"I believe we are still rising."
It was my own impression, for the peak I was regarding had grown as I thought smaller, but I did not feel sure, and preferred to trust the more experienced eyes of the astronomer.
"I shall try the telescope," he went on; "we are a long way from the planet."
"How far do you think?"
"Many thousand miles at least."
"So much the better. We shall get more time."
"Humph! prolonging the agony, that's all. I begin to wish it was all over."
Gazen directed his instrument on the planet, and we resumed our observations.
"We are no longer rising," said Gazen after a time. "I suppose we are near the turning-point."
As a prisoner scans the countenance of the judge who is about to pronounce the sentence of life or death, I scanned the cloudy surface underneath us, to see if I could discover any signs of an ocean that would break our fall, but the vapours were too thick and compact.