The buildings here were almost all at the ground level. Georg and Maida ran onward, hardly noticed, for everyone was gazing upward at the distant, burning tower. Georg was heading for where Wolfgar had an aero secreted. A mile or more. They reached the spot--but the aero was not there. They were in the open country now--Venia is small. Plantations--an agricultural region. Most of the houses were deserted, the occupants having fled into the city as refugees when threats and orders came from Washington the day before. Georg and Maida came upon a little conical house; it lay silent, heavy-shadowed in the starlight with the glow of the city edging its side and circular roof. Beside it was an incline with a helicopter standing up there on a private landing stage.... Georg and Maida rushed up the incline.
A small helicopter; its dangling basket was barely large enough for two--a basket with a tiny safety 'plane fastened to its outrigger.
In a moment Georg and the girl had boarded the helicopter. She was silent; she had hardly said a word throughout it all.... The helicopter mounted straight up; its whirling propellers above sent a rush of air downward.
"These batteries," said Georg. "The guards in Venia can't stop us. An aero--even if we had it--I doubt if we could get power for it. They've shut off general power by now, I'm sure."
As they mounted upward, the city dwindled beneath them--dwindled to an area of red and green and purple lights. It was silent up here in the starlight; a calm, windless night--cloudless, save for a gray bank which obscured the moon.
Ten thousand feet up. Then fifteen. The city was a tiny patch of blended colors. Light rockets occasionally mounted now. But their glare fell short. Georg's mind was busy with his plans. Had the helicopter been seen? It seemed not. No rocket-light had reached it; and there was no sign of pursuit from below.
Maida crouched beside him. He felt her hand timidly upon his arm; felt her shy, sidelong glance upon him. And suddenly he was conscious of her beauty. His heart leaped, and as he turned to her, she smiled--a smile of eager trust which lighted her face like a torch of faith in the spire of a house of worship.
"You are planning?" she said. "You know what it is we must do?"