CHAPTER V.
IN THE LABORATORY.
Half an hour's run down Staten Island, along smooth roads lined withsleepy little towns and through sparse woods beyond which sparkled theshining waters of the harbor, brought the two plutocrats to the quietsettlement of Oakwood Heights.
Now the blase chauffeur swung the car sharply to the left, past theaviation field, and so came to the wide-scattered settlement--almost acolony--which, hidden behind high, barb-wire-topped fences, carried onthe many and complex activities of the partners' experiment station.Here were the several laboratories where new products were evolved andold ones refined, for Flint's and Waldron's greater profit. Here stood acomplete electric power plant, for lighting and heating the works, aswell as for current to use in the retorts and many powerful machines ofthe testing works.
Here, again, were broad proving grounds, for fuel and explosives; and,at one side, stood a low, skylighted group of brick buildings, known asthe electro-chemical station. Dormitories and boarding-houses for thesmall army of employees occupied the eastern end of the enclosure,nearest the sea. Over all, high chimney stacks and the aerials of amighty wireless plant dominated the entire works. A private railroadspur pierced the western side of the enclosure, for food and coalsupplies, as well as for the handling of the numerous imports andexports of this wonderfully complete feudal domain. As the colony laythere basking in the sunshine of early spring, under its driftingstreamers of smoke, it seemed an ideal picture of peaceful activities.Here a locomotive puffed, shunting cars; there, a steam-jet flung itsplumes of snowy vapor into air; yonder, a steam hammer thundered on amassive anvil. And forges rang, and through open windows hummed soundsof industry.
And yet, not one of all those sounds but echoed more bitter slavery formen. Not one of all those many activities but boded ill to humanity. Forthe whole plan and purpose of the place was the devising of still widerforms of human exploitation and enslavement. Its every motive was toserve the greed of Flint and Waldron. Outwardly honest and industrious,it inwardly loomed sinister and terrible, a type and symbol of itsmasters' swiftly growing power. Such, in its essence, was the greatexperiment station of these two men who lusted for dominion over thewhole world.
As the long, glittering car drew up at the main gate of the enclosure, asharp-eyed watchman peered through a sliding wicket therein. Satisfiedby his inspection, he withdrew; and at once the big gate rolled back,smoothly actuated by electricity. The car purred onward, into theenclosure. When the gate had closed noiselessly behind it, the chauffeurran it down a splendidly paved roadway, swung to the right, past themachine shops, and drew it to a stand in front of the administrationbuilding.
Flint and his partner alighted, and stood for a moment surveying thescene with satisfaction. Then Flint turned to the chauffeur.
"Put the car in the garage," he directed. "We may not want it tillafternoon."
The blase one touched his cap and nodded, in obedience. Then, as the carwithdrew, the partners ascended the broad steps.
"Good chap, that Herrick," commented Waldron, casting a glance at theretreating chauffeur. "Quick-witted, and mum. Give me a man who knowshow to mind _and_ keep still about it, every time!"
"Right," assented Flint. "Obedience is the first of all virtues, and thesecond is silence. Well, it looks to me as though we had the whole worldcoming our way, now, along that very same path of virtue. Once we getthis air proposition really to working, the world will obey. It willhave to! And as for silence, we can manage that, too. The mere turn of avalve, and--!"
Waldron smiled grimly, as though in derision of what he seemed to thinkhis partner's chimerical hopes, but made no answer. Together theyentered the administration building. Five minutes later, Herzog, theirservile experimenter, stood bowing and cringing before them.
"Got it, Herzog?" demanded Flint, while Waldron lighted still another ofthose costly cigars--each one worth a good mechanic's daily wage.
"Yes, sir, I believe so, sir," the scientist replied, depreciatingly."That is, at least, on a small scale. Two weeks was the time you allowedme, sir, but--"
"I know. You've done it in eleven days," interrupted, the Billionaire."Very well. I knew you could. You'll lose nothing by it. So no more ofthat. Show us what you've done. Everything all ready?"
"Quite ready, sir," the other answered. "If you'll be so good as to stepinto the electro-chemical building?"
Flint very graciously signified his willingness thus to condescend; andwithout delay, accompanied by the still incredulous Waldron, andfollowed by Herzog, he passed out of the administration building,through a covered passage and into the electro-chemical works.
A variety of strange odors and stranger sounds filled this large brickstructure, windowless on every side and lighted only by broad skylightsof milky wire-glass--this arrangement being due to the extreme secrecyof many processes here going forward. The partners had no intention thatany spying eyes should ever so much as glimpse the work in thisdepartment; work involving foods, fuels, power, lighting, almost theentire range of the vast network of exploiting media they had alreadyflung over a tired world.
"This way, gentlemen," ventured Herzog, pointing toward a metal door atthe left of the main room. He unlocked this, which was guarded by acombination lock, like that of a bank vault, and waited for them toenter; then closed it after them, and made quite sure the metal door wasfast.
A peculiar, pungent smell greeted the partners' nostrils as they glancedabout the inner laboratory. At one side an electric furnace was glowingwith graphite crucibles subjected to terrific heat. On the other adynamo was humming. Before them a broad, tiled bench held a strangeassortment of test tubes, retorts and complex apparatus of glass andgleaming metal. The whole was lighted by a strong white light fromabove, through the milk-hued glass--one of Herzog's own inventions, bythe way; a wonderful, light-intensifying glass, which would bend but notbreak; an invention which, had he himself profited by it, would havebrought him millions, but which the partners had exploited without everhaving given him a single penny above his very moderate salary.
"Is that it?" demanded Flint, a glitter lighting up hismorphia-contracted pupils. He jerked his thumb at a complicated nexus oftubes, brass cylinders, coiled wires and glistening retorts which stoodat one end of the broad work-bench.
"That is it, sir," answered Herzog, apologetically, while "Tiger"Waldron's hard face hardened even more. "Only an experimental model, youunderstand, sir, but--"
"It gets results?" queried Flint sharply. "It produces oxygen andnitrogen on a scale that indicates success, with adequate apparatus?"
"Yes, sir. I believe so, sir. No doubt about it; none whatever."
"Good!" exclaimed the Billionaire. "Now show us!"
"With pleasure, sir. But first, let me explain, a little."
"Well, what?" demanded Flint. His partner, meanwhile, had drawn near theapparatus, and was studying it with a most intense concentration. Plainto see, beneath this man's foppish exterior and affected cynicism, dweltpowerful purposes and keen intelligence.
"Explain what?" repeated the Billionaire. "As far as details go, I'm notinterested. All I want is results. Go ahead, Herzog; start your machineand let me see what it can do."
"I will, sir," acceded the scientist. "But first, with your permission,I'll point out a few of its main features, and--"
"Damn the main features!" cried Flint. "Get busy with thedemonstration!"
"Hold on, hold on," now interrupted Waldron. "Let him discourse, if hewants to. Ever know a scientist who wasn't primed to the muzzle withexpositions? Here, Herzog," he added, turning to the inventor, "I'lllisten, if nobody else will."
Undecided, Herzog smiled nervously. Even Flint had to laugh at hisindecision.
"All right, go on," said the Billionaire. "Only for God's sake, make itbrief!"
Herzog, thus adjured, cleared his throat and blinked uneasily.
"Oxygen," he said. "Yes, I can produce it quickly, easily and in largequantities. As a gas, or as
a liquid, which can be shipped to anydesired point and there transformed into gaseous form. Liquid air canalso be produced by this same machine, for refrigerating purposes. Youunderstand, of course, that when liquid air evaporates, it is only thenitrogen that goes back into the atmosphere at 313 degrees below zero.The residue is pure liquid oxygen. In other words, this apparatus willmake money as a liquid air plant, and furnish you oxygen as aby-product.
"It will also turn out nitrogen, for fertilizing purposes. The incomefrom a full-sized machine, on this pattern, from all three sources,should be very large indeed."
"Good," put in Waldron. "And liquid air, for example, would cost howmuch to produce?"
"With power-cost at half a cent per H.P. hour, about $2.50 a ton. Theoxygen by-product alone will more than pay for that, in purifying andcooling buildings, or used to promote combustion in locomotives andother steam engines. The liquid air itself can be used as a motive powerfor a certain type of expansion engine, or--"
"There, there, that's enough!" interposed Flint, brusquely. "We don'tneed any of your advice or suggestions, Herzog. As far as the disposalof the product is concerned, we can take care of that. All we want fromyou is the assurance that that product can be obtained, easily andcheaply, and in unlimited quantities. Is that the case?"
"It is, sir."
"All right. And can liquid oxygen be easily transported any considerabledistance?"
"Yes, sir. In what is known as Place's Vacuum-jacketed InsulatedContainer, it can be kept for weeks at a time without any appreciableloss."
Flint pondered a moment, then asked, again:
"Could large tanks, holding say, a million gallons, be built on thatprinciple, for wholesale storage? And could vacuum-jacketed pipes belaid, for conveying liquid oxygen or its gas?"
"No reason why not, sir. Yes, I may say all that is quite feasible."
"Very well, then," snapped Flint. "That's enough for the present. Now,show us your machine at work! Start it Herzog. Let's see what you cando!"
The Billionaire's eyes glittered as Herzog laid a hand on a gleamingswitch. Even Waldron forgot to smoke.
"Gentlemen, observe," said Herzog, as he threw the lever.