At this moment, I saw the captain come from an opening in the rocks,
probably a grotto, at the base of this cliff hidden in the fog.
Occasionally, in the mists above, appeared the shadows of huge birds.
Their raucous cries were the sole interruption to the profound
silence. Who knows if they were not affrighted by the arrival of this
formidable, winged monster, which they could not match either in
might or speed.
Everything led me to believe that it was here that the Master of the
World withdrew in the intervals between his prodigious journeys. Here
was the garage of his automobile; the harbor of his boat; the hangar
of his air-ship.
And now the "Terror" stood motionless at the bottom of this hollow.
At last I could examine her; and it looked as if her owners had no
intention of preventing me. The truth is that the commander seemed to
take no more notice of my presence than before. His two companions
joined him, and the three did not hesitate to enter together into the
grotto I had seen. What a chance to study the machine, at least its
exterior! As to its inner parts, probably I should never get beyond
conjecture.
In fact, except for that of my cabin, the hatchways were closed; and
it would be vain for me to attempt to open them. At any rate, it
might be more interesting to find out what kind of propeller drove
the "Terror" in these many transformations.
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