Lords of the Stratosphere

It seemed appropriate and appropriate that the greatest of all jumps into space should begin from the Roosevelt field, where so many great flights began and ended. Pilots whose names sounded - for space - around the world, landed here and were received by New York with all the splendor of visiting kings. The pilots went here to the lands of the kings, which they received when their journeys ended.

Of course, Lucian Jeter and Theme Ayer were disappointed that Franz Kress defeated them in the race to be the first in the stratosphere above fifty-five thousand feet. There was a chance that Cress would fail when the turn of Jeter and Ayer came. They did not want his failure of course. They were both athletes and scientists; but they were humane enough to foresee world applause that would be immediately showered by successful pilots.