"Trying to revive one of the sufferers, I see.May God aid you in this noble work."
* * * * *
He spread the tails of his long coat and sat down. As he talked hiseyes flashed about the room, taking in every detail and at lastfastening on June's fresh beauty like those of a vampire. "Not," heboomed as he lighted a cigarette, "not that I believe it possible--"
Catching an agonized glance from Jane, Jack interrupted:
"You'll have to speak softly, sir. This is ticklish work."
"I beg your pardon." The Russian lowered his voice so that it squeakedpiercingly like a rusty hinge. He wrung his hands audibly.
"Perhaps we'd better move into the living room," suggested the doctor,hovering in the background. "There we can talk without interrupting."
Their guest unfolded joint by joint like a collapsible rule.
"Of course, if you think I'm spying," he grated.
"Not at all," protested Jack, although he longed to strike the bruteacross the face. "It's just that voices of certain pitches interfere.Surely you have seen radio operators go all to pieces when spoken to."
Ungraciously Solinski allowed himself to be ushered into the outerroom. Once there he disposed his lean form on another chair,unctuously refused a highball, and, forgetting his momentary anger,soon was deep in a scientific discussion of the problems involved inrevivifying the world.
He mentioned the nearby radio station but declared that he had beenunable to locate it despite a careful search. Dismissing this heturned to other topics, displaying a vast knowledge of all departmentsof scientific achievement and, despite his depressing personality,holding his bearer's attention so closely they forgot the passage oftime until the clock struck ten.
"Time for daily injection," said the doctor. "Do you use Andrev'ssolution too, sir?"
"Naturally," replied the other, lighting one cigarette from the buttof another.
Manthis hurried into the laboratory. A few moments later he reappearedin the doorway and called to Jack in an agitated voice. As the youngerman joined him he closed the door and turned a white face to him.
"The drug is almost gone," Manthis said. "Didn't you obtain a newsupply?"
* * * * *
"We--I forgot it," admitted Jack, feeling his own face grow pale. "Theshock of running across Solinski at the laboratory upset me."
"Well, that's all right, then. It gave me a turn, but we have plentyof time." The doctor laughed shakily. "Run down to the nearest drugstore. There should be a supply there. Better take a flashlight."
He pushed open the door, then shrank back. Leaning against the jambwas the Russian. His manner had changed subtly. His thin lips spreadfrom ear to ear in a wolfish grin. His fingers clicked like castanets.
"Ah," he purred. "So you have used up the last of your solution?"
"What's that to you?" The doctor was gripped by cold unreasoning fear.
"Only that you will be unable to obtain more. Since my first meetingwith your daughter I have had my men collect all the Cannabis Indicain the city."
"Your men!" Manthis was thunderstruck.
"Certainly, you old fool. Do you think I'm a bungling theorist likeyourself? Who do you think is operating that short-wave station? I am.Who do you think put the world to sleep? I did. Who do you think willwake it? I will."
Solinski's figure appeared to expand. He took deep drafts from hiscigarette. The smoke seemed to impel some terrific force into hisgaunt frame.
"So it was your voice I heard!" cried Manthis bitterly. "And thoseawful tales about you were true. A hashish smoker! A person whose mindis rotting, in control of the world!" He seemed about to leap at theother, and his chubby figure, in that attitude, would have seemedludicrous if it had not been tragic. "It shall not be!" he shouted.
"Now see here, Doctor"--Solinski assumed a friendly tone--"you'remaking a grave mistake. I have something to offer better than you everdreamed of."
"What do you mean?"
"Just this. How would you like to be assistant to the King of theWorld?"
* * * * *
"Crazy already," sneered the doctor, squinting up at his tormentor.
"Crazy or not, when the world awakes I will be its king."
"Why, damn you, I thought you were an anarchist and wanted to do awaywith kings and governments," sputtered the little man.
Solinski burst into a gale of fiendish laughter.
"An anarchist is merely a capitalist without money or power," hequoted.
"What do you want of us?" demanded Manthis, playing for time.
"Very simple. This: I intend soon to begin awakening those who willserve me, first in New York and then throughout the world. When Ihave a skeleton government built up, I will withdraw the wave andallow the people to revive. Clever, isn't it? Especially for such amadman as you think me." He snapped his fingers and leered cunninglyat them.
The doctor choked but Jack's hand on his arm steadied him.
"You have a very beautiful daughter," resumed their diabolicalvisitant.
"Leave my daughter's name out of this," cried Manthis, recoiling.
"Not at all. Her charm and ability have greatly impressed me--soimpressed me that I have decided to make her my queen."
"You scum of the gutter. You filthy beast. I'd die before I'd be aparty to such a thing!" The doctor was beside himself.
"I consider myself justified," replied the other, taking great delightin baiting his foe. "The world was never able to govern itself. Weanarchists have bided our time, although overshadowed by communists,Fascists and such ridiculous experimenters. Now comes our turn. Ishall be the viceroy of God. Under my rule and that of Queen June theworld shall become a second heaven."
He rolled his eyes upward at those words. As he did so, Jack, who hadbeen awaiting just such an opportunity, struck him on the jaw.
* * * * *
The blow would have felled an ox but Solinski merely staggered back astep and snarled. Before Baron could renew the attack he jerked anautomatic from beneath his coat and leaped to the hall door.
"You I shall kill," he grinned evilly. "But not now. First you musttaste the horror of sinking into the long sleep. You have no moredrug, nor can you obtain any. Those pitiful storage batteries will beexhausted by the time you have aroused the child. So you must sleepunless you have the courage to kill yourself. Doctor, I deeply regretthat this has occurred, but you see that I must let you and June sleeptoo. When I have need of you I will recall you. That is all. Farewell.May God pity you, Baron. I will not."
He sprang through the door and, the tails of his black coat flappinglike the wings of a gigantic bat, vanished down the stairs.
Manthis slammed the door and locked it, then leaned weakly against thepanels and wiped his round face. His hands shook pitifully.
"This then is the end," he whispered hoarsely.
"Is there none of the drug left?" Jack shook him out of his lethargy.
"Enough for a half portion for all of us," sighed the doctor. "Butwhat use of that? Better we poisoned ourselves now and escaped thatdemon."
"Nonsense. A half portion means twelve hours of life. In that time Ican rig up the big transmitter. Perhaps there is still time to reviveNew York. Solinski won't know we have a generator until we turn on thepower. Quick. Poor June must be nearly frightened to death at ourshouting."
* * * * *
But they found the girl sitting tense and jubilant at the controls.
"Father! Jack!" she cried as the door opened. "It's working. I saw hermove. That means we may be able to revive the world!" Her face wasstreaked with tears.
"Her heart's beating," whispered the doctor, feeling the child'spulse. "Slow but steady. She'll regain consciousness any moment now."
"No time to wait." Disregarding June's cry of protest Jack strippedoff the electrodes. "We must get the big machine working."
"But the little thing will die again," cried June, throwing herself onher knees beside the tot. "I didn't think you could be so cruel."
"Solinski has cut off our drug supply," explained Manthis gently."He's operating the other station. Don't blame Jack. We must workfast."
"You mean that Russian is responsible for all this?"
"Yes, child. But maybe we can defeat him yet. Don't lose courage. NowI must go and prepare what's left of the drug. We're overdue for itnow."
Meanwhile Jack was busy running leads from the