The plain and the city below had vanished.
To look downwards was like staring straight into the focus of a ten thousand candle-power electric arc lamp.

It was so intolerable that Redgrave closed the lower shutters, and meanwhile he found that the _Astronef_ had ceased to descend.

He shut off more of the R.Force, but it produced no effect.

The _Astronef_ remained stationary.

Then he ordered Murgatroyd to set the propellers in motion.