The Earth-Tube (26 page)

“That’s true,” admitted King soberly. “The Asians aren’t fools.”

Dr. Scott tapped thoughtfully upon the table.

“How long will it be until you will be ready to make a test of your liquid air?” he asked.

“Two or three weeks, at the least,” King replied. “It all depends upon the kind of cooperation we receive from the munitions manufacturers. and luck.”

The elder scientist was quiet for several minutes.

“One problem at a time,” he said presently. “First let’s destroy their undulal. We needn’t cross any bridge before we come to it!”

CHAPTER VIII

THE WINGS OF THE TAL MAJOD

IAND now began that hideous reign of terror which marked the bitter closing weeks of the invasion, a time when the horrible events of the early part of the war were all but forgotten amid the demoralization which followed the newer activities of the enemy. America, rejoicing and optimistic at the return of King with the secret which would destroy undulal, was soon to learn that the invaders were sinister, cruel, and almost unbelievably crafty, and that King’s success alone would not suffice to free the country from her attackers.

The Asians, crossing the gap at the Isthmus, had advanced steadily northward. The day after King’s spectacular rescue from the sea near Tiplis, they had fallen upon and taken Vera Cruz. The next day Mexico City was captured and burned.

A few hours thereafter observation planes reported that the invaders were resting upon their victories, waiting quietly in the vicinity of the former capital of Mexico for reinforcements or further orders. The advance began again four days later. Convoyed by the lesser machines which always accompanied them, the triumphant tanks swept out slowly across the Mexican lands northward, burning and pillaging towns and villages as they moved and taking many prisoners.

On the morning of May 11 the President called King and Dr. Scott to meet with him in his office at Washington.

“I have just received word,” he said quietly, “that the Asians are now bearing definitely toward Houston, and they will probably take it before to-morrow night, or the following morning at the latest. Indications are that their next objective will be New Orleans.”

“New Orleans!”

It was difficult for Dr. Scott to believe, despite the evidence, that the invaders had in a few short months succeeded in reaching and entering what had in his youth been known as the United States. If their main objective was the capture of slaves for their brutal factories, they would soon tap the greatest reservoir of population on the two continents. They would be able to glut themselves, in a few hours, upon the very friends and neighbors of the men who sat around the council table, the men and women of the old North American race.

King replied to the news soberly.

“Our work at the liquid-air and munitions plants,” he said, “has progressed with singular and disheartening slowness. After days of wrestling with designs and experimental models we had just put production on a factory basis when the plant at Niagara burned to the ground, and our models with it. The Muscle Shoals plant developed labor trouble early last week; some kind of jealousy among the labor union heads almost precipitated a strike. Even when we pointed out that the country’s existence was threatened by the men’s refusal to put themselves into their work, production remained so slow that little has been accomplished.

“Only the relatively small Colorado River plant has fulfilled expectations. It is now operating under heavy guard, and our proving grounds there have demonstrated that the designs drawn up by our engineers for liquid air shells and howitzers will be successful. But the supply is woefully short.”

The President nodded quietly.

“It is strange how even chance and matters over which no man has control are working against us in this war,” he remarked.

“Perhaps it is chance. and perhaps not,” replied King. “I have a great deal of respect for the ingenuity of the Asians; hence the double guard at Colorado River. Nevertheless, I wish to report that we probably have enough of our new shells on hand to attempt the defense of Houston to-morrow.”

“What? Is it possible?” asked the President.

King nodded.

“I believe that we have enough for a test, at any rate,” he said. “Five days ago at Colorado River we passed the experimental stage. Since then we have been operating there in twenty-four-hour shifts. If production can be maintained at the present rate, we may be able to stop the advance.”

“It’s risky to make a start until we have enough ammunition to hammer them right back into South America.”

“I know. but I would like to make the tryout. Who knows what may happen?”

The President was visibly moved.

“My boy,” he said, rising, “I will depend on your judgment in this. If you think we are ready, arrange for the defense. It will be placed entirely in your hands.”

King also arose, and saluted. “I will give orders immediately for the moving of supplies,” he said. He started toward the door, but the President detained him.

“One more thing,” continued the Executive. “It is important, upon the eve of our first attack, to make a gesture which will restore the public confidence. If we fail this time, we will never be able to try again.”

Dr.Scott nodded.

“That is primarily why I have invited you here today,” the President went on, looking both at King and Dr. Scott. “For to-night a public dinner has been arranged in New York, under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce of All the Americas. There will be speeches and broadcasts calculated to restore confidence. It is imperative that both of you attend. Mr. Henderson, especially, must be there, to still a growing public clamor for the sight of him.”

King smiled. “I’ll be glad to go,” he replied.

Dr. Scott and the President followed him with their eyes as he went out. Impulsively, as soon as the door had closed, the President reached over and took the aged scientist fervently by the hand.

“If he has saved America,” he said, “then no reward could be too great for him!”

“No,” replied Dr. Scott.

The Executive resumed command of himself. “In the meantime,” he remarked dryly, “there is other business. For one thing, it looks as if it would be wise, for the time being, to reinstate Angell as Secretary of War.”

“What!” exclaimed Dr. Scott.

The President smiled, waving his hand toward a pile of documents and papers on a table. “Petitions and special requests,” he explained. “The mothers’ societies and women’s clubs all want Dr. Angell back; he was such a convincing speaker.”

“But he’s absolutely incompetent!”

“Oh. “ The President raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. “In war. yes. But before the convention, say, of the Allied Patriotic Societies, he’s a positive genius. Speech-making is quite an important art. a
most
important art in a country like ours. let me assure you!”

“But the defense. ?”

“As for the defense, that is already in the hands of your efficient young associate.”

“But my dear Mr. President. !”

The President held up his hand.

“That is the only way, for the time being, to satisfy these organizations. The Associated Knitting Mothers of the Pan-Americas, for instance, write me that they have been unable to arouse the proper spirit with regard to war activities in their ranks, so great has been the dearth of good speeches since the dismissal of Dr. Angell. And, of course, my dear Dr. Scott, we must have the proper spirit about these serious matters!”

“Of course. of course,” replied Dr. Scott vaguely. “The association’s war activities must be kept up, though for the life of me I can’t imagine why.”

“Neither can I,” admitted the President. “And that’s exactly the unpatriotic state of mind the members of these important societies get into, without the benefit of oratory. You see the danger of it?”

“Well. “

“It is also possible that Angell can stop the increasing migration to Europe, if enough people believe what he says over the radio. That would be something,” continued the President.

Dr. Scott reluctantly agreed.

The President picked up the telephone.

“Inform Dr. Angell that his title has been restored, and announce to the newspapers that the former Secretary has been reinstated as head of the Department of War, with full power to speak at banquets, dinners, conventions, and patriotic ladies’ meetings,” he ordered.

When the stenographer at the other end of the line had finished taking down the order, the President gave another.

“Announce also that King Henderson will superintend the defense, and that he has been placed in full charge of all military arrangements, with unlimited power over the army, navy, the aircraft branch, and the bureau of munitions.”

“Now as to other business,” the President continued, turning back briskly toward the scientist. “We must consider. “

He paused when he saw a twinkle in the eyes of the elder man. His own answered.

“Now we have two War Secretaries. one to make speeches, the other to fight the wars. “ said Dr. Scott.

In a moment the two men were laughing together like old cronies at a reunion.

“If they ever get tired of having you for President,” declared the scientist, “I’m going to nominate you for Emperor!”

Above them they heard the drone of a fast airplane. It was King, headed northeastward for New York. He had been in touch with the defense forces at Houston and the Southwest, the munitions and liquid-air factories, and the organization he had created for moving shells and men to the front. Already, as he flew swiftly through the air toward Diane, the cold blue liquid, which was to be delivered to the hostile tanks, was on its way southward, where the defenders of the city of Houston were preparing to receive it.

II

King Henderson was once more in the cool quiet of Dr. Scott’s library. The air of thoughtfulness, of comfort without luxury, of complete living and self-sacrifice with which the room was impregnated from the personality of the old man, filled him with a sense of peace, mingled with nostalgia. Never again, he was thinking, would the old, simple relations of that household be resumed; never again could he be quite a member of it as he once had been. In a few swift months, charged with portent for the whole world, he had been caught up from the humble position of a laboratory worker to that of a world figure, and now, though he would give anything to return to the simplicity of it, the old relations were gone. without possibility of replacement.

In addition, there was Diane. He loved her; he worshiped her.

They were sitting, all four, in the quiet half-light of the room, King, Diane, Anna, and Dr. Scott, who had followed him from Washington.

“And now the war comes to an end. “ began Dr. Scott.

“I wanted particularly to speak to you about that,” King returned. “The Asians. they will never allow themselves to be beaten by one blow. There is something in the wind; I can feel it, yet I do not know what measures they can take against us or how we shall be able to combat them.”

“They hold a fearful club over the head of the world,” the elder scientist observed.

“You mean the earth-tube?”

“Yes, I am convinced that if they collapse that tube they could destroy the earth. The most disastrous earthquakes on record are caused by slippages in the earth’s crust of only a fraction of an inch. The disturbances we must expect if the earth-tube is suddenly collapsed are too frightful to think about. If the earth itself were not blown apart by explosions of steam caused by the inrushing sea, the displacements of heavy material at the earth’s core could make and unmake continents, swallow mountain chains and grow new ones elsewhere, and raze cities as if the hand of God had swept them out of existence.”

“As serious as that?” queried King. Dr. Scott nodded with conviction.

“It is unlikely, however,” said King, “that they would attempt such a dangerous thing. It would probably be equally as disastrous to them as to us. Except as a last resort, or the result of an accident, I think they will not destroy the earth-tube. But there are matters almost as horrible to contemplate which are of immediate concern. They have new and fearful weapons, I believe, which they kept secret from me even during the period of my five-day education at the hands of Gun-Tar. I have learned that many things were hidden from me even though I was marked for death.”

Dr. Scott nodded. “Yes?” he inquired.

“For instance, the poisonous gas with which they have attacked us.
²⁶
We know no protection against that. To breathe it is certain death for any living thing, plant or animal. It spreads across the country like a monstrous plague, against the wind or with it. It lingers in the hollows for many days. There is no way to drive it off; no way, even, to remove the bodies of those who have suffered by contact with it.

“But more horrible still is the power with which they drive those giant tanks. From things I heard in Tiplis, only half explained, and from information I have received since my return, I am convinced that these fiends have succeeded in isolating life as a
force.
a new and usable force which is only imperfectly utilized in these bodies of ours. They have created machines to turn life into mechanical power, and now, I tell you, those Juggernauts which are sweeping the country, tearing, crushing, terrorizing.
they are not mere machines; they are alive!

“Steam, deadly rays, gas, guns, energy to turn their wheels, power to crush and burn and destroy. these they draw from the life force with which they are vitalized. at the expense of thousands of captured men.”

The horror of this revelation held them all silent, until Diane, speaking thinly, as in a trance, exclaimed, “I must see King. at once. alone! Please let me see him now!”

Dr. Scott and Anna, confused and startled, hastily withdrew. King looked at Diane questioningly, rising from his chair. She came to meet him, her arms outstretched. Her white sheer robe still reflected the Asian mode; her sandaled feet and the flesh of her arms were as white and pale as was her face. Her voice throbbed with emotion as she came up to King. Flinging her arms about his neck she sobbed upon his breast.