“They certainly look all right, but you can never be quite sure.”

Marlowe broke off abruptly and stood up. Now, as always when he was excited or agitated, he blew out enormous clouds of aniseed-scented tobacco smoke, a South African variety. Jensen marvelled that the bowl of his pipe did not burst into flames.

“Something crazy may have happened. The best thing we can do is to get another plate shot straight away. I wonder who is on the mountain tonight.”

“You mean Mount Wilson or Palomar?”

“Mount Wilson. Palomar’s too far.”

“Well, as far as I remember, one of the visiting astronomers is using the 100-inch. I think Harvey Smith is on the 60-inch.”

“Look, it would probably be best if I went up myself. Harvey won’t mind letting me have a few moments. I won’t be able to get the whole nebulosity of course, but I can get some of the star fields at the edge. Do you know the exact co-ordinates?”

“No. I phoned as soon as I’d tried the plates in the “blink”. I didn’t stop to measure them.”

“Well, never mind, we can do that on the way. But there’s no real need to keep you out of bed, Knut. Why don’t I drop you at your apartment? I’ll leave a note for Mary saying I won’t be back until sometime tomorrow.”

Jensen was excited when Marlowe dropped him at his lodging. Before he turned in that night he wrote letters home, one to his parents telling them very briefly of the unusual discovery, and another to Greta saying that he believed he’d stumbled on something important.

Marlowe drove to the Observatory offices. His first step was to get Mount Wilson on the phone and to talk to Harvey Smith. When he heard Smith’s soft southern accent, he said:

“This is Geoff Marlowe. Look, Harvey, something pretty queer has turned up, so queer that I’m wondering if you’d let me have the 60-inch for tonight. What is it? I don’t know what it is. That’s just what I want to find out. It’s to do with young Jensen’s work. Come down here at ten o’clock tomorrow and I’ll be able to tell you more about it. If you’re bored I’ll stand you a bottle of Scotch. That’s good enough for you? Fine! Tell the night assistant that I’ll be up at about one o’clock, will you?”