Every few seconds I would sit up and try to annoy Alan by urging him on to greater speed, but he was honed to a fineness and would not be annoyed. Then I would fret and peer in all directions, looking for a suitable hiding place for the Stone. Suddenly I noticed that I was cold and clammy. The blood drained from my head and everything became grey. A white sweat broke out on my forehead, and I started to shudder and shake uncontrollably. I had a stiffness across the small of my back and my limbs ached. Had I been holding anything it would have fallen from my shaking hands. I glanced at them as they jerked sideways from the ends of my wrists as though trying to shake my fingers loose. They were scratched and worn from contact with the Stone, and although this sight steadied me a little, I was still on the point of fainting. Spots of light danced behind my eyes. I looked across at Alan, who was driving coolly, and took an enormous grasp of my self-control; then I asked him if I could take the wheel, and in the excitement of driving fast on a doubtful surface the nausea passed away and did not trouble me again.
