"Ah, I see what it is," he said, taking another sip and putting the
glass down. "You notice that, although the wine isn't lying straight in
the glass, it isn't moving about. It's just as still as it would be on
earth. That means that our centre of gravity is not exactly in line with
the centre of the earth. We haven't quite swung into our proper
position, and that reminds me, dear. You will have to be prepared for
some rather curious experiences in that way. For instance, just see if
that jug of water is as heavy as it ought to be."
She took hold of the handle, and exerting, as she thought, just enough
force to lift the jug a few inches, was astonished to find herself
holding it out at arm's length with scarcely any effort. She put it down
again very carefully as though she were afraid it would go floating off
the table, and said, looking rather scared:
"That's very strange, but I suppose it's all perfectly natural?"
"Perfectly; it merely means that we have left Mother Earth a good long
way behind us."
"How far?" she asked.
"I can't tell you exactly," he replied, "until I go to the
instrument-room and take the angles, but I should say roughly about
seventy thousand miles. When we've finished we'll go and have coffee on
the upper deck, and then we shall see something of the glories of Space
as no human eyes have ever seen them before.
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