strange! You do not speak."

"There is nothing to say," retorted Dr. Kent wearily.

"Then you listen. I haf much gold above, in Quebec. You know that. So
very simple to take it out of our atom, grow large with it, to what we
call up there the size of a hundred feet. I haf a place, a room,
secluded from prying eyes under a dome-roof. I become very tall,
holding a piece of gold. It is large when I am a hundred feet tall. So
I haf collected much gold. They think I own a mine. I haf a smelter
and my gold quartz I make into ingots, refined to the standard purity.
So simple, and I am a rich man.

"But gold does not bring happiness, my friend Kent." He chuckled
ironically at his use of the platitude. "There is more in life than
the ownership of gold. You ask my plans. I haf Babs, now. I am gifing
up our Earth world. The mysterious man they know as Frank Rascor will
vanish. I will hide our little fragment of quartz. No one up there
will even try to find it. Then I come down here, with Babs, and we
will haf so nice a little government and rule this world. No more of
the drugs then will be needed, Kent. When you die, let the secret die
with you."

Again Polter's voice turned ingratiating, even more so than before.
"We will be friends, Kent. Our little Babs will lof me; why should
she not? You will tell her--advise her--and we will all three be very
happy."

Dr. Kent said abruptly, "Then leave her with me now. That was her
request, a moment ago. If you expect to treat her kindly, then why
not--"

"I do! I do! But not now. I cannot spare her now. I am very busy, but
I must take her with me."

* * * * *

Babs had been silent, clinging to the bars of our cage. She called:

"Why? I ask you to put this cage down."

"Not now, little bird."

"And let me be with my father."

It struck a pang through me. Babs was scheming, but not the way Polter
thought. She wanted the cage put on the floor, herself out, and a
chance for me to escape. I had not yet told her of my miserable
stupidity in losing the vial.

Polter was repeating. "No, little bird. Presently; not now. I may take
you out with me, my last trip out. I want to talk with you in a normal
size when I haf time."

Our room swooped as he stood up. "You think over what I haf said,
Kent. You get ready now to make the fresh drugs I will need to bring
down all my men from the outer world. They will all be glad to come,
or, if not--well, we c