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289
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, August 1930
·
Various
258
The
next
half-hour
was
the
tensest
either
of
then
had
ever
experienced.
Every
foot
of
the
way
was
fraught
with
peril.
Not
only
did
they
have
to
carefully
avoid
the
visible
swarms
of
little
people
who
hurried
everywhere,
but
had
to
be
on
their
guard
as
well
against
any
who
might
be
moving
about
like
themselves
under
cover
of
invisibility.
Nor
could
they
use
any
elevator
or
public
conveyances,
but
were
obliged
to
make
their
way
down
to
the
concourse
by
heaven
knew
how
many
flights
of
stairs,
and
cross
heaven
knew
how
many
teeming
streets
on
foot,
before
they
reached
the
amber
court,
below
which
the
trap-door
and
their
hope
of
freedom.
They
got
there
at
last,
however,
descended,
and
peered
down
from
that
yawning
brink
upon
the
desert
floor--to
draw
back
with
gasps
of
dismay.
For
the
area
still
gleamed
semi-molten
from
the
stupendous
blast
that
had
wiped
out
Kendrick's
camp.
"W-what
is
it?"
she
gasped.
Swiftly
he
told
her.
"But
isn't
there
any
way
around
it?
Look,
over
there
to
the
left.
One
edge
of
the
crater
seems
to
end
almost
underneath
us."
It
was
true
that
the
center
of
the
caldron
was
far
to
the
right
of
where
they
stood,
and
that
its
left
rim
was
only
a
little
within
their
direct
line
of
descent.
But
to
land
even
one
foot
inside
that
inferno
would
be
as
fatal
as
to
alight
in
its
very
midst.
Kendrick
was
thinking
fast.
"There's
just
a
chance,"
he
said.
"It
all
depends
upon
how
wide
the
zone
of
these
escalator
rays
is,
and
whether
we
can
tune
in
on
them.
At
least,
I
can
probably
answer
the
latter
question."
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