Barlow pulled the sliding door aside, and Valnar stepped outside with the projector running. He swept the roof quickly and smiled with satisfaction to see the uniformed men fall.
Barlow chose the newest of the planes ready on the roof and helped Valnar inside the cabin. Then he climbed inside himself and found Valnar staring at the controls with offended eyes. He turned to Barlow.
"Can you fly this thing?"
"I was in the Air Guards before they discovered that I was an Unamenable," Barlow answered with a smile. He started the motor, waited until the nearly silent hum of power had reached a constant pitch, then sent the plane into the air.
"Why do you have so many instruments?" Valnar demanded. "Doesn't Dodson know that the acme of science is simplicity—beautiful simplicity? This plane has ten times as many instruments as my time-traveler. It's foolish and confusing."
"I didn't make it," Barlow disclaimed. "But then you got to remember that you've been making errors in your calculations. Maybe you need a few more instruments."
Valnar said nothing. For several minutes he was silent, then when he did speak, the subject was entirely different. "What did you mean—'Unamenable'?"
"That's Dodson's name for those who aren't affected by the Mental Ray. I guess you're one, or you wouldn't be helping me."
Valnar shook his head. "Never heard of it," he declared. "The ray affects me all right, but I only gave Dodson a low-power version of this," he signified the set he had constructed, "and I am able to compensate for the effect."