He appeared to be listening.

Suddenly there was a hasty exclamation, and the intruder sprang back just in time to escape the sweep of the released fan.

And when Graham peered up there was nothing visible but the slowly falling snow.
It was perhaps a quarter of an hour before anything returned to the ventilator.

But at last came the same metallic interference again; the fans stopped and the face reappeared.

Graham had remained all this time in the same place, alert and tremulously excited.
"Who are you?
What do you want ?" he said.
"We want to speak to you, Sire," said the intruder.