"Why, you—!" DuChane broke off. "Mean to tell us you don't know?"
The scientist's blank stare continued.
"We're in space," Marlin informed him tersely.
The older man seemed unable to comprehend. A momentary triumph lighted in his eyes, then faded into suspicion.
"Go away!" he ordered gruffly. "I have no mood for silly jokes."
Still, he submitted as they assisted him to his feet and hustled him toward the periscope.
A few moments later, racing back to the control room, he began a feverish examination of instruments and dials.
"I understand now. Yes—it is clear. I should have known, but in dealing with new forces—one lacks the guidance of experience. Lamberton—that imbecile? How I shall laugh. Charlatan eh! Yes, yes. It was necessary to build up a sufficient potential—to do that naturally took a great deal longer—"
"Look here," interrupted DuChane. "Isn't it possible that the coating on the sphere somehow acted as a storage reservoir into which your current poured until it built up this—this terrific potential you've mentioned? I mean—well, perhaps this storing up of power multiplied the current generated by your dynamos, until they overcame the objection Lamberton pointed out—that of obtaining sufficient power to produce the atomic stress."
"Nonsense!" Eli retorted reddening. "That imbecile has not the brains to grasp even my basic theory. There is no connection between my conversion coils and the mud coating!"