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[[page number]] 8 [[/page number]]

It would be impossible for him to come to the field himself, but he would delegate some of his subordinate[[strikethrough]]d[[/strikethrough]]^[[s]] to see what could be done.

"You need not feel so badly about the lost plane, Mr. Neverre," he reassured. "I realize the [[strikethrough, difficult to identify words]] efficacy of the twin-beam radio beacon, and I know the high standard of your [[strikethrough, difficult to identify]] pilots and ships. I fear that there is something deeper than mere misfortune. You may not know it, Mr. Neverre, but there are those who would move heaven and earth to work me harm. They would realize at once that they could strike at [[strikethrough, difficult to identify]] ^[[me]] in no better way than by crippling [[strikethrough]] our [[/strikethrough]] ^[[my]] distribution.

"Further search in that wilderness of crags and peaks is useless, I am sure. If my belief is correct, namely, that some foul fiend is the cause of this disaster, then he will [[strikethrough, difficult to identify]] ^[[repeat]] his depredation in the near future. Give orders to your manager not to permit the Midnight Mail to leave until I arrive there.

"No, Mr. Neverre, the [[strikethrough, difficult to identify]] negatives are stored in our underground film storage [[strikethrough]] cellar [[/strikethrough]] ^[[vaults]]. Duplicate positives will be ready for [[strikethrough, difficult to identify words]]  this afternoon's ship. Please do not worry. I do not blame the NAEC in the slightest degree. [[strikethrough]] zxzxzxx sSUCHx [[/strikethrough]] Such coincidence ^[[s as this]] do [[strikethrough]] es [[/strikethrough]] not ^[[merely]] happen. Your ships have flown that course every day for months and months without a single accident. Why should you have an accident today [[strikethrough]] ? [[/strikethrough]] ^[[of all days?]] The shipping of that film has been advertised far and wide. Even now theatres throughout this city are preparing to run news reels showing the loading of the film aboard the ship. Much as I regret to think evil of anyone, I know that there [[strikethrough]] are a few [[/strikethrough]] ^[[is one]] enemy [[handcorrected from enemies]] of Flicker Film ^[[s]] and of myself who would stop at nothing to prevent the realization our desire to

Transcription Notes:
Some struck-through words are difficult to identify: I am not sure whether it is necessary to or not.