 Who seems to know the least about Superior's situation?
Radio messages stated simply that Superior had seceded from Earth. But Don Cort, stranded on that rising town, was beginning to suspect that nothing was simple about Superior except its citizens. Calmly they accepted their rise in the world as being due to one of their local townspeople, a crackpot professor. So then it was up to Cort: either find a way to anchor Superior, or spend the rest of his days on the smallest—and the nuttiest—planet in the galaxy! The state police converged on the former site of Superior from several directions. Communicating by radiophone across the vast pit, they confirmed that the town undoubtedly was missing. The train's schedule called for it to pass through but not stop at Superior at 11:58. A National Guard officer volunteered to take a jeep down into the pit, having found a spot that seemed navigable. The Pentagon and the Atomic Energy Commission denied that they had been conducting secret experiments. A United Airlines pilot found Superior early on the morning of November 1. The object loomed out of a cloudbank at twelve thousand feet and Studley changed course to avoid it. He noted with only minimum satisfaction that his co-pilot also saw the thing and wondered why it wasn't moving at the terrific speed flying saucers were allegedly capable of. A few minutes later he had relayed a message from Superior, formerly of Ohio, addressed to whom it might concern: It said that Superior had seceded from Earth. One other radio message came from Superior, now airborne, on that first day. Don Cort had been dozing in what passed for the club car on the Buckeye Cannonball when the train braked to a stop. Don hesitated, shrugged at the redhead, said, "Excuse me," and followed the conductor. Don made his way up to the locomotive and found a bigger knot of people gathered in front of the cowcatcher. Don saw two men who must have been the engineer and the fireman talking to an old bearded gentleman wearing a civil defense helmet, a topcoat and riding boots. Don Cort and the fireman walked cautiously toward the edge while the professor ambled ahead with the familiarity of one who had been there before. He didn't have to stand on tiptoe any more than he had to sit on the edge of his seat during the exciting part of a movie, but the situation seemed to call for it. "If what Mr. Cort and the fireman say is true. Well, Professor Garet telephoned and said, 'Hector'—that's my name,
 the train conductor
 Professor Garet  Don Cort  Mayor Civek  the train conductor