"And how irritable they are, in addition to their capriciousness and
sloppiness! I can't imagine a race of emotional misfits producing
equipment of such complexity. Their science is beyond ours in many ways,
yet look at this place." He made a broad gesture. "When we were let out
this morning, it was clean and well ordered. I've inspected dairies that
were far dirtier. Now it's a hodge-podge of scattered materials, upset
stacks of gear, tipped-over instruments. What sort of mind can bear such
confusion?"
Watkins smiled. "The minds that conceived--well, that vertical maze, for
instance--must be orderly after a fashion, even though it isn't the
human fashion."
"This is far from what I wanted to say, though. Have you been noticing
the door?"
"There isn't much to notice. It's a sliding panel like our wall."
"When one of the creatures leaves, he passes his right hand across what
is evidently an electric eye beam, as nearly as I can place it about ten
or eleven feet off the floor. That opens the door."
"Good going, Cal!" said Watkins. "I hadn't seen 'em do it."
"Our try for escape should be made as soon as possible," went on Calvin
in a low voice. "As we've talked about, the object of these tests and
experiments may be to infect us with neuroses--" Watkins grinned
again--"I know my phrasing isn't right," said Calvin stiffly, "but I
never looked into such matters. There's also Summersby's suggestion
about the fate of guinea pigs. So I think we'd better try to get out
right away."
"With five of them here?"
"If we have any luck, we may find an opportunity, yes. Occasionally they
get absorbed in something, and that door makes no noise."
Watkins looked at his briefcase uncertainly. "Okay," he said finally.
"May as well try it. Though God knows where we are when we do get out of
the lab."
Calvin congratulated himself on his choice of an ally. "Good man," he
said.
In the next hour they managed to build a crude platform beside the door,
of various boxlike things, nondescript plastic blocks and impedimenta.
The giants didn't even look at them. They were, indeed, a strange race.
Now the platform was high enough so that Calvin felt he could reach the
opening ray.
Summersby wandered over. "What are you doing?" he asked, seeming to
force out the question from politeness, not curiosity.
"We're going to make a break, High-pockets," said Watkins. "Want to
help?"
"They won't let you," said the big man.
"We can try, can't we?" asked Watkins hotly.
"It's your neck."
"Listen, you may be the size of a water buffalo, but if Cal and Adam and
I piled on you, you'd go down all right. Why don't you cooperate?"
Summersby stared at him a moment and Calvin thought he was going to say
something, something that would be important; but he shrugged and went
across the hall and into the prison box.
"What's eating that big bastard, anyway?" said Watkins.
Calvin believed he knew, but it was not his secret; it was Summersby's.
He said nothing.
"Watch it," said Watkins. "They're coming." The two men scurried behind
their rampart. The five giants marched, flat-footed, down the hall,
their thick arms swinging. The door opened and all of them went out. It
closed behind them.
"How about that!" said Watkins exultantly, a grin on his face.
"I'll get Mrs. Full and the others," said Calvin. He felt a tingle of
rising excitement. "Get up there and be ready to open it. We'll give
them five minutes and then make our break."
"Right." Watkins was already clambering up the boxes and blocks.
Calvin almost ran to his wife. She was standing in front of the color
organ. "Dear," he said, and halted.
"Yes, what is it, Calvin?"
"I don't know. I was going to say--"
A sluggishness was pervading his body, a terrible lassitude crept
through his brain. What was it? What was happening?
"I was going to--"
He caught her as she slumped, but could not hold up her weight, and sank
to the floor beside her. His eyes blinked a couple of times. Then
knowledge and sensation vanished together.