whispered to him.
He did not reply. To her surprise, he walked, as if dazed, toward the doorway. She followed.
When they reached the spaceship, the mechanical hand helped them step inside, then retracted. The door slammed shut.
The interior of the craft was brightly illuminated but not by lights that the couple could see and there was no sign of anyone—human or humanoid.
The walls were lined with flashing lights and many kinds of buttons, gadgets, and tools. Some of them Nancy recognized as hammers, screwdrivers, and wrenches; others were totally unfamiliar to her.
She tried to ask Ned what some of the unusual ones were. To her utter astonishment, no sound came from her throat.
We must be in a void, she surmised, but we’re not having any trouble breathing. How strange!
More baffling was the fact that all her rain gear was gone. Ned’s was missing also. What had happened to it?
Did it evaporate? she asked herself, completely puzzled.
A feeling of fear crept over the young detective. Was she locked in the flying saucer? Were she and Ned about to be kidnapped by unseen space beings and taken away from the earth forever?
Ned, less frightened, began to examine the odd gadgets. None was labeled to give a clue to its use. Curious, he pushed a button on one wall. Sparks flew toward both him and Nancy, slightly scorching the backs of their hands.
Ouch! Nancy cried out, but again she made no audible sound.
The flying saucer vibrated convulsively and lifted from Dismal Swamp. Instantly it turned into a glass cage, climbing higher and higher at a terrific speed. Within seconds it soared above the mountaintop and spun into space.
Although the flying saucer twirled rapidly as it flew, Nancy and Ned managed to stand with ease. Strangely, they forgot their fears. Both of them tried to figure out what had caused the ship suddenly to become transparent. As they gazed outside, the misty sky changed to clear dark blue.
I’m—I’m getting dizzy, Nancy said, reaching for Ned’s hand.
Of course, he did not hear her, and she noticed that his eyes were closing. He too was becoming dizzy. Was it from the height or the speed? In a moment he lost his balance.
Poor Ned! Nancy thought. I—I hope—
Both of them toppled onto the deck. As they fell, the flying saucer swirled jerkily. They realized that it was descending. Where was it about to land?
Nancy and Ned tried to stay awake and to get up and look outside to see what was happening. Their efforts were in vain. They could not move. Within seconds both of them blacked out!
11
Human Birds
Nancy and Ned had no way of knowing how long they were blacked out. When they became conscious, they were no longer in the flying saucer.
Instead, Nancy and Ned were lying on luscious green grass. The cloudless sky above them was a beautiful blue and the sun was shining.
The spaceship was not in sight. Where did it go? Nancy asked herself, feeling a chill sweep over her.
She realized it was very cold where they were. Nancy turned on her side to speak to Ned.
Where do you think we are? she asked him. To her utter dismay she knew that still no sound came from her throat.
Ned sat up and looked at Nancy. He asked with concern, Are you all right?
The identical phenomenon had happened to him. He was uttering a thought but not out loud. Suddenly Nancy became aware of what Ned was thinking. The two of them were communicating by thought waves!
This is fantastic! Nancy decided.
The couple stood up and gazed around. Again Nancy asked silently: Where do you think we are, Ned?
He shrugged and replied, Maybe we’re somewhere on earth or marooned on another planet. My guess is we’re out in space.
For a few moments she and Ned were terrified. They had enjoyed their lives on earth so much that they were not ready to say good-bye to parents, relatives, and friends. Nancy chided herself for being so eager to solve the mystery of the flying saucer in the first place.
Ned thought-waved to her:
He did not reply. To her surprise, he walked, as if dazed, toward the doorway. She followed.
When they reached the spaceship, the mechanical hand helped them step inside, then retracted. The door slammed shut.
The interior of the craft was brightly illuminated but not by lights that the couple could see and there was no sign of anyone—human or humanoid.
The walls were lined with flashing lights and many kinds of buttons, gadgets, and tools. Some of them Nancy recognized as hammers, screwdrivers, and wrenches; others were totally unfamiliar to her.
She tried to ask Ned what some of the unusual ones were. To her utter astonishment, no sound came from her throat.
We must be in a void, she surmised, but we’re not having any trouble breathing. How strange!
More baffling was the fact that all her rain gear was gone. Ned’s was missing also. What had happened to it?
Did it evaporate? she asked herself, completely puzzled.
A feeling of fear crept over the young detective. Was she locked in the flying saucer? Were she and Ned about to be kidnapped by unseen space beings and taken away from the earth forever?
Ned, less frightened, began to examine the odd gadgets. None was labeled to give a clue to its use. Curious, he pushed a button on one wall. Sparks flew toward both him and Nancy, slightly scorching the backs of their hands.
Ouch! Nancy cried out, but again she made no audible sound.
The flying saucer vibrated convulsively and lifted from Dismal Swamp. Instantly it turned into a glass cage, climbing higher and higher at a terrific speed. Within seconds it soared above the mountaintop and spun into space.
Although the flying saucer twirled rapidly as it flew, Nancy and Ned managed to stand with ease. Strangely, they forgot their fears. Both of them tried to figure out what had caused the ship suddenly to become transparent. As they gazed outside, the misty sky changed to clear dark blue.
I’m—I’m getting dizzy, Nancy said, reaching for Ned’s hand.
Of course, he did not hear her, and she noticed that his eyes were closing. He too was becoming dizzy. Was it from the height or the speed? In a moment he lost his balance.
Poor Ned! Nancy thought. I—I hope—
Both of them toppled onto the deck. As they fell, the flying saucer swirled jerkily. They realized that it was descending. Where was it about to land?
Nancy and Ned tried to stay awake and to get up and look outside to see what was happening. Their efforts were in vain. They could not move. Within seconds both of them blacked out!
11
Human Birds
Nancy and Ned had no way of knowing how long they were blacked out. When they became conscious, they were no longer in the flying saucer.
Instead, Nancy and Ned were lying on luscious green grass. The cloudless sky above them was a beautiful blue and the sun was shining.
The spaceship was not in sight. Where did it go? Nancy asked herself, feeling a chill sweep over her.
She realized it was very cold where they were. Nancy turned on her side to speak to Ned.
Where do you think we are? she asked him. To her utter dismay she knew that still no sound came from her throat.
Ned sat up and looked at Nancy. He asked with concern, Are you all right?
The identical phenomenon had happened to him. He was uttering a thought but not out loud. Suddenly Nancy became aware of what Ned was thinking. The two of them were communicating by thought waves!
This is fantastic! Nancy decided.
The couple stood up and gazed around. Again Nancy asked silently: Where do you think we are, Ned?
He shrugged and replied, Maybe we’re somewhere on earth or marooned on another planet. My guess is we’re out in space.
For a few moments she and Ned were terrified. They had enjoyed their lives on earth so much that they were not ready to say good-bye to parents, relatives, and friends. Nancy chided herself for being so eager to solve the mystery of the flying saucer in the first place.
Ned thought-waved to her:
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