I assume, also, that you are willing to sign for the airship." He opened a drawer, took a paper, and on it wrote a few words.

These he read over carefully, adding a comma, a period.
Leclair watched him with fixed gaze, struggling against some strange paralysis that bound him with unseen cords of steel.

The Frenchman's eyes widened, but remained unblinking with a sort of glazed fixity.
The Master slid the paper toward him on the desk.
"_Voila, monsieur!_" said he.

"Will you sign this ?" A shivering tremor of the Frenchman's muscles, as the ace sat there so strangely silent and motionless, betrayed the effort he was making to rise, to lift even a hand.

Beads of sweat began to ooze on his forehead; veins to knot there Still he remained seated, without power to speak or move.
"What?
You do not accept ?" asked the Master, frowning as with puzzlement and displeasure.