And even as the thought ran through his mind he heard a sudden roar of flaming sound. The night lit up in a sheet of brilliant light and a wave of flame spread out from the base of the rocket.
Trent pulled the girl away from that blinding sheet of exploding energy, and his eyes stared in grim fascination as they ran.
He saw the rocket shudder in its cradle and then lift slowly. It was as if time had turned back and he were watching an identical scene that had happened earlier that day.
Only it wasn't the same scene. It was now a scene of horror. For he knew that the monster and the dog were in that rocket. The rocket that would shoot skyward in moments, even as its companion had done. Would reach into the outer fringes of the Earth's atmosphere where the cosmic rays would envelop it, would react upon the animals inside it.
And a terrible dread spread through Trent at the thought. For if the first change had been terrible enough, what would happen now?
And as he thought, he saw the rocket lift slowly from its cradle and gather speed as it shot upward into the night.
The blinding light of the exploding rocket fuel lit the proving grounds like a huge beacon of incandescence, and Trent was aware of shouts ahead of him, and running feet.
Then he was surrounded by men from the project, and he caught the glint of alert weapons and uniforms.
He felt arms grab him and the girl and heard questions pounding at him.