Raymond Donner's mouth pressed a little tighter and his tongue pushed through to moisten his gray dry lips.
"He never came back," he said hoarsely. "And neither did Hays."
Something in the man's voice stopped the president from going on with his sarcastic attack.
"Did the ship crash?" he asked more soberly.
"No. It just flew away and never came back."
The silence hung like a shroud. All three of them—even the self-conscious Taplin—stared at Donner.
"We talked to Porter Hays in turns. We begged him to come back. But he just laughed and said he was having the ride of his life. After about two hours, his voice faded out suddenly—and that was the end of it."
"How long ago was this?"
"Four days."
"Have you notified the authorities, the police or—well, anyone?"