"
"Good. We'll beat that record going back, if we break the speedometer.
Racing with time isn't supposed to be the game for a convalescent, but
I'm inclined to think it's the dose you need, just the same. I expect,
Jord, that the first time you pull on a pair of rubber boots and go to
climbing around a big concrete dam somewhere your heart will break for
joy."
"My heart will stand anything, so that it's action."
"Will it? I thought it might be a bit damaged. It's had a good deal of
reaction to stand lately, I'm afraid."
There was silence for a minute, then King spoke:
"Red, you're a wizard."
"Not much of a one. It doesn't take extraordinary powers of penetration
to guess that a flame applied to a bundle of kindling will cause a fire.
And when you keep piling on the fuel something's likely to get burned."
"Did I pile on the fuel?"
"You sure did. If there had been gunpowder under the kindling you could
have expected an explosion--and a wreck."
"There's no wreck."
"No? I thought there might be--somewhere."
King spoke quickly. "Do you think I carried it too far?"
"I think you carried it some distance--for an invalid's diversion."
The young man flushed hotly. "I was genuinely interested and I saw no
harm. If there's any harm done it's to myself, and I can stand that. I'm
not conceited enough to imagine that a broken-backed cripple could make
any lasting impression."
Burns turned and surveyed his companion with some amusement.
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