"What was that you said?—no gravity?" Twiffle was obviously excited.
"Exactly," replied the Lord High Mayor with great dignity. "Within the boundaries of Hightown, the earth does not exert the least bit of gravity—none whatsoever."
"Then that explains it," said Twiffle. "The Airmobile operates on the principle of gravity, and since there is no gravity here, the craft is useless."
"What are we to do?" asked the Shaggy Man. "I am not sure I want to go walking around on the air, although these folks seem to take to it naturally enough."
"Tell me," said Twiffle, addressing the Lord High Mayor, "is Hightown of very great area?"
"Oh," exclaimed the Lord High Mayor, "it is simply enormous—no less than four square acres of the most delightful air!"
"Have you any idea, your Honor," asked the Shaggy Man, "how we can get our flying machine out of Hightown?"
"Oh, that's very simple," replied the Lord High Mayor. "Since your craft has only just crossed the boundary into Hightown, I would suggest that you get out and push the machine to the edge of the boundary—then push it a few inches more and it will be in the field of gravity again where it is equipped to operate."
"Of course!" exclaimed Twiffle joyfully. "Why didn't I think of that?"
The Lord High Mayor smiled with smug satisfaction.