"Lowell Howard Morrow - Islands in the Air" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morrow Lowell Howard)

be another delay.

"I don't know whether it will work or not," suddenly said the Professor as if to himself. He began to act
queer, jumping about from one thing to another muttering and shaking his head affirmatively. "Maybe I'll
smash it" he said finally. "But we shall see--we shall see. Come, my boy," he added turning to me and
eyeing me oddly.

He led the way aboard the island, and Greta soared into the air. In a few minutes we had risen to a height
of two thousand feet. Then Greta gave another exhibition of the unique braking system of her plane by
landing on the little field by our side.

"I am going over to the other island," announced the Professor. "I shall send it into the air and maneuver it
horizontally. I will even come over to visit you, my boy. I shall step from that island onto this one. But if
anything should happen to me--" he went on while I gazed at him in astonishment, "you must descend.
Just pull this lever down and forward and press this--" He paused with his hand on the lever and looked
at me steadily. "But I believe I'll have you meet me" he continued, his eyes burning and boring into mine.
"It will make the test complete. Come, Greta, let's be going." He turned and clambered into the plane.

"Hold on--you have not told me how to meet you," I reminded unable to understand the sudden changes
of his mind.

"Never mind," he said. "I'll try out my island first, then I'll send directions by Greta."

In another moment they had zoomed into the air leaving me alone aboard this strange contrivance of the
sky.

As they winged away a sudden feeling of loneliness assailed me not unmixed with misgivings. My eyes
roved about me. I had but a vague knowledge of the mechanism of this craft. Its bewildering array of
wheels and levers and buttons appalled me, thanks to the Professor's foolish procrastination in teaching
me their use. I wondered what would become of me, marooned here in the air should the Professor crash
and something happen to Greta. I knew the island could not be lowered from the ground by anyone save
the Professor. I looked below hopelessly. The workmen were only small dots, and the buildings and
equipment of the plant looked like toys.

My attention was soon diverted to the Professor and his island. Majestically he rose into the air until he
was about on a level with me. Then I saw him hurrying about over the structure, pausing now and then to
oil and examine a machine, to adjust a lever and try a valve. I took up the binoculars and watched him
closely. I saw that he was nervous, and the expression on his face alarmed me. His cheeks were pale, his
eyes glowing like red coals and the motions of his lips told me he was talking rapidly to himself. I feared
that the dreaded moment long feared by Greta had come at last.

And then as I gazed I saw about half a mile beyond the Professor something moving among the trees.
Autumn was tardy in coming and most of the timber among the evergreens still retained its foliage though
it was splashed with gold. As I watched the tops of the timber seemed to expand, to become strangely
animated. Then they appeared to be rising to meet the sky as though they had suddenly taken on a
phenomenal growth.

I blinked, lowered the glasses and hastily wiped them with my handkerchief. But as I placed them again
to my eyes I uttered a cry of amazement and stupefaction, for soaring above the tree tops was another
island of the sky! And this island carried trees and shrubs on its bosom. There was grass there and