Silver Dome
_By Harl Vincent_
_Orris led the way to a great underground city._]
[Sidenote: In her deep-buried kingdom of Theros, Phaestra reveals theamazing secret of the Silver Dome.]
In a secluded spot among the hills of northern New Jersey stood theold DeBost mansion, a rambling frame structure of many wings andgables that was well-nigh hidden from the road by the half-mile ormore of second-growth timber which intervened. High on the hill itstood, and it was only by virtue of its altitude that an occasionalglimpse might be obtained of weatherbeaten gable or partlytumbled-down chimney. The place was reputed to be haunted since thedeath of old DeBost, some seven years previously, and the path whichhad once been a winding driveway was now seldom trod by human foot.
It was now two years since Edwin Leland bought the estate for a songand took up his residence in the gloomy old house. And it had thenbeen vacant for five years since DeBost shot himself in the northeastbedroom. Leland's associates were sure he would repent of his bargainin a very short time, but he stayed on and on in the place, with nocompany save that of his man-servant, an aged hunch-back who wasknown to outsiders only as Thomas.
Leland was a scientist of note before he buried himself in the DeBostplace, and had been employed in the New York research laboratory ofone of the large electrical manufacturers, where he was much admiredand not a little envied by his fellow workers. These knew almostnothing of his habits or of his personal affairs, and were muchsurprised when he announced one day that he had come into a sizablefortune and was leaving the organization to go in for private researchand study. Attempts to dissuade him were of no avail, and the purchaseof the DeBost property followed, after which Leland dropped from sightfor nearly two years.
* * * * *
Then, on a blustery winter day, a strange telephone call was receivedat the laboratory where he had previously worked. It was from oldThomas, out there in the DeBost mansion, and his quavering voice askedfor Frank Rowley, the genial young engineer whose work had been mostclosely associated with Leland's.
"Oh, Mr. Rowley," wailed the old man, when Frank responded to thecall, "I wish you would come out here right away. The master has beenacting very queerly of late, and to-day he has locked himself in hislaboratory and will not answer my knocks."
"Why don't you break in the door?" asked Frank, looking through thewindow at the snow storm that still raged.
"I thought of that, Mr. Rowley, but it is of oak and very thick.Besides, it is bound with steel or iron straps and is beyond mypowers."
"Why not call the police?" growled Frank. He did not relish the ideaof a sixty or seventy mile drive in the blizzard.
"Oh--no--no--no!" Old Thomas was panicky at the suggestion. "Themaster told me he'd kill me if I ever did that."
Before Frank could formulate a reply, there came a sharp gasp from theother end of the line, a wailing cry and a thud as of a falling body;then silence. All efforts to raise Leland's number merely resulted in"busy" or "line out of order" reports.
Frank Rowley was genuinely concerned. Though he had never been a closefriend of Leland's, the two had worked on many a knotty problemtogether and were in daily contact during the nearly ten years thatthe other man had worked in the same laboratory.
"Say, Tommy," said Frank, replacing the receiver and turning to hisfriend, Arnold Thompson, who sat at an adjoining desk, "something hashappened out at Leland's place in Sussex County. Want to take a driveout there with me?"
"What? On a day like this? Why not take the train?"
"Don't be foolish, Tommy," said Frank. "The place is eight miles fromthe nearest station, which is a flag stop out in the wilds. And, evenif you could find a cab there--which you couldn't--there isn't a taxidriver in Jersey who'd take you up into those mountains on a day likethis. No, we'll have to drive. It'll be okay. I've got chains on therear and a heater in the old coupe, so it shouldn't be so bad. What doyou say?"
So Tommy, who usually followed wherever Frank led, was prevailed uponto make the trip. He had no particular feeling for Leland, but hesensed an adventure, and, in Frank's company, he could ask for nomore.
* * * * *
Frank was a careful driver, and three hours were required to make thesixty-mile journey. Consequently, it was late in the afternoon whenthey arrived at the old DeBost estate. It had stopped snowing, but thedrifts were deep in spots, and Frank soon found that the car could notbe driven through the winding path from the road to the house. Sothey left it half buried in a drift and proceeded on foot.
It was a laborious task they had undertaken, and, by the time they setfoot on the dilapidated porch, even Frank, husky and athletic as washis build, was puffing and snorting from his exertions. Little Tommy,who tipped the scales at less than a hundred and twenty, could hardlyspeak. They both were wet to the waist and in none too good humor.
"Holy smoke!" gasped Tommy, stamping the clinging snow from his soddentrouser legs and shoes, "if it snows any more, how in Sam Hill are wegoing to get out of this place?"
"Rotten trip I let you in for Tommy," growled Frank, "and I hopeLeland's worth it. But, darn it all, I just had to come."
"It's all right with me, Frank. And maybe it'll be worth it yet.Look--the front door's open."
* * * * *
He pointed to the huge oaken door and Frank saw that it was ajar. Thesnow on the porch was not deep and they saw that footprints led fromthe open door to a corner of the porch. At that point the snow on therailing was disturbed, as if a hurrying man had clung to it a momentbefore jumping over and into the drifts below. But the tracks led nofurther, for the drifting snow had covered all excepting a hollowwhere some body had landed.
"Thomas!" exclaimed Frank. "And he was in a hustle, by the looks ofthe tracks. Bet he was frightened while at the telephone and beat it."
They entered the house and closed the door behind them. It was growingquite dark and Frank searched for the light switch. This was near thedoor, and, at pressure on the upper button, the spacious old hall withits open staircase was revealed dimly by the single remaining bulb ina cluster set in the center of the high ceiling. The hall wasunfurnished, excepting for a telephone table and chair, the chairhaving fallen to the floor and the receiver of the telephone danglingfrom the edge of the table by its cord.
"You must have heard the chair fall," commented Tommy, "and it suredoes look as if Thomas left in a hurry. Wonder what it was thatfrightened him?"
The house was eerily silent and the words echoed awesomely through theadjoining rooms which connected with the hall through large opendoorways.
"Spooky place, isn't it?" returned Frank.
* * * * *
And then they were both startled into immobility by a rumble thatseemed to shake the foundations of the house. Heavier and heavierbecame this vibration, as if some large machine was coming up tospeed. Louder and louder grew the rumble until it seemed that therickety old house must be shaken down about their ears. Then therecame a whistling scream from the depths of the earth--from farunderground it seemed to be--and this mounted in pitch until theireardrums tingled. Then abruptly the sounds ceased, the vibrationstopped, and once more there was the eery silence.
Rather white-faced, Tommy gazed at Frank.
"No wonder old Thomas beat it!" he said. "What on earth do you supposethat is?"
"Search me," replied Frank. "But whatever it is, I'll bet it hassomething to do with Leland's strange actions. And we're going to findout."
He had with him the large flashlamp from the car, and, by its light,the two made their way from room to room searching for the iron-bounddoor mentioned by Thomas.
They found all rooms on the first and second floors dusty and unusedwith the exception of two bedrooms, the kitchen and pantry, and thelibrary. It was a gloomy and spooky old house. Floor boards creakedstartlingly and unexpectedly and the sound of their foo
tsteps echoeddismally.
"Where in time is that laboratory of Leland's?" exclaimed Frank, hisruddy features showing impatient annoyance, exaggerated to anappearance of ferocity by the light of the flashlamp.
"How about the cellar?" suggested Tommy.
"Probably where it is," agreed Frank, "but I don't relish this job somuch. I'd hate to find Leland stiff down there, if that's where heis."
"Me, too," said Tommy. "But we're here now, so let's finish the joband get back home. It's cold here, too."
"You said it. No steam in the pipes at all. He must have let the firego out in his furnace, and that's probably in the cellar too--usuallyis."
* * * * *
While talking, Frank had opened each of the four doors that openedfrom the kitchen, and the fourth revealed a stairway that led into theblackness beneath. With the beam of his torch directed at the steps,he proceeded to descend, and Tommy followed carefully. There was nolight button at the head of the stairs, where it would have beenplaced in a more modern house, and it was not until they had reachedthe furnace room that they located a light fixture with a pull cord.An ordinary cellar, with furnace, coal bin, and a conglomeration ofdust-covered trunks and discarded furniture, was revealed. And, at itsfar end, was the iron-bound door.
The door was locked and could not be shaken by the combined efforts ofthe two men.
"Have to have a battering ram," grunted Frank, casting about for asuitable implement.
"Here you are," called Tommy, after a moment's search. "Just the thingwe are looking for."
* * * * *
He had come upon a pile of logs, and one of these, evidently a sectionof an old telephone pole, was of some ten or twelve inches diameterand about fifteen feet long. Frank pounced upon it eagerly, and,supporting most of the weight himself, led the attack on the heavyoak door with the iron bands.
No sound from within greeted the thunderous poundings. Clearly, ifLeland was behind that door, he was either dead or unconscious.
Finally the double lock gave way and Tommy and Frank were precipitatedheadlong into the brightly lighted room beyond. Recovering theirbalance, they took stock of their surroundings and were amazed at whatthey saw--a huge laboratory, fitted out with every modern appliancethat money could buy. A completely equipped machine shop there was;bench after bench covered with the familiar paraphernalia of thechemical and physical laboratory; huge retorts and stills; complicatedelectrical equipments; dozens of cabinets holding crucibles, flasks,bottles, glass tubing, and what not.
"Good Lord!" gasped Tommy. "Here's a laboratory to more than match ourown. Why, Leland's got a fortune invested here!"
"I should say so. And a lot of stuff that our company does not evenhave. Some of it I don't know even the use of. But where is Leland?"
* * * * *
There was no sign of the man they had come to help. He was not in thelaboratory, though the door had been locked from within and the lightsleft burning throughout.
With painstaking care they searched every nook and cranny of the largesingle room and were about to give up in despair when Tommy happenedto observe an ivory button set into the wall at the only point in theroom where there were no machines or benches at hand. Experimentallyhe pressed the button, and, at the answering rumble from under hisfeet, jumped back in alarm. Slowly there opened in the paneled oakwall a rectangular door, a door of large enough size to admit a man.From the recess beyond there came a breath of air, foul with themusty odor of decayed vegetation, dank as the air of a tomb.
"Ah-h-h!" breathed Frank. "So that is where Ed Leland is hiding! Thesecret retreat of the gloomy scientist!"
He spoke half jestingly, yet when he squeezed his stalwart bulkthrough the opening and flashed the beam of his light into thedarkness of a narrow passage ahead he was assailed with vagueforebodings. Tommy followed close behind and spoke not a word.
* * * * *
The passage floor was thick with dust, but the marks of many footstepsgoing and returning gave mute evidence of the frequency of Leland'svisits. The air was heavy and oppressive and the temperature andhumidity increased as they progressed along the winding length of therock-walled passageway. The floor sloped, ever downward and, in spots,was slippery with slimy seepage. It seemed that they turned back ontheir course on several occasions but were descending deeper anddeeper into the heart of the mountain. Then, abruptly, the passageended at the mouth of a shaft, which dropped vertically from almostbeneath their feet.
"Whew!" exclaimed Frank. "Another step and I'd have dropped into it.That's probably what happened to Leland."
He knelt at the rim of the circular opening and looked into the depthsof the pit, Tommy following suit. The feeble ray of the flashlight waslost in the blackness below.
"Say, Frank," whispered Tommy, "turn off the flash. I think I saw alight down there."
And, with the snapping of the catch, there came darkness. But, milesbelow them, it seemed, there was a tiny pin-point of brilliance--aneery green light that was like a wavering phosphorescence ofwill-o'-the-wisp. For a moment it shone and was gone. Then came thedreadful vibration they had experienced in the hall of the house--thewhistling scream that grew louder and louder until it seemed theymust be deafened. The penetrating wail rose from the depths of thepit, and the vibration was all around them, in the damp rock floor onwhich they knelt, and in the very air of the cavern. Hastily Franksnapped on the light of his flash.
"Oh boy!" he whispered. "Leland is certainly up to something downthere and no mistake! How're we going to get down?"
"Get down?" asked Tommy. "You don't want to go down there, do you?"
"Sure thing. We're this far now and, by George, we're going to findout all there is to learn."
"How deep do you suppose it is?"
"Pretty deep, Tommy. But we can get an idea by dropping a stone andcounting the seconds until it strikes."
* * * * *
He played the light of the flash over the floor and soon located asmooth round stone of the size of a baseball. This he tossed over therim of the pit and awaited results.
"Good grief!" exclaimed Tommy. "It's not falling!"
What he said was true, for the stone poised lightly over the openingand drifted like a feather. Then slowly it moved, settling graduallyinto oblivion. Frank turned the flash downward and they watched inastonishment as the two-pound pebble floated deliberately down thecenter of the shaft at the rate of not more than one foot in eachsecond.
"Well, I'll be doggoned," breathed Frank admiringly. "Leland has doneit. He has conquered gravity. For, in that pit at least, there is nogravity, or at any rate not enough to mention. It has been almostcompletely counteracted by some force he has discovered and now weknow how to follow him down there. Come on Tommy, let's go!"
And, suiting action to his words, Frank jumped into the mouth of thepit where he bobbed about for a moment as if he had jumped into apool of water. Then slowly he sank from view, and Tommy followed him.
* * * * *
It was a most unique experience, that drop into the heart of themountain. Practically weightless, the two young men found it quitedifficult to negotiate the passage. For the first hundred or more feetthey continued to bump about in the narrow shaft and each sustainedpainful bruises before he learned that the best and simplest method ofaccommodating himself to the strange condition was to remainabsolutely motionless and allow the greatly weakened gravity to takeits course. Each movement of an arm or leg was accompanied by a changein direction of movement, and contact with the hard stone wallsfollowed. If they endeavored to push themselves from the contact theresult was likely to be an even more serious bump on the opposite sideof the shaft. So they continued the leisurely drop into the unknowndepth of the pit.
Frank had turned off the flashlamp, for its battery was giving out andhe wished to conserve its r
emaining energy for eventualities. Thusthey were in Stygian darkness for nearly a half-hour, though the greenluminosity far beneath them grew stronger with each passing minute. Itnow revealed itself as a clearly defined disc of light that flickeredand sputtered continually, frequently lighting the lower end of theshaft with an unusual burst of brilliance. Remotely distant it seemedthough, and unconscionably slow in drawing nearer.
"How far do you think we must drop?" called Tommy to Frank, who wasprobably fifty feet below him in the shaft.
"Well, I figure we have fallen about a thousand feet so far," came thereply, "and my guess is that we are about one third of the way down."
"Then this shaft is over a half-mile deep, you think?"
"Yes, at least a thousand yards, I should say. And I hope his gravityneutralizing machinery doesn't quit all of a sudden and let us down."
"Me, too," called Tommy, who had not thought of that possibility.
* * * * *
This was no joke, this falling into an unknown region so far beneaththe surface of good old mother earth, thought Tommy. And how theywould ever return was another thing that was not so funny. Frank wasalways rushing into things like this without counting the possiblecost and--well--this might be the last time.
Gradually the mysterious light became stronger and soon they couldmake out the conformation of the rock walls they were passing at sucha snail's pace. Layers of vari-colored rock showed here and there,and, at one point there was a stratum of gold-bearing or mica-filledrock that glistened with a million reflections and re-reflections. Theair grew warmer and more humid as they neared the mysterious lightsource. They moved steadily, without acceleration, and Frank estimatedthe rate at about forty feet a minute. Then, with blinding suddenness,the light was immediately below and they drifted into a tremendouscavern that was illuminated by its glow.
Directly beneath the lower end of the shaft through which they hadpassed, there was a glowing disc of metal about fifteen feet indiameter. They drifted to its surface and sprawled awkwardly wherethey fell. Scrambling to gain a footing, they bounced and floatedabout like toy balloons before realizing that it would be necessary tocreep slowly from the influence of that repelling force which had madethe long drop possible without injury. Gravity met them at the disc'sedge with what seemed to be unusual violence.
* * * * *
At first it seemed that their bodies weighed twice the normal amount,but this feeling soon passed and they looked about them withincredulous amazement. The metal disc was quite evidently the mediumthrough which the repelling force was set up in the shaft, and to thisdisc was connected a series of heavy cables that led to a pedestalnearby. On the pedestal was a controlling lever and this moved over aquadrant that was graduated in degrees, one end of the quadrant beinglabeled "Up" and the other "Down." The lever now stood at a point buta very few degrees from the center or "Zero" mark and on the downside. Frank pulled this lever over to the full "Down" position andthey found that they could walk over the disc with normal gravity.
"I suppose," said Frank, "that if the lever is at the other end of thescale one would fall upward with full gravity acceleration--reversed.At zero, gravity is exactly neutralized, and the intermediatepositions are useful in conveying materials or human beings up anddown the shaft as desired. Very clever; but what is the reason for itall?"
In the precise center of the great cavern there was a dome orhemisphere of polished metal, and it was from this dome that the eerylight emanated. At times, when the light died down, this dome gleamedwith dull flickerings that threatened to vanish entirely. Thensuddenly it would resume full brilliance, and the sight was marvelousbeyond description. A slight hissing sound came from the direction ofthe dome, and this varied in intensity as did the light.
"Gosh!" said Tommy. "That looks like silver to me. And, if it is, whata wealthy man our friend Leland has become. He has spent his fortunewell, even if he used it all to get to this."
"Yes, but where is he?" commented Frank. Then: "Leland! Leland!" hecalled.
* * * * *
His voice echoed through the huge vault and re-echoed hollowly. Butthere was no reply save renewed flickerings from the dome.
Leaving the vicinity of the gravity disc, the two men advanced in thedirection of the shining dome, which was about a quarter-mile fromwhere they stood. Both perspired freely, for the air was very closeand the temperature high. But the light of the dome was as cold as thelight of a firefly and they had no hesitancy in drawing near. It was abeautiful sight, this dome of silver with its flickering lights andperfect contour.
"By George, I believe it _is_ silver," exclaimed Frank, when they werewithin a few feet of the dome. "No other metal has that precise color.And look! There is a wheelbarrow and some mining tools. Leland hasbeen cutting away some of the material."
Sure enough, there was indisputable evidence of the truth of hisstatement. And the material was undoubtedly silver!
"Silver Dome," breathed Tommy, holding a lump of the metal in hishand. "A solid dome of pure silver--fifty feet high and a hundred indiameter. How much does that figure in dollars and cents, Frank?"
"Maybe it isn't solid," said Frank dryly, "though it's worth asizeable fortune even if it is hollow. And we haven't found Leland."
* * * * *
They circled the dome twice and looked into every corner of the greatcavern, but there was no sign of the man for whom they searched. Thewheelbarrow was half filled with lumps of the heavy metal, and mauland drill lay where they had been dropped by the lone miner. A cavitythree feet across, and as many deep, appeared in the side of the dometo show that considerably more than one wheelbarrow load had beenremoved.
"Funny," grunted Tommy. "Seems almost like the old dome had swallowedhim up."
At his words there came the terrific vibration. The light of the domedied out, leaving them in utter darkness, and from its interior thererose the mounting scream that had frightened old Thomas away. From soclose by it was hideous, devastating; and the two men clung to eachother in fright, expecting momentarily that the earth would give waybeneath their feet and precipitate them into some terrible depth fromwhich there could be no return.
Then the sound abruptly ceased and a gleam of light came from underthe dome of silver. A crack appeared between its lower edge and therocky floor of the cavern, and through this crack there shone a lightof dazzling brilliancy--a warm light of rosy hue. Wider grew theopening until there was a full three feet between the floor and thebottom of the dome. Impelled by some irresistible force from within,the two men stumbled blindly to the opening, fell to the floor androlled inside.
There was a heavy thud and the dome had returned to its normalposition, with Frank and Tommy prisoners within its spacious hollow.The warm light bathed them with fearful intensity for a moment, thenfaded to a rosy glow that dulled their senses and quieted theirnerves. Morpheus claimed them.
* * * * *
When Frank awoke he found himself between silken covers, and for amoment he gazed thoughtfully at a high arched ceiling that wasentirely unfamiliar. Then, remembering, he sprang from the downy bedto his feet. The room, the furnishings, his silken robe, everythingwas strange. His bed, he saw, was a high one, and the frame was of thesame gleaming silver as the dome under which they had been trapped.The arched ceiling glowed softly with the same rosy hue as had theinner surface of the dome. A large pool of water invited him, thesurface of the pool being no more than a foot below the point where itwas built into the tile floor of the room. A large open doorwayconnected with a similar adjoining room, where he suspected Tommy hadbeen taken. On his bare toes, he moved silently to the other room andsaw that his guess had been correct. Tommy lay sleeping quietlybeneath covers as soft as his own and amidst equal luxury ofsurroundings.
"Well," he whispered, "this doesn't look as though we would come toany harm. And I might as
well take a dive in that pool."
Returning to his own room, he removed the silken garment with which hehad been provided and was quietly immersed in the cool, invigoratingwater of the bath. His head cleared instantly.
"Hi there!" called Tommy from the doorway. "Why didn't you wake me up?Where are we, anyway?"
With dripping head and shoulders above the water, Frank was compelledto laugh at the sleepy-eyed, wondering expression on the blue-jowledface of his friend. "Thought you were dead to the world," he returned,"you old sleepy-head. And I don't know where we are, excepting that itis somewhere under the silver dome. What's more, I don't much care.You should get into this water. It's great!"
* * * * *
So saying, he dived to the bottom of the pool and stood on his hands,his feet waving ludicrously above the surface. Tommy sniffed once andthen made a quick dash for the pool in his own room. He was not to beoutdone by his more energetic partner.
A half-hour later, shaved and attired in their own garments, which hadbeen cleaned and pressed and hung neatly in the closets, they settledthemselves for a discussion of the situation. Having tried the doorsof both rooms and found them locked from the outside, there was noother course open to them. They must await developments.
"Looks like Leland has quite an establishment down here inside themountain," ventured Tommy.
"Hm!" snorted Frank, "this place is none of Leland's work. He isprobably a prisoner here, as are we. He just stumbled on to thesilver dome and was captured by whatever race is living down herebeneath it, the same as we were. Who the real inhabitants are, andwhat the purpose of all this is, remains to be seen."
"You think we are in friendly hands?"
"These quarters do not look much like prison cells, Tommy, but I mustadmit that we are locked in. Anyhow, I'm not worrying, and we willsoon learn our fate and have to be ready to meet it. The people whoown this place must have everything they want, and they sure have somescientific knowledge that is not known to us on the surface."
"Wonder if they are humans?"
"Certainly they are. You never heard of wild beasts sleeping in bedslike these, did you?"
* * * * *
Tommy laughed at he examined the exquisite hand-wrought figures on thesilver bedstead. "No, I didn't," he admitted; "but where on earth didthey come from, and what are they doing here?"
"You ask too many questions," replied Frank, shrugging his broadshoulders. "We must simply wait for the answers to reveal themselves."
There was a soft rap at the door of Frank's room, where the two menwere talking.
"Come in," called Frank, chuckling at the idea of such considerationfrom their captors.
A key rattled in the lock and the door swung open to admit thehandsomest man they had ever set eyes on. He was taller than Frank byseveral inches, standing no less than six feet five in his thin-soledsandals, and he carried himself with the air for an emperor. Hismarble-white body was uncovered with the exception of a loin cloth ofsilver hue, and lithe muscles rippled beneath his smooth skin as headvanced to meet the prisoners. His head, surmounted by curly hair ofebon darkness, was large, and his forehead high. The features wereclassic and perfectly regular. The corners of his mouth drew upward ina benign smile.
"Greetings," he said, in perfect English and in a soft voice, "to thedomain of Theros. You need fear no harm from our people and will bereturned to the upper world when the time comes. We hope to make yourstay with us enjoyable and instructive, and that you will carry backkind memories of us. The morning meal awaits you now."
* * * * *
So taken aback were the two young Americans that they stared foolishlyagape for a space. Then a tinkling laugh from the tall stranger setthem once more at ease.
"You will pardon us, I hope," apologized Frank, "but this is all sounexpected and so unbelievable that your words struck me speechless.And I know that my friend was similarly affected--We place ourselvesin your hands."
The handsome giant nodded understanding. "No offense was taken," hemurmured, "since none was intended. And your feelings are not to bewondered at. You may call me Orrin."
He turned toward the open door and signified that they were to followhim. They fell in at his side with alacrity, both suddenly realizingthat they were very hungry.
They followed in silent wonderment as Orrin led the way to a broadbalcony that overlooked a great underground city--a city lighted by thesoft glow from some vast lighting system incorporated in its vaultedceiling high overhead. The balcony was many levels above the streets,which were alive with active beings of similar appearance to Orrin,these speeding hither and yon by means of the many lanes of travelingways of which the streets were composed. The buildings--endless rows ofthem lining the orderly streets--were octagonal in shape and rose tothe height of about twenty stories, as nearly as could be judged byearthly standards. There were no windows, but at about every fifth floorthere was an outer silver-railed balcony similar to the one on whichthey walked. The air was filled with bowl-shaped flying ships that spedover the roof tops in endless procession and without visible means ofsupport or propulsion. Yet the general effect of the busy scene was oneof precise orderliness, unmarred by confusion or distracting noises.
* * * * *
Orrin vouchsafed no explanations and they soon reentered the largebuilding of which the balcony was a part. Here they were conducted toa sumptuously furnished dining room where their breakfast awaitedthem.
During the meal, which consisted of several courses of fruits andcereals entirely strange to Frank and Tommy, they were tended by Orrinwith the utmost deference and most painstaking attention. Heanticipated their every want and their thoughts as well. For, whenFrank endeavored to ask one of the many questions with which his mindwas filled, he was interrupted by a wave of the hand and a smile fromtheir placid host.
"It is quite clear to me that you have many questions to propound,"said Orrin, "and this is not a matter of wonder. But it is notpermitted that I enlighten you on the points you have in mind. Youmust first finish your meal. Then it is to be my privilege to conductyou to the presence of Phaestra, Empress of Theros, who will revealall. May I ask that you be patient until then?"
So friendly was his smile and so polished his manner that theyrestrained their impatience and finished the excellent breakfast inpolite silence.
And Orrin was as good as his word, for, no sooner had they finishedwhen he led them from the room and showed the way to the elevatorwhich conveyed them to the upper floor of the building.
From the silver-grilled cage of the lift they stepped into a room ofsuch beauty and magnificence of decoration that they gazed about themin wondering admiration. The paneling and mouldings were of hammeredsilver that gleamed with polished splendor in the soft rose glow ofthe hidden lights. The hangings were of heavy plush of deep green hueand bore intricate designs of silver thread woven into the material.At the opposite side of the room there was a pair of huge double doorsof chased silver and on either side of this pretentious portal therestood an attendant attired as was Orrin, but bearing a silver scepterto denote his official capacity.
"Phaestra awaits the visitors from above," intoned one of theattendants. Both bowed stiffly from the waist when Orrin led the twoyoung scientists through the great doors which had opened silently andmajestically at their approach.
* * * * *
If the outer room was astonishing in its sumptuousness of decorationand furnishing, the one they now entered was positively breath-taking.On every side there were the exquisite green and silver hangings.Tables, divans, and rugs of priceless design and workmanship. But thebeauty of the surroundings faded into insignificance when they saw theempress.
A canopied dais in the center of the room drew their attention andthey saw that Phaestra had risen from her seat in a deeply cushioneddivan and now stood at its side in an attitude
of welcome. Nearly astall as Frank, she was a figure of commanding and imperious beauty.The whiteness of her body was accentuated by the silver embroideredand tightly fitted black vestments that covered yet did not concealits charms. A halo of glorious golden hair surmounted a head that waspoised expectantly alert above the perfectly rounded shoulders. Theexquisite oval of her face was chiseled in features of transcendentloveliness. She spoke, and, at sound of her musical voice, Frank andTommy were enslaved.
* * * * *
"Gentlemen of the upper world," she said gently, "you are welcome toTheros. Your innermost thoughts have been recorded by our scientistsand found good. With a definite purpose in mind, you learned of theexistence of the silver dome of Theros, yet you came without greed ormalice and we have taken you in to enlighten you on the many questionsthat are in your minds and to return you to mankind with a knowledgeof Theros--which you must keep secret. You are about to delve into amystery of the ages; to see and learn many things that are beyond theken of your kind. It is a privilege never before accorded to beingsfrom above."
"We thank you, oh, Queen," spoke Frank humbly, his eyes rivetted tothe gaze of those violet orbs that seemed to see into his very soul.Tommy mumbled some commonplace.
"Orrin--the sphere!" Phaestra, slightly embarrassed by Frank's stare,clapped her hands.
At her command, Orrin, who had stood quietly by, stepped to the walland manipulated some mechanism that was hidden by the hangings. Therewas a musical purr from beneath the floor, and, through a circularopening which appeared as if by magic, there rose a crystal sphere ofsome four feet in diameter. Slowly it rose until it reached the levelof their eyes and there it came to rest. The empress raised her handsas if in invocation and the soft glow of the lights died down, leavingthem in momentary darkness. There came a slight murmur from thesphere, and it lighted with the eery green flickerings they hadobserved in the dome of silver.
* * * * *
Fascinated by the weaving lights within, they gazed into the depths ofthe crystal with awed expectancy. Phaestra spoke.
"Men from the surface," she said, "you, Frank Rowley, and you, ArnoldThompson, are about to witness the powers of that hemisphere of metalyou were pleased to term 'Silver Dome.' As you rightly surmised, thedome is of silver--mostly. There are small percentages of platinum,iridium, and other elements, but it is more than nine-tenths puresilver. To you of the surface the alloy is highly valuable for itsintrinsic worth by your own standards, but to us the value of the domelies in its function in revealing to us the past and present events ofour universe. The dome is the 'eye' of a complicated apparatus whichenables us to see and hear any desired happening on the surface of theearth, beneath its surface, or on the many inhabited planets of theheavens. This is accomplished by means of extremely complex vibrationsradiated from the hemisphere, these vibrations penetrating earth,metals, buildings, space itself, and returning to our viewing andsound reproducing spheres to reveal the desired past or presentoccurrences at the point at which the rays of vibrations are directed.
* * * * *
"In order to view the past on our own planet, the rays, which travelat the speed of light, are sent out in a huge circle through space,returning to earth after having spent the requisite number of years intransit. Instantaneous effect is secured by a connecting beam thatties together the ends of the enormous arc. This, of course, is beyondyour comprehension, since the Ninth Dimension is involved. When it isdesired that events of the present be observed, the rays are projecteddirect. The future can not be viewed, since, in order to accomplishthis, it would be necessary that the rays travel at a speed greaterthan that of light, which is manifestly impossible."
"Great guns!" gasped Frank. "This crystal sphere then, is capable ofbringing to our eyes and ears the happenings of centuries past?"
"It is, my dear Frank," said Phaestra, "and I would that I were ableto describe the process more clearly." She smiled, and in theunearthly light of the sphere she appeared more beautiful than before,if such a thing were possible.
On the pedestal which supported the sphere there was a glitteringarray of dials and levers. Several of these controls were now adjustedby Phaestra, the delicate motions of her tapered fingers being watchedby the visitors with intense admiration. There came a change in thenote of the sphere, a steadying of the flickerings within.
"Behold!" exclaimed Phaestra.
* * * * *
They gazed into the depths of the sphere and lost all sense ofdetachment from the scene depicted therein. It seemed they were at apoint several thousand miles from the surface of a planet. A greatcontinent spread beneath them, its irregular shore line being clearlyoutlined against a large body of water. Here and there the surface wasobscured by great white patches of clouds that cast their shadowsbelow.
"Atlantis!" breathed Phaestra reverently.
The lost continent of mythology! The fabled body of land that wasengulfed by the Atlantic thousands of years ago--a fact!
Tommy glanced at Frank, noting that he had withdrawn his gaze from thesphere and was devouring Phaestra with his eyes. As if drawn by theardor of his observation, she raised her own eyes from the sphere tomeet those of the handsome visitor. Obviously confused, she droppedher long lashes and turned nervously to the controls. Tommyexperienced a sudden feeling of dread. Surely his pal was not fallingin love with this Theronian empress!
Then there came another change in the note of the sphere and once morethey lost themselves in contemplation of the scene within. The surfaceof the lost continent was rushing madly to meet them. With terrificvelocity they seemed to be falling. An involuntary gasp was forcedfrom Tommy's lips. Mountains, valleys, rivers could now be discerned.
* * * * *
Then the scene shifted slightly and they were stationary, directlyabove a large seacoast city. A city of great beauty it was, and itsbuildings were of the same octagonal shape as were those of Theros!There could be but one inference--the Theronians were directdescendants of those inhabitants of ancient Atlantis.
"Yes," sighed Phaestra, in answer to the thought she had read, "ourancestors were those you now see in the streets of this city ofAtlantis. A marvelous race they were, too. When the rest of the worldwas still savage and unenlightened, they knew more of the arts andsciences than is known on the surface to-day. The mysteries of theFourth Dimension they had already solved. Their telescopes were ofsuch power that they knew of the existence of intelligent beings onMars and Venus. They had conquered the air. They knew of the relationbetween gravity and magnetism but recently propounded by yourEinstein. They were prosperous, happy. Then--but watch!"
Faint sounds of the life of the city came to their ears. A swarm ofmonoplanes roared past just beneath them. The streets were crowdedwith rapidly moving vehicles, the roof-tops with air-craft. Thensuddenly the scene darkened; a deep rumbling came from the sea. Asthey watched in fascinated wonder, a great chasm opened up through theheart of the city. Tall buildings swayed and crumbled, falling intoheaps of twisted metal and crushed masonry and burying hundreds of thepopulace in their fall. The confusion was indescribable, the uproarterrific, and within the space of a very few minutes the entire citywas a mass of ruins, fully half of the wrecked area having beenswallowed up by the heaving waters of the ocean.
* * * * *
Phaestra stifled a sob. "Thus it began," she stated. "Trovus wasfirst--the city you just saw--then came three more of the cities ofthe western coast in rapid succession. Computations of the scientistsshowed that the upheaval was widespread and that the entire continentwas to be engulfed in a very short time. The exodus began, but it wastoo late, and only a few hundred people were able to escape thecontinent before it was finally destroyed. The ocean became the tombof two hundred millions. The handful of survivors reached the coast ofwhat is now North America. But the rigors of the climate pro
ved severeand more than three-quarters of them perished within a few days aftertheir planes landed. Then the rest took to the caves along the shore,and for a while were safe."
She manipulated the controls once more and there was a quick shift toanother coast, a rugged, wave-beaten shore. Closer they drew untilthey observed a lofty palisade that extended for miles along thebarren waterfront. They saw a fire atop this elevation and active menand women at various tasks within the narrow circle of its warmth. Acave mouth opened at the brink of the precipice near the spot theyoccupied.
Then came a repetition of the upheaval at Trovus. The ocean rushed inand beat against the cliff with such ferocity that its spray wastossed hundreds of feet in the air. The earth shook and the group ofpeople around the fire made a hasty retreat to the mouth of the cave.The sky darkened and the winds howled with demoniac fury. Quake afterquake rent the rugged cliffs: huge sections toppled into the angrywaters. Then a great tidal wave swept in and covered everything,cliffs, cave mouths and all. Nought remained where they had been butthe seething waters.
* * * * *
"But some escaped!" exulted Phaestra, "and these discovered Theros.Though many miles of the eastern seaboard of your United States weresubmerged and the coastline entirely altered, these few were saved.Their cave connected with a long passage, a tunnel that led into thebowels of the earth. With the outer entrance blocked by the upheavalthey had no alternative save to continue downward."
"They traveled for days and days. Some were overcome by hunger andfell by the wayside. The most hardy survived to reach Theros, a seriesof enormous caverns that extends for hundreds of miles under thesurface of your country. Here they found subterranean lakes of purewater; forests, game. They had a few tools and weapons and theyestablished themselves in this underground world. From that smallbeginning came this!"
Phaestra's slim fingers worked rapidly at the controls. The scenesshifted in quick succession. They were once more in the present, andseemed to be traveling speedily through the underground reaches ofTheros. Now they were racing through a long lighted passage; now overa great city similar to the one in which they had arrived. Here theyvisited a huge workshop or laboratory; there a mine where radium orcobalt or platinum was being wrested from the vitals of the unwillingearth. Then they visited a typical Theronian household, saw theperfect peace and happiness in which the family lived. Again they werein a large power plant where direct application of the internal heatof the earth as obtained through deep shafts bored into the interiorwas utilized in generating electricity.
They saw vast quantities of supplies, fifty-ton masses of machinery,moved from place to place as lightly as feathers by use of the gravitydiscs, those heavily charged plates whose emanations counteracted theearth's attraction. In one busy laboratory they saw an immensetelevision apparatus and heard scientists discussing moot questionswith inhabitants of Venus, whose images were depicted on the screen.They witnessed a severe electrical storm in the huge cavern arch overone of the cities, a storm that condensed moisture from theartificially oxygenated and humidified atmosphere in such blindingsheets as to easily explain the necessity for well-roofed buildings inthe underground realm. And, in all the speech and activities of theTheronians, there was evident that all-pervading feeling of absolutecontentment and freedom from care.
"What I can not understand," said Frank, during a quiet interval, "iswhy the Theronians have never migrated to the surface. Surely, withall your command of science and mechanics, that would be easy."
"Why? Why?" Phaestra's voice spoke volumes. "Here--I'll show you thereason."
* * * * *
And again the scene in the sphere changed. They were on the surfaceand a few years in the past--at Chateau Thierry. They saw their fellowmen mangled and broken; saw human beings shot down by hundreds inwithering bursts of machine-gun fire; saw them in hand-to-hand bayonetfights; gassed and in delirium from the horror of it all.
They traveled over the ocean; saw a big passenger liner the victim oftorpedo fire; saw babies tossed into the water by distracted motherswho jumped in after them to join them in death.
A few years were passed by and they saw gang wars in Chicago and NewYork; saw militia and picketing strikers in mortal combat; saw wealthybrokers and bank presidents turn pistols on themselves following acrash in the stock market; government officials serving penitentiaryterms for betrayal of the people's trust; opium dens, speakeasies, sexcrimes. It was a fearful indictment.
"Ah, no," said Phaestra kindly, "the surface world has not yet emergedfrom savagery. We should be unwelcome were we to venture outside. Andnow we come to the reason for your visit. You come in search of oneEdwin Leland, a fellow worker at one time. Your motives are abovereproach. But Leland came as a greedy searcher of riches. We broughthim within to teach him the error of his ways and to beg him to desistfrom his efforts at destroying the dome of silver. He alone knew thesecret."
"Then you followed him and we took you in for similar reasons, thoughour scientists found very quickly that your mental reactions were ofentirely different type from Leland's and that the secret would besafe in your keeping. Leland remains obdurate. He threatens us withphysical violence, and his reactions to the thought-reading machinesare of the most treacherous sort. We must keep him with us. He shallremain unharmed, but he must not be allowed to return. That is thestory. You two are free to leave when you choose. I ask not that yougive your word to keep the secret of 'Silver Dome.' I know it is notnecessary."
* * * * *
The lights had resumed their normal glow, and the marvelous spherereturned to its receptacle beneath the floor. Phaestra resumed herseat on the canopied divan. Frank dropped to a seat on the edge of thedais. Tommy and Orrin remained standing, Tommy lost in thought andOrrin stolidly mute. The empress avoided Frank's gaze studiously. Hercheeks were flushed; her eyes bright with emotion.
Frank was first to break the silence. "Leland is in solitaryconfinement?" he asked.
"For the present he is under guard," replied Phaestra. "He was quiteviolent and it was necessary to disarm him after he had killed one ofmy attendants with a shot from his automatic pistol. When he agrees tosubmit peacefully, he shall be given the freedom of Theros for theremainder of his life."
"Perhaps," suggested Frank, "if I spoke to him...."
"The very thing." Phaestra thanked him with her wondrous eyes.
A high pitched note rang out from behind the hangings, and, in rapidsyllables of the language of Theros, a voice broke forth from theconcealed amplifiers. Orrin, startled from his stoicism, sprang to theside of his empress. She rose from her seat as the voice completed itsexcited message.
"It is Leland," she said calmly. "He has escaped and recovered hispistol. I have been told that he is now at large in the palace,terrorizing the household. We have no weapons here, you see."
"Good God!" shouted Frank. "Suppose he should come here?"
* * * * *
He jumped to his feet just as a shot rang out in the antechamber.Orrin dashed to the portal when a second shot spat forth from theautomatic which must certainly be in the hands of a madman. The doorsswung wide and Leland, hair disarranged and bloodshot eyes staring,burst into the room. Orrin went down at the next shot and the hardlyrecognizable scientist advanced toward the dais.
When he saw Frank and Tommy he stopped in his tracks. "So you two havebeen following me!" he snarled. "Well, you won't keep me from mypurpose. I'm here to kill this queen of hell!"
Once more he raised his automatic, but Frank had been watching closelyand he literally dove from the steps of the dais to the knees of thederanged Leland. As beautiful a tackle as he had ever made in hiscollege football days laid the maniac low with a crashing thud thattold of a fractured skull. The bullet intended for Phaestra went wide,striking Tommy in the shoulder.
Spun half way around by the impact of the heavy bullet, Tommy foughtto retai
n his balance. But his knees went suddenly awry and gave waybeneath him. He crumpled helplessly to the floor, staring foolishly atthe prostrate figure of Leland and at Frank, who had risen to his feetand now faced the beautiful empress of Theros. Strange lights dancedbefore Tommy's eyes, and he found it difficult to keep the pair infocus. But he was sure of one thing--his pal was unharmed. Then thetwo figures seemed to merge into one and he blinked his eyes rapidlyto clear his failing vision. By George, they were in each other'sarms! Funny world--above or below--it didn't seem to make anydifference. But it was a tough break for Frank--morganatic marriageand all that. No chance--well--
Tommy succumbed to his overpowering drowsiness.
* * * * *
The awakening was slow, but not painful. Rather there was a feeling ofutter contentment, of joy at being alive. A delicious languor pervadedTommy's being as he turned his head on a snow white silken pillow andstared at the figure of the white-capped nurse who was fussing withthe bottles and instruments that lay on an enameled table beside thebed. Memory came to him immediately. He felt remarkably well andrefreshed. Experimentally he moved his left shoulder. There wasabsolutely no pain and it felt perfectly normal. He sat erect in hissurprise and felt the shoulder with his right hand. There was nobandage, no wound. Had he dreamed of the hammer blow of thatforty-five caliber bullet?
His nurse, observing that her patient had recovered consciousness,broke forth in a torrent of unintelligible Theronian, then rushed fromthe room.
He was still examining his unscarred shoulder in wonder, when thenurse returned, with Frank Rowley at her heels. Frank laughed at theexpression of his friend's face.
"What's wrong, old-timer?" he asked.
"Why--I--thought that fool of a Leland had shot me in the shoulder,"stammered Tommy, "but I guess I dreamed it. Where are we? Still inTheros?"
"We are." Frank sobered instantly, and Tommy noted with alarm that hisusually cheerful features were haggard and drawn and his eyes hollowfrom loss of sleep. "And you didn't dream that Leland shot you. Thatshoulder of yours was mangled and torn beyond belief. He was usingsoft nosed bullets, the hell-hound!"
"Then how--?"
* * * * *
"Tommy, these Theronians are marvelous. We rushed you to this hospitaland a half-dozen doctors started working on you at once. They repairedthe shattered bones by an instantaneous grafting process, tied thesevered veins and arteries and closed the gaping wound by filling itwith a plastic compound and drawing the edges together with clamps.You were anaesthetized and some ray machine was used to heal theshoulder. This required but ten hours and they now say that your armis as good as ever. How does it feel?"
"Perfectly natural. In fact I feel better than I have in a month."Tommy observed that the nurse had left the room and he jumped from hisbed and capered like a school boy.
This drew no sign of merriment from Frank, and Tommy scrutinized himonce more in consternation. "And you," he said, "what is wrong withyou?"
"Don't worry about me," replied Frank impatiently. Then, irrelevantly,he said "Leland's dead."
"Should be. I knew we shouldn't have started out to help him. But,Frank, I'm concerned about you. You look badly." Tommy was gettinginto his clothes as he spoke.
"Forget it, Tommy. You've been sleeping for two days, you know--partof the cure--and I haven't had much rest during that time. That isall."
"It's that Phaestra woman," Tommy accused him.
"Well, perhaps. But I'll get over it, I suppose. Tommy, I love her.But there's no chance for me. Haven't seen her since the row in thepalace. Her council surrounds her continually and I have been advisedto-day that we are to be returned as quickly as you are up and around.That means immediately now."
"Good. The sooner the better. And you just forget about this queen assoon as you are able. She's a peach, of course, but not for you.There's lots more back in little old New York." But Frank had no replyto this sally.
* * * * *
There came a knock at the door and Tommy called, "Come in."
"I see you have fully recovered," said the smiling Theronian whoentered at the bidding, "and we are overjoyed to know this. You havethe gratitude of the entire realm for your part in the saving of ourempress from the bullets of the madman."
"I?"
"Yes. You and your friend. And now, may I ask, are you ready to returnto your own land?"
Tommy stared. "Sure thing," he said, "or rather, I will be in a fewminutes."
"Thank you. We shall await you in the transmitting room." TheTheronian bowed and was gone.
"Well, I like that," said Tommy. "He hands me an undeserved complimentand then asks how soon we can beat it. A 'here's your hat, what's yourhurry' sort of thing."
"It's me they're anxious to be rid of," remarked Frank, shrugging hisbroad shoulders, "and perhaps it is just as well."
"You bet it is!" agreed Tommy enthusiastically, "and I'm in favor ofmaking it good and snappy." He completed his toilet as rapidly aspossible and then turned to face the down-hearted Frank.
"How do we go? The way we came?" he asked.
* * * * *
"No, Tommy. They have closed off the shaft that led from the cavern ofthe silver dome. They are taking no more chances. It seems that theshaft down which we floated was constructed by the Theronians; not byLeland. They had used it and the gravity disc to transport casualvisitors to the surface, who occasionally mixed with our people inorder to learn the languages of the upper world and to actually touchand handle the things they were otherwise able to see only through themedium of Silver Dome and the crystal spheres. Further visits to thesurface are now forbidden, and we are to be returned by a remarkableprocess of beam transmission of our disintegrated bodies."
"Disintegrated?"
"Yes. It seems they have learned to dissociate the atoms of which thehuman body is composed and to transmit them to any desired point overa beam of etheric vibrations, then to reassemble them in the originalliving condition."
"What? You mean to say we are to be shot to the surface through theintervening rock and earth? Disintegrated and reintegrated? And we'llnot even be bent, let alone busted?"
* * * * *
This time he was rewarded by a laugh. "That's right. And I have gonethrough the calculations with one of the Theronian engineers and canfind no flaw in the scheme. We're safe in their hands."
"If you say so, Frank, it's okay with me. Let's go!"
Reluctantly his friend lifted his athletic bulk from the chair. Insilence he led the way to the transmitting room of the Theronianscientists.
Here they were greeted by two savants with whom Frank was alreadyacquainted, Clarux and Rhonus by name. A bewildering array of complexmechanisms was crowded into the high-ceilinged chamber and, prominentamong them, was one of the crystal spheres, this one of somewhatsmaller size than the one in the palace of Phaestra.
"Where do you wish to arrive?" asked Clarux.
"As near to my automobile as possible," replied Frank, taking suddeninterest in the proceedings. "It is parked in the lane betweenLeland's house and the road."
Tommy looked quickly in his direction, encouraged by the apparentchange in his attitude. The scientists proceeded to energize thecrystal sphere. They were bent upon speeding the parting guests. Theirbeloved empress was to be saved from her own emotions.
Quick adjustments of the controls resulted in the locating of Frank'scar, which was still buried to its axles in snow. The scene includedLeland's house, or rather its site, for it appeared to have beenutterly demolished by some explosion within.
* * * * *
Tommy raised questioning eyebrows.
"It was necessary," explained Rhonus, "to destroy the house inobliterating all traces of our former means of egress. It has beencommanded that you two be returned safely, and we are authorized totrust implicitly i
n your future silence regarding the existence ofTheros. This is satisfactory, I presume?"
Both Tommy and Frank nodded agreement.
"Are you ready, gentlemen?" asked Clarux, who was adjusting amechanism that resembled a huge radio transmitter. Its twelve giantvacuum tubes glowed into life as he spoke.
"We are," chimed the two visitors.
They were requested to step to a small circular platform that wasraised about a foot from the floor by means of insulating legs. Abovethe table there was an inverted bowl of silver in the shape of a largeparabolic reflector.
"There will be no alarming sensations," averred Clarux. "When I closethe switch the disintegrating energy from the reflector above willbathe your bodies for a moment in visible rays of a deep purple hue.You may possibly experience a slight momentary feeling of nausea.Then--presto!--you have arrived."
"Shoot!" growled Frank from his position on the stand.
Clarux pulled the switch and there was a murmur as of distant thunder.Tommy blinked involuntarily in the brilliant purple glow thatsurrounded him. Then all was confusion in the transmitting room.Somebody had rushed through the open door shouting, "Frank! Frank!" Itwas the empress Phaestra.
* * * * *
In a growing daze Tommy saw her dash to the platform, seize Frank in aclutch of desperation. There was a violent wrench as if some monsterwere twisting at his vitals. He closed his eyes against the blindinglight, then realized that utter silence had followed the erstwhileconfusion. He sat in Frank's car--alone.
The journey was over, and Frank was left behind. With awful finalityit came to him that there was nothing he could do. It was clear thatPhaestra had wanted his pal, needed him--come for him. From the factthat Frank remained behind it was evident that she had succeeded inretaining him. A sickening fear came to Tommy that she had been toolate; that Frank's body was already partly disintegrated and that hemight have paid the price of her love with his life. But a littlereflection convinced him that if this were the case a portion of hisfriend's body would have reached the intended destination. Then,unexplainably, he received a mental message that all was well.
* * * * *
Considerably heartened, he pressed the starter button and the coldmotor of Frank's coupe turned over slowly, protestingly. Finally itcoughed a few times, and, after considerable coaxing by use of thechoke, ran smoothly. He proceeded to back carefully through the driftstoward the road, casting an occasional regretful glance in thedirection of the demolished mansion.
He would have some explaining to do when he returned to New York.Perhaps--yes, almost certainly, he would be questioned by the policeregarding Frank's disappearance. But he would never betray the trustof Phaestra. Who indeed would believe him if he told the story?Instead, he would concoct a weird fabrication regarding an explosionin Leland's laboratory, of his own miraculous escape. They could nothold him, could not accuse him of murder without producing a body--the_corpus delicti_, or whatever they called it.
Anyway, Frank was content. So was Phaestra.
Tommy swung the heavy car into the road and turned toward New York,alone and lonely--but somehow happy; happy for his friend.
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