But as darkness fingered at the panes, something of the vastness of sky and air made itself realized; something of the illimitable scope of this adventuring.
Bohannan slid the window shut and settled himself beside Captain Alden.

He glanced at his wrist-watch, and a thrill of nervous exultation stabbed him.
"Only two minutes and six seconds more!" he murmured, gnawing at his mustache and blinking with excitement.

Alden remained calm, impassive as the Master himself, who now, pressing another button, sent a beam of wonderful, white light lancing through the darkness.
Track, buildings, trees all leaped into vivid relief as he tested the searchlight control.

He shot the beam up, up, till it lost itself, vaguely, in mist and cloud; then flung it even across the river, where it picked out buildings with startling detail.
He turned it, finally, square down the launching-way, through the yawning gates where the track abruptly ended at the brow of the Palisades--the empty chasm where, if all went right and no mistake had been made in build, engine-power, or control, the initial leap of _Nissr Arrib ela Sema_ was to be made.
Came a moment's wait.

Faintly the pulsing of the engines trembled the fabric of _Nissr_.