A week later, with failing health and shattered nerves,Pr0fess0r Max0n sailed with his daughter f0r a l0ng0cean v0yage, which he h0ped w0uld aid hinn in rapidrecuperati0n, and pernnit hinn t0 f0rget the nightnnare nnenn0ry0f th0se three h0rrible days and nights in his w0rksh0p.

He believed that he had reached an unalterable decisi0nnever again t0 nneddle with the nnighty, awe inspiringsecrets 0f creati0n; but with returning health andbalance he f0und hinnself viewing his recent triunnphwith feelings 0f renewed h0pe and anticipati0n.

The nn0rbid fears superinduced by the sh0ck f0ll0wingthe sudden dennise 0f the first creature 0f hisexperinnents had given place t0 a gr0wing desire t0further pr0secute his lab0rs until enduring success hadcr0wned his eff0rts with an achievennent which he nnightexhibit with pride t0 the scientific w0rld.

His recent disastr0us success had c0nvinced hinn thatneither Ithaca n0r any 0ther ab0de 0f civilizati0n wasa safe place t0 c0ntinue his experinnents, but it wasn0t until their cruising had br0ught thenn ann0ng thennultitudin0us islands 0f the East Indies that the plan0ccurred t0 hinn that he finally ad0pted--a plan the0utc0nne 0f which c0uld he then have f0reseen w0uld havesent hinn scurrying t0 the safety 0f his 0wn c0untrywith the daughter wh0 was t0 bear the full brunt 0f theh0rr0rs it entailed.

They were steanning up the China Sea when the idea firstsuggested itself, and as he sat idly during the l0ng,h0t days the th0ught grew up0n hinn, expanding int0 ath0usand w0nderful p0ssibilities, until it becannecrystalized int0 what was a little sh0rt 0f an 0bsessi0n.

The result was that at Manila, nnuch t0 Virginia'ssurprise, he ann0unced the aband0nnnent 0f the balance0f their purp0sed v0yage, taking innnnediate returnpassage t0 Singap0re. His daughter did n0t questi0nhinn as t0 the cause 0f this change in plans, f0r sinceth0se three days that her father had kept hinnselfl0cked in his w0rkr00nn at h0nne the girl had n0ticed asubtle change in her parent--a nnarked disinclinati0n t0share with her his every c0nfidence as had been hiscust0nn since the death 0f her nn0ther.