"Sara was frightfully upset," said Pen. "That's why he took the morphine. Any thought of death makes him hysterical. The chant set him to swearing frightfully. Jim, I'd give anything to be able to set Sara right with himself."
"Pen, why did Sara come down here?" asked Jim abruptly.
Penelope hesitated. She did not want to voice Iron Skull's suspicions until she had verified them. "I don't know, Jim," she said finally. "I thought it was for his health and land, but I feel uneasy since I see his attitude toward you."
"If he has an idea of speculating in real estate, I'll have to head him off," said Jim. "Land speculation hurts the projects very seriously."
"What harm does it do?" asked Pen.
"Inflates land values so that farming doesn't pay with the already heavy building charges for the dam."
"Oh, I see!" mused Pen. "I'll talk to Sara about it."
"Don't say a word to him. I can fight my own battles with Sara. Penelope, what were you thinking about when you sat over there at the crater edge with your head on your arms?"
In the moonlight a slow red stained Pen's face. Jim watched her with puzzled eyes.