It felt strange to handle anything so large with his bare hand. Now. Reach into the Other World for power. He closed his eyes and pressed. He opened them. Fourteen pounds – less than he used to have
But he had not really tried yet. He tried to imagine Gramps Schneider’s hands on his arm, that warm tingle. Power. Reach Out and claim it
Fourteen pounds, fifteen – seventeen, eighteen, twenty, twenty-one! He was winning! He was winning! Both his strength and his courage failed him, in what order he could not say. The needle spun back to zero; he had to rest
Had he really shown exceptional strength – or was twenty one pounds of grip simply normal for him at his present age and weight? A normally strong and active man, he knew, should have a grip of the order of one hundred and fifty pounds
Nevertheless, twenty-one pounds of grip was six pounds higher than he had ever before managed on test
Try, again. Ten, eleven – twelve. Thirteen. The needle hesitated. Why, he had just started – this was ridiculous. Fourteen
There it stopped. No matter how he strained and concentrated his driving will he could not pass that point. Slowly, he dropped back from it
Sixteen pounds was the highest he managed in the following days. Twenty-one pounds seemed to have been merely a fluke, a good first effort. He ate bitterness
But he had not reached his present position of wealth and prominence by easy surrender. He persisted, recalling carefully just what Schneider had said to him, and trying to feel the touch of Schneider’s hands. He told himself now that he really had been strong under Schneider’s touch, but that he had failed to realize it because of the Earth’s heavy field. He continued to try
In the back of his mind he knew that he must eventually seek out Gramps Schneider and ask his help, if he did not find the trick alone. But he was extremely reluctant to do so, not because of the terrible trip it entailed – though that would ordinarily have been more than enough reason – but because if he did so and Schneider was not able to help him, then there would be no hope, no hope at all
It was better to live with disappointment and frustration than to live without hope. He continued to postpone it
Waldo paid little attention to Earth time; he ate and slept when he pleased. He might catch a cat nap at any time; however, at fairly regular intervals he slept for longer periods. Not in a bed, of course. A man who floats in air has no need for a bed. But he did make it a habit to guy himself into place before undertaking eight hours of solid sleep, as it prevented him from casual drifting in random air currents which might carry him, unconscious, against controls or switches
Since the obsession to become strong had possessed him he had frequently found it necessary to resort to soporifics to ensure sleep
Dr Rambeau had returned and was looking for him. Rambeau – crazy and filled with hate. Rambeau, blaming his troubles on Waldo. He was not safe, even in Freehold, as the crazy physicist had found out how to pass from one space to another. There he was now! Just his head, poked through from the Other World. ‘I’m going to get you, Waldo!’ He was gone – no, there he was behind him! Reaching, reaching out with hands that were writhing antennae. ‘You, Waldo!’ But Waldo’s own hands were the giant waldoes; he snatched at Rambeau
The big waldoes went limp
Rambeau was at him, was on him; he had him around the throat
Gramps Schneider said in his ear, in a voice that was calm and strong, ‘Reach out for the power, my son. Feel it in your fingers.’ Waldo grabbed at the throttling fingers, strained, tried
They were coming loose. He was winning. He would stuff Rambeau back into the Other World and keep him there. There! He had one hand free. Baldur was barking frantically; he tried to tell him to shut up, to bite Rambeau, to help- The dog continued to bark