“You’re a real friend, Babe,” Jim told him.
Babe went out and explained to the tourists that they had to return at once to the space harbor. The stewards went back to the duplicate drivers’ quarters at the other end of the car, and Babe started the car out of the Haunted Tunnel.
As they drove back, both he and Babe gloomily silent, Jim was thinking that he had satisfied his lifelong ambition for a short while anyway. It had been great while it lasted.
After they passed Point Luna, a flock of albatrosses gathered around the car again. The birds’ curiosity made them bolder than usual, and some of them flew directly in front of the car. Jim heard sickening thumps as some of the careless birds were battered by the speeding car. Both he and Babe shook their heads regretfully.
Jim looked ahead where the space harbor was rapidly growing closer as they swept downhill. “Guess we’d better slow down, or we’ll go crashing into everything down there,” Babe said.
He shoved the lever to brake the car, but nothing happened.
“Something’s wrong!” Babe shouted hoarsely. “I can’t stop this thing!”
In his imagination Jim could see them tearing loose from the cable when they reached land and hurtling down into the space port. The destruction would be staggering.
“Something’s plugged up the forward rocket tube!” Babe exclaimed.
“One of the albatrosses must have been caught in it!” Jim burst out.