"Waiting for what?"
"If and when. If you two go on as you have for another year without one of you turning up with a black eye, I may be tempted to go forth and track me down a babe of my own."
The cabinet stood in the north end of Venus Equilateral but it was not alone. It may even be the record for all times; certainly no other cabinet three by three by five ever had twenty-seven men all standing in a circle awaiting developments. The cabinet at the south end of Venus Equilateral was no less popular, though the number of watchers was less by one. Here, then, were winner and runner-up of inanimate popularity for the ages. The communicator system set in the walls of the two rooms carried sounds from the north room to the south, and those sounds in the south room could be heard in the north room. Channing grinned boyishly at Arden.
"This, my love, is a device which may make it quite possible for me to send you back to mother."
Arden smiled serenely. "No dice," she said. "Mother went back to grandmother last week. When is this thing going to cook?"
"Directly."
"What are we waiting for?"
"Walt."
"I'm ready," came Walt's voice through the speaker.