."

"Who said anything about jail? I'm going to Tibet."

"_Tibet!_ Uncle Peter! I won't allow it. You must stay here and face the
music."

"The music is in Tibet, Homer. That's one of the reasons I'm going
there. To a monastery high in Himalayas. There are some wonderful men
there I've always wanted to meet--yogis who have such control over
natural laws that they can walk on water and move straight through solid
walls."

"But, Uncle Peter! If you want to go to Tibet, you should have thought
of it before. It's too late now. You've committed murder."

"Bosh! I haven't killed anyone. The serum I discovered is one of
transition, not murder. It causes the stepping-up of the human physical
structure into an infinitely higher rate of vibration. Two controls are
distilled into it. One is a timer that sets off the catalysis, and the
other is a directive element based upon higher mathematics which allows
the creator of the serum to direct the higher vibratory residue of the
physical form to be put down at any prearranged point on the globe
before the reforming element takes effect."

Joy said, "Oh, my painted G-string!"

I strove to absorb all this. "You mean those people weren't destroyed?"

Joy was quicker on the reaction. "Of course. I couldn't picture Uncle
Peter as a killer somehow. He merely picked them up here and set them
down in Tibet. Can't you understand? He just explained it to you."

Of course I didn't want to admit my mental haziness to Joy, so I skipped
hastily over it and pointed an accusing finger at Uncle Peter. "But why
couldn't you have conducted your experiments on a higher plane. Why did
you have to consort with law-breakers?"

* * * * *

Joy had apparently lost interest. She planted a wifely kiss on my cheek
and started toward the door. "I'm going back to Joe's Tavern," she said.
"It's more fun there. When you get all this straightened out, come on
over."

I moved to protest but she waved me down. "Never mind. I'll take a cab."
She smiled at me sweetly. "And don't stay too long, darling. I'm sure
Cora is anxious to get her clothes off."

Cora distinctly pronounced an unprintable name but Joy did not hear it.
She was already gone.

I turned to Uncle Peter. "You did not answer my question."

"It's very simple. Even one of your limited brain power should be able
to understand it. You see, with finishing my experiments I was not
averse to doing the city a favor.