int would be situated at the 9/10 of the
total distance, or, in round numbers, at something less than 216,000
miles from the Earth.

At this point, a body that possessed no energy or principle of movement
within itself, would remain forever, relatively motionless, suspended
like Mahomet's coffin, being equally attracted by the two orbs and
nothing impelling it in one direction rather than in the other.

Now the Projectile at this moment was nearing this point; if it reached
it, what would be the consequence?

To this question three answers presented themselves, all possible under
the circumstances, but very different in their results.

1. Suppose the Projectile to possess velocity enough to pass the neutral
point. In such case, it would undoubtedly proceed onward to the Moon,
being drawn thither by Lunar attraction.

2. Suppose it lacked the requisite velocity for reaching the neutral
point. In such a case it would just as certainly fall back to the Earth,
in obedience to the law of Terrestrial attraction.

3. Suppose it to be animated by just sufficient velocity to reach the
neutral point, but not to pass it. In that case, the Projectile would
remain forever in the same spot, perfectly motionless as far as regards
the Earth and the Moon, though of course following them both in their
annual orbits round the Sun.

Such was now the state of things, which Barbican tried to explain to his
friends, who, it need hardly be said, listened to his remarks with the
most intense interest. How were they to know, they asked him, the
precise instant at which the Projectile would reach the neutral point?
That would be an easy matter, he assured them. It would be at the very
moment when both themselves and all the other objects contained in the
Projectile would be completely free from every operation of the law of
gravity; in other words, when everything would cease to have weight.

This gradual diminution of the action of gravity, the travellers had
been for some time noticing, but they had not yet witnessed its total
cessation. But that very morning, about an hour before noon, as the
Captain was making some little experiment in Chemistry, he happened by
accident to overturn a glass full of water. What was his surprise at
seeing that neither the glass nor the water fell to the floor! Both
remained suspended in the air almost completely motionless.

"The prettiest experiment I ever saw!" cried Ardan; "let us have more of
it!"