“You must see, Solomon Magson,” said Ross, “that if everything and every living soul approached the ship, one and all could be made so light as they came within its zone, that they would float off into space or, if we reversed the current, so heavy that they would be disintegrated or de-atomised into powder with the shock, and sink through the ground. We don’t do that to you as it would kill you, whereas we only wish to give you the positive proof you ask for, and if we made you lighter still and opened the roof, you would continue to rise until we had sent you out of the earth’s atmosphere, long before which you would be asphyxiated, as you are aware.” “Let me down, instantly!” he bellowed. “And as it is,” continued Ross, ignoring the interruption, “we have merely altered your specific gravity by scientific means and unless we restored it you would remain that distance from the ground all your life; even when you were dead and your body became less buoyant, you would have to be buried on the top of a monument, or it would be difficult to keep you down.” “I insist on coming down!” “You do not understand me. I was trying to prove that you cannot insist on anything.” “But I will come down!” “You still fail to grip the point of the argument,” said Ross, imperturbably; “you cannot insist, you have no will, you are powerless.” For some minutes there was no sound save the slight tapping of Magson’s head against the roof, as he bobbed up and down and felt his way all round the shed, floating like a swan. Ross was quite unmoved, and his two friends were enjoying the situation too much to make any remark, and wondered what Ross would do next, for he was not the man to submit to insolence. However, after waiting a few minutes he descended the ladder and resumed his interrupted work, Dennis and Gilbert doing the same, all apparently unconscious of their floating audience of one, who was obtaining a splendid bird’s-eye view of everything. “Please let me down!” at length came a submissive voice from above. “That’s decidedly better!” commented Ross, stopping work and looking upward; “and you are quite convinced that the _Regina_ has some semblance of power, and that notwithstanding your dictum?” “Perfectly!” Ross did not reply, but went inside and a few moments later, Solomon Magson was standing beside them, a milder and wiser man, and by tacit consent the escapade was not alluded to, but a very different representative of the government was now present; the new Solomon Magson paid the three owners considerable deferential respect. “What do you intend doing?” he began; “you surely will not let such a beautiful vessel be unused.” “By no means,” replied Gilbert, “we have already arranged a voyage aloft.” “You will give the results to science, of course?” “That is our intention,” replied Gilbert. “Have you decided on your destination?” asked Magson.