I pass to that June night, over three years after Cannell’s disappearance, when my own part in the drama may be said to begin. Lantin and I were working late in our laboratory at the Foundation, when we were interrupted by the telephone bell. We had reached a critical point in our experiment, and as Lantin hurried over to the instrument, I heard him muttering threats to have it removed. I did not catch his first answer, but after a minute’s silence he flung out a single word, in a strange voice, that startled me.
“Cannell!”
At once I hastened over to his side, and as I did so, he turned toward me a face eloquent of astonishment, still holding the receiver to his ear. “I’ll be there in ten minutes!” he shouted into the instrument, then hung up and turned to face my excited questions.
“Go
