A half hour later, over cups of steaming chocolate produced, as before, by the mysterious “Eye,” Beth told her story.
“Gunderson Shotts,” Felix murmured, examining the card Beth handed him. “‘Everybody’s Business.’ Suppose that means he tends to everybody’s business?”
“Got quite a job on his hands,” Johnny laughed.
“He’s big enough to take a huge load of it on his shoulders.” Beth was staring into space.
“Have to look him up and thank him,” Felix drawled. Already the events of the day were fading from his memory. He was dreaming of some strange new contraption that might startle the world.
“You’ll stay with us tonight.” Roused from his revery, he turned to Johnny.
“Why I—”
“Sure, sure you will. Show you the room right away. It’s on the third floor; a little strange, you may find it, but comfortable, extra fine, I’d say.” Felix favored him with a smile.
The room they entered a few moments later was strange in two particulars. It was extremely tall. Johnny thought it must be fully twenty feet to the ceiling. “Queer way to build a room,” was his mental comment. Like other rooms in the house, it was illuminated to the deepest corners; yet there were no lamps anywhere. “Odd place, this,” he thought. Yet Felix had warned him. He had been given ample opportunity to say, “I don’t like the looks of it.” Now he shrugged his shoulders and asked no questions; that was Johnny’s way.
“Light begins to fade in twenty minutes,” was Felix’s only comment as he left the room.