays tricks with the best, but surely such scientists could not for a moment have overlooked the fact that the terrific heat of the sun would shrivel up the ship and all she contained long before they could approach his surface; and how could anything live—even the _Regina_—in the sun’s atmosphere, which the merest child knew would convert the ship, powerful as she was, into the most tenuous vapour.