“If it might explain what happened…I knew some of the people who vanished…I’m happy to help,” Spencer said firmly.  “I have a stack of people who want me, pronto, to resurvey for the new rail line.  There are patches where the ground slumped.  Or so the cavalry said.”

“Sir,” Winston said, “I can’t tell you what to do, this being a free country, but I respectfully urge you not to send anyone into the heath.  That cavalry troop that rode through it.  They lost three horses, the rest looked sick, and the men looked less than well.”

“Dad,” the man at the nearest desk said, “it’s now eight horses, three men in the hospital, docs don’t know why.  Some sort of poison.”

“Oh,” James said, “Mister Cooper, this is my son Travis.” He paused while the two men shook hands.  “I think I don’t need any more persuading about taking that railroad job.  Someone else can do it.  So what height do you need measured?”

“At a guess, it’s a hovering dirigible,” Winston said.  “It’s above, more or less, the middle of the heath. The men who flew over the Heath and took all the newspaper photos spotted it.  It’s been there at least since the day after the blasting.”

“Long time for a zepp to hover,”  Travis said. 

“All I can see, naked eye, looks like a star,” Winston explained.  But from here it’s more or less due south, and from Phoenix it’s more or less due north.  Can’t be a star.”

“When that pilot flew around the heath, a couple times, did he ever see it?” Travis asked.

“I asked him that,” Winston said, “the second and third time he showed up.  He said, when he flew around the heath,  counterclockwise, just outside of it, this star was always at his nine o’clock, no matter if he was flying north, south, east, or west.”

“I’m game,” Travis said.  “Dad, I’ll need the large theodolite, and borrow the car.  I’ve never done a star—what looks like a star—but it must be a good target. Stars are points, after all.  East and west ends of town should be good.”

“With my blessings,” James said.  “I was at Suzy Jameson’s wedding, helped deliver her second daughter.  Once for that was enough.  Please catch the bastards who did this.  I’ll happily help string them up.  After a fair trial, of course.”