“Commercially it should be worth millions,” said the Russian. “And internationally⁠—well, one knows only too well the greed of nations.”

Bundle had an idea that behind his mask he was smiling unpleasantly.

“Yes,” he went on. “A gold mine.”

“Well worth a few lives,” said No. 5 cynically, and laughed.

“But you know what inventors are,” said the American. “Sometimes these darned things won’t work.”

“A man like Sir Oswald Coote will have made no mistake,” said Mosgorovsky.

“Speaking as an aviator myself,” said No. 5, “the thing is perfectly feasible. It has been discussed for years⁠—but it needed the genius of Eberhard to bring it to fruition.”