The President shook his head. "That might hold true of the first
message--the one received July 19th," said he, "but the second message,
foretelling the lengthening of July 27th, _was delivered on that day,
and was in my hands before the disturbances occurred_."

Von Koenitz fingered his moustache and shrugged his shoulders. It was
clear that he regarded the whole affair as absurd, undignified.

Monsieur Liban turned impatiently from him.

"Your Excellency," he said, addressing the President, "I cannot share
the views of Count von Koenitz. I regard this affair as of the most
stupendous importance. Messages or no messages, extraordinary natural
phenomena are occurring which may shortly end in the extinction of human
life upon the planet. A power which can control the length of the day
can annihilate the globe."

"You cannot change the facts," remarked Prince Rostoloff sternly to the
German Ambassador. "The earth has changed its orbit. Professor
Vaskofsky, of the Imperial College, has so declared. There is some
cause. Be it God or devil, there is a cause. Are we to sit still and do
nothing while the globe's crust freezes and our armies congeal into
corpses?" He trembled with agitation.

"Calm yourself, _mon cher Prince_!" said Monsieur Liban. "So far we have
gained fifteen minutes and have lost nothing! But, as you say, whether
or not the sender of these messages is responsible, there is a cause,
and we must find it."

"But how? That is the question," exclaimed the President almost
apologetically, for he felt, as did Count von Koenitz, that somehow an
explanation would shortly be forthcoming that would make this conference
seem the height of the ridiculous. "I have already," he added hastily,
"instructed the entire force of the National Academy of Sciences to
direct its energies toward the solution of these phenomena. Undoubtedly
Great Britain, Russia, Germany, and France are doing the same. The
scientists report that the yellow aurora seen in the north, the
earthquakes, the variation of the compass, and the eccentricities of the
barometer are probably all connected more or less directly with the
change in the earth's orbit. But they offer no explanation. They do not
suggest what the aurora is nor why its appearance should have this
effect. It, therefore, seems to me clearly my duty to lay before you all
the facts as far as they are known to me. Among these facts are the
mysterious messages received by wireless at