Almost as his hand touched the cable and twitched at it, his other hand, as he lay with his weight on his chin, face and chest, contacted something else—a large, roundish object, feeling like a spare landing wheel tire.
He knew as though the light photographed the truth to his eyes, that this tire-like object had moved, shifted, fallen onto the cable, wedging it.
Instantly Dick pushed it into the center of the small space.
Gripping the cable, he twitched it sharply once—twice—three times!
In the dark, he did not know how close the water was. He could not tell if his alertness had been able to give back the use of the elevators in time.
Larry, his hand idly on the useless stick, felt it twitch three times.
Automatically he tested it. It came back, and the nose began to come up a trifle. He did not dare over-control. He had learned that lesson!
The water was rushing up at them—but the stick—might——
Seconds to go!
He must not drag the ship out of that dive too swiftly—a wing might be torn off.