darkness inside the volor, she made a gesture he didn't see. She added: "Anyway we don't permit them to enter our territory. We are very strict about that. No one can enter the areas under our control without permission, and everyone who does enter has to submit to a thorough investigation."
"How much of this continent do you control?" Car-gill asked.
"About one quarter."
Cargill nodded. He remembered how many times Lela had turned the floater aside, and said, "That's Tweener territory. We don't go there." He nodded again, half to himself. The floater folk must have discovered through experience that Tweener territory was dangerous.
"And where's Shadow City?" he asked. "Oh, that's in the Rockies. The city is an impregnable fortress, hewn out of the rocks of an almost inaccessible mountain and protected by an energy screen. It's approachable only by air."
They were over the Tweener capital now. Cargill had a glimpse of a series of glittering shopping centers.
Gradually the streets below became more residential in nature. The volor began to slant down. He saw that it headed toward a broad expanse of lawn, which evidently belonged to an estate. In the distance he saw what looked like stone fences. A large house stood well back among the trees.
Ann Reece said, "This is my home."
Cargill looked at her in surprise. Then he looked at the house and whistled softly under his breath. He had taken it for granted that Ann Reece was merely a minor agent, an unimportant cog in this affair.
Alighting from the volor, he looked again at the house. It was spacious and beautiful. It was of stone and its walls rose in ever higher peaks and spires until, like those of some dimly seen dream-castle, they faded from sight in the high shadows. The windows were tall and pointed at the tops, and the door huge and matching the windows hi design. Broad white steps led to the house proper. Truly an estate, he thought with a quick intake of breath. Such a house, he estimated, would have cost three or four hundred thousand dollars in Los Angeles, 1954.
He climbed the steps wonderingly. It was evident that in this environment he would indeed be moving in high Tweener circles. Ann Reece rang the bell. There was a pause and then the door was opened by an elderly man.
The man said, "Welcome home, Miss Reece."
"Thank you, Granger," said Ann. She motioned Cargill to go past her, and they walked silently along a brightly lighted corridor and came presently to a room.
Cargill noted that it was large and well furnished. Directly across from him were a series of French doors that led to a terrace. Without hesitation he strode towards the doors and, trying one of them, was surprised to find it open.
He had intended only to glance out, to gain a quickview of his surroundings. What he saw snatched his attention. The city—seen for the first tune from the ground. When Ann Reece and he had arrived at the house, the volor had landed them almost at the door. There had been little chance to observe the great globes of light that floated above the city. Seen from the air, from the tremendously swift volor, the globes had appeared stationary. Now he saw that they were moving steadily like the stars hi their courses. They shed their light like miniature suns on the metropolis below and followed each other in a great circular movement.
Wearily, Cargill turned away. As he walked slowly back into the room, he realized how tired he was. It had been a long waking period, beginning with the normal day with Lela, and then followed by the long tense night while the floater was under siege. There had been periods of sharp fear, and periods of hopelessness, and periods of rage—all of them exhausting. And that was only the beginning. Back in the Shadow prison, he had for a sustained period faced the prolonged anxiety induced by the threat of death for some fantastic therapy. This was followed by more strain. The rescue by Ann Reece had brought relief from one fear, but it
"How much of this continent do you control?" Car-gill asked.
"About one quarter."
Cargill nodded. He remembered how many times Lela had turned the floater aside, and said, "That's Tweener territory. We don't go there." He nodded again, half to himself. The floater folk must have discovered through experience that Tweener territory was dangerous.
"And where's Shadow City?" he asked. "Oh, that's in the Rockies. The city is an impregnable fortress, hewn out of the rocks of an almost inaccessible mountain and protected by an energy screen. It's approachable only by air."
They were over the Tweener capital now. Cargill had a glimpse of a series of glittering shopping centers.
Gradually the streets below became more residential in nature. The volor began to slant down. He saw that it headed toward a broad expanse of lawn, which evidently belonged to an estate. In the distance he saw what looked like stone fences. A large house stood well back among the trees.
Ann Reece said, "This is my home."
Cargill looked at her in surprise. Then he looked at the house and whistled softly under his breath. He had taken it for granted that Ann Reece was merely a minor agent, an unimportant cog in this affair.
Alighting from the volor, he looked again at the house. It was spacious and beautiful. It was of stone and its walls rose in ever higher peaks and spires until, like those of some dimly seen dream-castle, they faded from sight in the high shadows. The windows were tall and pointed at the tops, and the door huge and matching the windows hi design. Broad white steps led to the house proper. Truly an estate, he thought with a quick intake of breath. Such a house, he estimated, would have cost three or four hundred thousand dollars in Los Angeles, 1954.
He climbed the steps wonderingly. It was evident that in this environment he would indeed be moving in high Tweener circles. Ann Reece rang the bell. There was a pause and then the door was opened by an elderly man.
The man said, "Welcome home, Miss Reece."
"Thank you, Granger," said Ann. She motioned Cargill to go past her, and they walked silently along a brightly lighted corridor and came presently to a room.
Cargill noted that it was large and well furnished. Directly across from him were a series of French doors that led to a terrace. Without hesitation he strode towards the doors and, trying one of them, was surprised to find it open.
He had intended only to glance out, to gain a quickview of his surroundings. What he saw snatched his attention. The city—seen for the first tune from the ground. When Ann Reece and he had arrived at the house, the volor had landed them almost at the door. There had been little chance to observe the great globes of light that floated above the city. Seen from the air, from the tremendously swift volor, the globes had appeared stationary. Now he saw that they were moving steadily like the stars hi their courses. They shed their light like miniature suns on the metropolis below and followed each other in a great circular movement.
Wearily, Cargill turned away. As he walked slowly back into the room, he realized how tired he was. It had been a long waking period, beginning with the normal day with Lela, and then followed by the long tense night while the floater was under siege. There had been periods of sharp fear, and periods of hopelessness, and periods of rage—all of them exhausting. And that was only the beginning. Back in the Shadow prison, he had for a sustained period faced the prolonged anxiety induced by the threat of death for some fantastic therapy. This was followed by more strain. The rescue by Ann Reece had brought relief from one fear, but it
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