Chapter V: Part 5

It was the night of the full moon. There was a faint touch of crispness in the early autumn breeze that now and again gently ruffled the waters of the ocean. A thousand stars danced lightly in the sky and were reflected in the undulating waves below. And in the moonlit path over the waters hovered an aerocab gleaming silvery white in the radiance.

The cab was far from New York, away from the beaten traffic. Occasionally other aircraft came into view but always at a distance.

To Alice and Ralph this solitude was Paradise. Night after night they hired an aerocab and flew to this lonely airway, where seated side by side, with only the driver for a chaperon, they were absolutely happy.

The driver was a silent man who, as long as he was well paid for his time, was content to describe endless circles indefinitely.

On this particular evening Alice seemed, to Ralph, more lovely than he had ever before seen her. In the caressing light of the mellow moon her flowerlike face glowed with a new radiance, and her dark eyes, shadowed with long curling lashes, were mistily tender.

Between these two there was no need for words. So perfectly were their thoughts attuned that each knew what the other felt.

And so, presently, their hands stole out and met, and clasped. And it seemed to both that Heaven could hold no greater happiness than this, until, with one accord, they turned their faces to each other, and their lips met. To them nothing existed beyond themselves and their love.

The voice of another aerocab driver hailing them made them realize that there were still ties that bound them to Earth, and they moved apart a little self-consciously, as a cab drew alongside their own.

"Having some trouble with my motor," called the newcomer. "Could you let me have a few copper connectors to repair the damage?"

"Sure," returned their driver, and the two cabs came together and were made fast.

Ralph, seeing that his man could attend to the matter, turned away from them towards Alice, and again drew her hand into his own, where it snuggled confidingly.

Quite suddenly he was aware of a sickish, sweet odor, which almost instantly became suffocating. He was conscious of the pressure of Alice's fingers and then blackness overwhelmed him.

11

THE FLIGHT INTO SPACE

How long he was unconscious Ralph did not know, but when he came to his senses the moon had sunk low on the horizon. He felt unbearably weary and his limbs seemed too heavy to move. For a time he half lay in his seat looking stupidly down at the ocean, his mind a blank.

All at once it dawned upon him that the seat next to him was empty. "Alice, Alice," he muttered, trying to shake off his stupor, "Alice, where are you?"

There was no reply. The driver, his hands on the steering disc, was slumped forward in his seat, his head sunk on his breast.

With a stupendous effort Ralph managed to open the glass window in front of him. Instantly the strong odor of chloroformal almost overpowered him, and a terrible sensation of nausea forced him to cling blindly to his seat. In a moment it passed and he was able to collect his senses somewhat. His first thought was for Alice. His dimmed sight had cleared sufficiently for him to see that she was not in the cab. He thought she must have fallen into the sea, and in his agony he cried aloud her name again and again.

And then a recollection came to him, of her father's words on the first morning of their visit. He had feared for Alice. Someone had threatened her. Ralph forced his still wandering mind to concentrate. Some one had threatened to kidnap her, and that someone was Fernand 60O 10.

He recalled the stranded aerocab. Its helplessness had been a trick to deceive him, and to get near enough to drug him and his driver while they took Alice away.

The thought aroused him from his dreadful lethargy. With a rush his vitality came back. He flung himself upon the stupefied driver and shook him violently.

The cab was still flying at an even speed in a great circle and Ralph saw that it was imperative that he get control of it at once, for another machine, bound evidently for New York, was bearing down upon the helpless men.

With a powerful shove he got the driver into the auxiliary seat and climbed over, seizing, as he did so, the steering disc. He flung it over, just in time to escape the onrushing cab, whose occupants, as it passed, leaned out, and in fluent profanity inquired if he wanted the whole airway.

Unheeding, Ralph set the steering disc toward New York, and proceeded to lighten the cab. Overboard went the glass doors, cushions, matting, even the hood of the machine. Everything that he could wrench off he tossed to the dark waters beneath him.

The cab, relieved of the weight of its equipment shot ahead at tremendous speed, and in less than ten minutes dropped onto the landing place on top of the scientist's laboratory. Leaving the driver where he was Ralph dashed into the building. Meeting Peter he did not stop, only motioned him to the cab while he himself sprang to the nearest Telephot. And within fifteen minutes every detective and special agent had been notified of the disappearance of Alice. Ralph had immediately transmitted the lost girl's photograph to the Central Office where it was placed before a Telephot connecting with every member of the entire police force, and the picture was reproduced for them in their portable radio instruments for ten seconds, enabling them to get her features firmly impressed on their minds.

His next act was to call the Intercontinental Hotel where Fernand had been stopping.

Upon inquiry he was informed that Fernand had left three hours ago with his baggage. His destination was unknown.

"I knew it!" Ralph muttered to himself.

On second thought it occurred to him that it might be of advantage to visit the hotel, and as it was only a few blocks away he flew over to it, leaving his assistants in charge of his radio stations, with strict orders to record every message, to tune into everything, and to take the messages down on the recorder discs.

At the hotel he was recognized at once, and as the news had spread over the city like wild-fire, he was treated with every consideration.

He closely questioned everyone and then asked to see the rooms which Fernand 60O 10 had occupied.

The rooms were just as their occupant had left them and Ralph requested that he be undisturbed there for a short time.

He examined every nook and corner without finding anything to give him a clue to Fernand's whereabouts, and he was about to leave when his eye caught the reflection of a light-ray falling on a bright object under the dresser.

Insignificant as the little metal object was, it was enough to convey a fearful picture to his mind. He recognized it at once as a metal turning belonging to the balancer of the _Gyro-Gyrotor_ of a _Space Flyer_. Evidently the metal part had been dropped and Fernand had not had the time to look for it. Ralph decided that Fernand had obtained a supply of the parts which are only required on a prolonged flight into space.

He was now positive that Fernand 60O 10 had carried off his sweetheart in a space flyer and that the machine by this time was probably far away from the earth, headed for unknown regions. It would also be practically impossible to follow without knowing the direction of the space-defying machine.

In a daze Ralph returned to his laboratory, where he again called the Central Office. As all space flyers must be licensed by law, he had no trouble in getting the information he desired. A new machine of a well-known Detroit firm had been registered four days ago, and the description of the owner answered to that of Fernand 60O 10.

Late as it was, Ralph immediately communicated with the Detroit manufacturer, who, upon hearing his reasons for the request, supplied him with all the necessary details.

Ralph learned from him that the purchaser of the new machine, one of the very latest models, was Fernand, beyond any doubt, and when he was informed that the latter had plentifully supplied himself with spare parts as if for a long journey, and moreover, the most significant fact that the cabin had been fitted out as a lady's boudoir, then indeed were his worst suspicions confirmed.

The manufacturer also told him that the entire outside shell was of _Magnelium_--an invention of Ralph's--and that this flyer was the first to be equipped with the new metal.

As he concluded his conversation and disconnected, Ralph brought his clenched fist down upon the desk. "Magnelium," he muttered between set teeth, "the only machine out in the universe made with Magnelium. Magnelium, my own Magnelium, about which no one in the world knows more than I do. Perhaps the odds are not all with you, Fernand, damn you!"

At first thought it might be considered a difficult feat accurately to locate a machine thousands of miles from the earth, speeding in an unknown direction somewhere in the boundless universe. The feat was easy to the scientist. As far back as the year 1800 astronomers accurately measured the distance between the earth and small celestial bodies, but it was not until the year 2659 that Ralph 124C 41+ succeeded in accurately determining the exact location of flyers, in space, beyond the reach of the most powerful telescope.

A _pulsating polarized ether wave_, if directed on a metal object can be reflected in the same manner as a light-ray is reflected from a bright surface or from a mirror. The reflection factor, however, varies with different metals. Thus the reflection factor from silver is 1,000 units, the reflection from iron 645, alomagnesium 460, etc. If, therefore, a polarized wave generator were directed toward space, the waves would take a direction as shown in the diagram, provided the parabolic wave reflector was used as shown. By manipulating the entire apparatus like a searchlight, waves would be sent over a large area. Sooner or later these waves would strike a space flyer. A small part of the waves would strike the metal body of the flyer, and these waves would be reflected back to the sending apparatus. Here they would fall on the _Actinoscope_ (see diagram), which records only reflected waves, not direct ones.

From the actinoscope the reflection factor is then determined, which shows the kind of metal from which the reflection comes. From the intensity and the elapsed time of the reflected impulses, the distance between the earth and the flyer can then be accurately and quickly calculated.

The reflection factor of Magnelium being 1060, Ralph succeeded in locating Fernand's space flyer in less than five hours' search. He found that Fernand's machine at that time was about 400,000 miles distant from the earth and apparently headed in the direction of the planet Venus. A few seconds' calculation showed that he was flying at the rate of about 45,000 miles an hour. This was a great surprise to Ralph and it puzzled him somewhat. He knew that Fernand's machine was capable of making at least 75,000 miles an hour. Ralph reasoned that if he were in Fernand's place, he would speed up the flyer to the utmost.

Why was Fernand flying so leisurely? Did he think himself secure? Did he think that nobody could or would follow? Or was he having trouble with the _Anti-Gravitator_?

Ralph could not understand it. However, his mind had already been made up. He would pursue Fernand even though it took him into those parts of the solar system yet uncharted, and, if necessary--kill him!

It was now noon, and he gave sharp, quick instructions to his assistants, ordering his space flyer, the "Cassiopeia," to be made ready at once. Provisions sufficient to last for six months were put on board and Ralph himself installed a great number of scientific instruments, many of which he considered he might find useful. He also ordered a large number of duplicate parts of the flyer's machinery to be stowed on board in case of emergency.

To the astonishment and dismay of Peter and the others, the scientist announced his intention of making the journey alone.

"The fight is to be man against man, brain against brain," he said as he stood by his space flyer which was in readiness upon the tower-platform. "Today it is not brute force that counts, but scientific knowledge. I will demonstrate to the world that crimes of this kind need not be tolerated."

He stepped onto the running board as he spoke and was about to step into the flyer when the sound of an aeroflyer descending close by made him hesitate. It was a government flyer, and even as Ralph paused, it landed on the platform beside his own machine, and a smartly uniformed young official sprang from the seat beside the driver. Saluting Ralph he handed him a transcribed telegram with the words:

"Message from the Planet Governor, sir."

Dismay seized the scientist, as, breaking the seal of the wrapper, he read the printed words:

Unipopulis, Sept. 34, 2660, Planet Governor's Capitol.

I have just received news of the calamity that has befallen you.

I extend to you my sincere sympathy.

I will this afternoon place at your disposal six Government space
flyers, the crews of which are absolutely under your instructions.

I must, however, caution you not to enter into any pursuit in person.

As Planet Governor it is my duty to advise you that you have not the
right to place your person in unnecessary danger.

Allow me furthermore to point out to you that under the law "+"
scientists are not allowed to endanger their lives under any
circumstances.

I therefore command you not to leave the earth without my permission.

I have ordered your space flyer to be guarded.

In high esteem, William Kendrick 21K 4, _The 18th Planet Governor_.

To Ralph 124C 41+, New York.

Ralph read the radiogram twice before he folded it slowly and deliberately thrust it into his pocket.

Then slowly withdrawing his hand and extending it to the government official, he said:

"Well, I must obey orders."

The official took the proffered hand, and no sooner had he grasped it than he stiffened and became as rigid as stone.

With one bound Ralph was in his machine crying to the stupefied audience:

"Don't worry about him. I pricked his hand with a little _Catalepsol_. In fifteen minutes he will be all right again."

He slammed the door of his space flyer and simultaneously the machine rose as if shot from a cannon, and in ten seconds was lost to sight.

* * * * *

Since the Dark Ages, men have had a powerful longing to leave Earth and visit other planets. Towards the end of the twenty-first century, when atmospheric flying had become common, scientists began seriously to think of constructing machinery to enable man to leave the confines of the planet to which humanity had been chained for ages.

Towards the beginning of the twenty-second century economic conditions had become acute and the enormous population of Earth, which had passed the twelve billion mark, clamored for an adequate outlet which the planet itself could no longer furnish.

The moon was regarded with longing eyes, and although that body was known to have no atmosphere and was known to be sterile, it was equally well known that Earth's scientists and engineers felt that they could, in a few years' time, make it habitable.

Atmospheric flying machines were, of course, totally unsuited, as they could not even reach the limits of the Earth's atmosphere, only forty miles away.

Obviously to reach the moon or any other celestial body, it was necessary to devise a method of overcoming the enigmatical force known as the Earth's gravity, which chains all bodies to the planet.

A multitude of inventions and suggestions were made, but none proved to be of any value until the _Anti-Gravitator_ was invented by the American 969L 9 in the year 2210.

This scientist had made extensive studies of the gyroscope and had finally evolved a machine which when set in motion would rise freely and continue to rise as long as power was supplied.

The action, moreover, was purely gyroscopic.

969L 9 took a large hollow sphere (the rotor) inside of which he built a number of independent gyroscopes, all of which traveled in fixed orbits. The large sphere which hung in a gyroscopic frame was made to spin around on its axis at great speed. This sphere thus acted as the fly-wheel of a gyroscope and as such was not influenced by the so-called _horizontal gravity_. As in the case of simple gyroscopes, its axis would always be in a vertical line as long as the spheric rotor was in motion.

If, however, the independent gyroscopes inside of the sphere were set in motion by means of electrical current, the _Vertical Gravity_ (weight) was overcome, the entire contrivance rising into the air, its rising (lifting) speed being directly proportional to the speed of the enclosed gyroscope rotors.

From 969L 9's experimental work the anti-gravitators were perfected, and it became possible to lift a weight of 1,000 kilograms with an anti-gravitator weighing but 12 kilograms.

Space flyers were equipped with from six to twelve large anti-gravitators attached to various points of their shells, all of which could be worked in unison, or operated independently in order to control the direction of the flyer.

As Ralph's space flyer rushed through the atmosphere, the friction of the machine against the air made the interior uncomfortably hot in spite of the fact that the machine had triple walls, the spaces between being filled with poor heat conducting materials.

After the flyer, however, had left the atmosphere, the stellar cold rapidly made itself felt.

Ralph then took his bearings, after he had verified, by means of the polarized wave transmitter that Fernand's flyer was still headed towards Venus. He then locked the steering disc and the space flyer continued its journey in a straight line of pursuit toward the machine of Fernand.

This done, Ralph flashed a radiogram asking the Planet Governor's indulgence for disobeying the law. Then he took his first look at the earth, which, since he was traveling at the rate of 80,000 miles an hour, had shrunk to the dimensions of a medium-sized orange. As he was flying toward the sun, Earth, being directly behind him was fully illuminated and appeared like a full moon. The continents and oceans were visible except where temporarily obscured by mist or clouds.

The general aspect of the Earth as seen from Ralph's flyer was that of a delicate faint blue green ball with white caps at each of the poles. The ball was surrounded by a pinkish ring near the circumference. This was the earth's atmosphere, the white caps being snow and ice around the north and south poles.

The brilliantly lighted earth was silhouetted against the inky black sky in sharp contrast.[8] The moon, hidden behind the earth, was not in evidence, when Ralph first looked earthward.

The stars shone with a brilliancy never seen from Earth; distant constellations which ordinarily cannot be seen, except, with a telescope, were plainly visible to him, in outer space.

The sun shone with a dazzling brilliancy in a pitch-black sky, and had he looked directly into its rays he would have been stricken blind.

The heat of the sun in the outside space when striking objects was tremendous. Had he held his hand against the glass window of the space flyer where the sun could strike it full, his hand would have been burned in a few seconds.

There was of course no night in the outer space (within the bounds of the planetary system). The sun shone uninterruptedly.

Time was an unknown quantity. Had it not been for the chronometer, reeling off seconds and minutes according to man's standard, time would cease to exist in a space flyer.

To a man who had never left the Earth, the phenomena encountered inside of a space flyer in the outer space was still more amazing.

"Weight" is synonymous with the gravity of the Earth. The denser a celestial body, the greater its gravity. The larger such a body is, the more strongly it will attract its objects. The smaller the body (if it has the same density), the smaller its force of attraction.

Thus a man weighing eighty kilograms on a _spring_ scale on the earth, would weigh but thirty kilograms on the planet Mars. On the sun, however, he would weigh 2232 kilograms.

Inside of a space flyer, which had an infinitely small gravity, objects weighed practically nothing. They were heaviest near the walls of the machine, but in the exact center of the flyer, _all objects lost their weight entirely_. Thus any object, regardless of its earthly weight, _hung freely suspended in the center of the space flyer_. It could not move up or down, of its own accord, but hung stationary, motionless, like a balloon in the air.[9]

The occupant of a space flyer, having no weight, moved around with astonishing ease. He almost floated around in the machine. There was no physical labor. The biggest table was no heavier than a match. The passenger in a flyer could perform an incredible amount of work without tiring and without effort.

He could walk up the walls or walk "upside down" on the ceiling without danger of falling, as there is no "up" or "down" in outer space.

_Sleep was practically impossible._ There being nothing to tire the occupant, _sleep is unnecessary_. Dozing off is all he can do, and that could never last long, except after strenuous mental work.

As long as a space flyer was not too far distant from the sun (within the orbit of Mars, at least), little artificial heat was needed. The sun heated one-half of the flyer's shell to a fierce heat, but the side turned away from the sun was exposed to the terrible stellar cold (absolute zero) and a fairly comfortable temperature was the result.

The air supply was manufactured by chemical means on board, but very little was needed, as the original supply taken from the earth is used over and over by altering the carbonic acid gas by means of automatic generators.

It was of course of the utmost importance that no port-hole or doors leading to the outside be opened. The air would have rushed from the flyer instantly, resulting in a perfect vacuum inside of the flyer, and instant death to all living organisms.

As the flyer moved away from a celestial body, the less the mechanical energy needed to propel it. There were of course exceptions. Thus between every two celestial bodies a point will be found where the attraction that one body exerts on the other is zero. If the flyer were brought to this point its gyroscopes could be at rest, as the machine would not be attracted by either body. It would "hang" between the two just as an iron ball hangs between two powerful magnets if carefully balanced. Give it the slightest push, however, and the ball will fly to either of the magnets.

The same was true of a space flyer, between two bodies at the "zero point." If it moved over that point it was immediately attracted by one of the bodies, and if its gyroscopes refused to work, the flyer would have been dashed to pieces against the attracting body.

If, however, the machine came to rest at the "zero point" it would begin to turn around on its own axis, while at the same time moving in an elliptical orbit around the sun--_the space flyer would become a tiny planet_, and as such was subject to the universal laws of the planetary system.

It was not hard to steer the space flyer; the nearer it came to a celestial body, the faster the gyroscopes worked; the further it drew away, the slower their movement.

After Ralph had thoroughly inspected the entire flyer he devoted his full attention to the course of Fernand's machine. At the rate at which he was flying he computed that he would overtake Fernand in ten hours, provided the latter did not increase his speed meanwhile.

Fernand, when Ralph left Earth, had a handicap of 400,000 miles. He was moving at the rate of 45,000 miles an hour. Ralph's machine had made 80,000 miles an hour since its start. If everything went well he would overtake the other in ten or eleven hours.

As there was nothing else to do, he busied himself in the laboratory near the conning tower at the top of the flyer in an attempt to make the hours pass more rapidly. With all its speed his machine seemed to crawl. He was in an agony of impatience.

At the end of the ninth hour he finally sighted Fernand's machine through his telescope. He then tried to signal Fernand by radio, but the other either did not hear or else did not want to answer.

Eleven hours after his departure from Earth, his machine drew to within a few hundred meters of Fernand's. After careful maneuvering he brought the machine parallel to the other, and looking through one of the heavy plate windows saw the strained, drawn and ghastly white face of Fernand staring at him.

Ralph moved a few levers and then closed a switch. A hissing sound was heard, and Fernand was seen to fall backwards, the window turning green at the same moment.

Ralph had struck him senseless with his _Radioperforer_.

In a few minutes he anchored his flyer to the other by means of a powerful electromagnet. He then pushed the connecting tube of his flyer into the tube-joint of Fernand's machine. With great care he made the joint air-tight. Taking a coil of rope he opened the port-hole and crawled through the tube leading into the other flyer.

Arrived at the other end he made sure that the joint at Fernand's machine was tight before he moved on.

Fernand lay unconscious on the floor and in a twinkling Ralph had bound him with the rope.

In high excitement he bounded upstairs to gain the room Alice should be occupying. His heart throbbed tempestuously. In another moment he would hold his sweetheart in his arms.

Arriving on the next floor he stood still for a moment and listened. There was no sound except for the gentle purring of the gyroscopic machinery.

He went from one room to another, then to the last one. The door was open. He entered with a strange feeling of dread. The room was empty. Apparently it had never been used.

In terror Ralph ran from one end of the flyer to the other. He looked in every corner, in every closet. He could find neither Alice nor her maid. Where were they hidden? To make sure he went all over the ground again more thoroughly.

After the most careful scrutiny of every inch of the machine he fell limply into a chair, and buried his face in his hands.

_Alice was not on board the flyer!!_

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 8: In the outer space the "sky" is dead black; the blue color of the sky as seen from the earth is due to the atmosphere. The real sky is colorless.]

[Footnote 9: If a shaft were sunk to the center of the earth, an object placed there would stay suspended in space.]

12

LLYSANORH' STRIKES

For some minutes, Ralph stood motionless, completely bewildered. To have spent so much time and effort to no avail, hours--days wasted in a fruitless search! The thought was maddening.

Obviously, she was not on board Fernand's space flyer. Where, then, was she? Certainly Fernand himself had had no opportunity to hide her, unless his whole flight into space were a trick to deceive the searchers, and that was more than unlikely. Fernand was cunning--was this some new piece of duplicity?

Turning from the empty room he ran down to where Fernand lay, still unconscious. Kneeling by his side Ralph applied a small electrical shocking device to the spine of the insensible man, with the result that in a few minutes Fernand opened his eyes and stared dazedly into those of his captor.

"Where is she?" asked Ralph hoarsely. "What have you done with her? Answer me, or by God, I'll blow you into Eternity!" and, aiming his Radioperforer at Fernand's head, he spoke with such ferocity that the other shrank involuntarily.

"I don't know," he muttered, weakly. "It's God's truth I don't know. The Martian got her. He took her away and left me drugged." His voice trailed off and he seemed about to collapse.

"You're a liar!" growled Ralph, but his tone lacked the conviction of the words. There was that in the other's voice that rang true. Mechanically, he cut the cords that bound Fernand, and the man rolled over helplessly. He was weak and dazed, and altogether too broken in spirit to make any further trouble. His nerve was gone.

Ralph propped him up against the wall, but he slumped over on his side limply. Impatient at the delay, Ralph went in search of water, and finding a pitcher of it in Fernand's laboratory, unceremoniously dumped the contents over the prone man's head. This had the desired effect of restoring him somewhat, and in a short time he was able to tell the story in detail.

"When I applied the chloroformal to you that night, I used the same drug on Alice, while Paul 9B 1261, a friend of mine, took care of your driver. We dragged Alice into our cab, and made for the outskirts of New York where I had the space flyer in readiness. A maid for her was already on board. We got Alice on and I put her in the care of Lylette, and in a few seconds we were off.

"When we got well out in space I locked the steering disc and helped the maid revive Alice, and in a few minutes she was herself again, which she fully demonstrated by slapping my face and then trying to tear me apart like a wildcat, when she found where she was." He gave a wry smile at the recollection.

"Go on!" snapped Ralph.

"It was an hour later, and we were burning up space, traveling at a rate of 70,000 miles an hour, that the radio signalling apparatus began ringing furiously. I tuned in, and heard a faint, gasping voice from somewhere out in the great void. With difficulty I learned that there was another space flyer somewhere near me, with two men and four women on board, and that their oxygen supply was being rapidly exhausted, due to the spoiling of some of the oxygen-producing chemicals. They asked for a small supply of oxygen, enough to get them back to Earth. Otherwise they would be doomed.

"Knowing myself to be safe from pursuit for some hours, even had you known I abducted Alice, I decided to aid the crippled flyer, and answered that I would assist them as soon as possible. I went up to the conning tower and, with the telescope, located the other machine. Then I reversed the anti-gravitator machinery and within a short time I had drawn up level with the flyer.

"We made fast, and ran the connecting tube between the two machines. When the joints were made air-tight I crawled through, and just as my head came through the opening into the other, two hands gripped me around the throat and I was jerked into the machine. I made a desperate effort to wrench myself free but I was absolutely helpless in such hands. I found myself gripped by Llysanorh', the Martian, and I might as well have fought a tiger as that seven-footer.

"He said nothing, only stared at me with his enormous eyes, while he dragged me to a small compartment, manacled my hands, and left me, locking the door behind him. But he was back in fifteen minutes or so, with a triumphant look in his eyes. He picked me up and pushed me through the connecting tube into my own flyer. He dragged me into my machine-room, and forced me to watch while he, using a big hammer, smashed the mechanism of my six anti-gravitators, so that I would not be able to steer, and could fly in only one direction. He ruined all the spare parts, to make sure that I could not make any repairs or replacements.

"Then catching me by the back of the neck, he said:

"'I intercepted your letter to Paul 9B 1261, and followed you. You didn't count on _me_, Fernand, when you stole Alice. Neither you nor that fool scientist Ralph 124C 41+ shall have her. _No_ man shall have her but myself. I will kill her first. I don't know why I don't kill you, except that you are scarcely worth the trouble. You can't pursue me with your machine in this condition, and when--_if ever_--you are found, it will be too late.'

"'Good God, man,' I said, 'surely you won't take a helpless Terrestrial girl!'

"'It is only what you did,' he replied, 'and at least, I love her!' And with that he pressed a cloth saturated with some drug unknown to me against my face, and that is all I remember.

"I must have been unconscious at least six or seven hours and when I came to, it was another hour before I shook off the effects sufficiently to recollect anything. Llysanorh' had taken off the manacles, but I was as helpless as if I had been bound. I must have dozed off, for I had only just awakened when I looked out and saw your flyer approaching. And that's the whole story."

Ralph had listened to the amazing narrative with growing apprehension. He knew enough of the Martian character to realize that Alice was in the hands of a man who, once the die was cast, would stop at nothing. He had been hopelessly, pitifully in love with Alice. It was easy to see that, having, probably quite by accident, intercepted Fernand's letter to Paul telling of his plans, he had in a moment of desperation, born of despair, determined to carry her off himself. Perhaps, in the first place, he had only intended to save her from Fernand, and then, considering the small possibility of discovery and pursuit, had succumbed to his overwhelming passion for her, and abducted her instead of returning with her to Earth. But whither was he bound? Surely, not to Venus where the inhabitants were nearly all Terrestrials, and whose laws were identical with those of Earth.

Mars? Possible, but improbable, although Llysanorh' might have some friend in his sect who would perform the Martian marriage ceremony secretly. But even if this were the case where could he take his captive bride? They would not be permitted to live on Mars, neither would Earth or Venus accept them.

The intolerably hot planet Mercury was out of the question, and the two moons belonging to Mars had no atmosphere.

There remained only the Asteroids.

At this thought Ralph sprang to his feet with an exclamation.

"I've been a fool not to think of them before," he cried. "Of course he would get her to one of them, and once there she will be lost forever. Good God, I must find his machine and head him off before it's too late."

He turned savagely on Fernand still crouched against the wall. "I'm tempted to leave you to the fate the Martian intended for you. God knows it wouldn't be half what you deserve."

"Don't do that, in Heaven's name," mumbled the other. "Don't leave me here like this."

The scientist looked at him contemptuously for a moment.

"Bah!" he said scornfully, "can't you even take your medicine like a man? But I'll turn your machine around and direct it Earthward. You will intercept the Earth in about thirty hours. You can't steer, but you can accelerate or retard the speed of your flyer, and need not collide with the Earth if you are careful.

"And remember this," he added grimly, "if you and I ever meet again I will pound your miserable cowardly body into jelly!"

He turned his back on the abject man, and returned to his own flyer. Then he turned Fernand's machine around, disconnected the two from each other, and in a few seconds Fernand's flyer had disappeared.

Ralph sprang into action. He immediately began taking observations. These told him that it would take him at least thirty days to reach Mars, even though he forced his machine to the utmost. He could not travel over 90,000 miles an hour, but, on the other hand, he felt sure that Llysanorh's machine was incapable of making more than 85,000 miles an hour. But the Martian had a handicap of probably 600,000 miles, and if Ralph gained on him at the rate of only 5,000 miles an hour, it would take 120 hours, or five terrestrial days to overtake him.

Ralph turned his machine towards the point in space where Mars would be at the end of thirty days, and now set himself to the task of making a search for the other flyer with the polarized wave apparatus.

For four wearisome and anxious hours he sought through space perseveringly, and was at last rewarded by locating another machine which he was certain was that of the Martian, as he had reasoned, heading for Mars.

At the same time the results of his calculations dismayed him greatly, for they revealed that Llysanorh's machine was making no less than 88,000 miles an hour. At this rate, Ralph was gaining only 2,000 miles an hour, and it would take thirteen or fourteen days to overhaul the other flyer. But as the Martian could not hope to reach Mars under twenty-nine days himself, Ralph figured that he, barring some unforeseen accident, would overtake him long before he landed there.

It was absolutely imperative that he do so, for once the Martian left Mars and headed for the Asteroids further pursuit would be useless. There were over 4,000 of these little planets already known[10] and it would be the work of a lifetime to search on each one for the fugitive and his victim. Speedy action on Ralph's part was urgent.

These little Asteroids, revolving in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter were practically uninhabited, although most of the larger ones had a good atmosphere, and a fair climate, considering their distance from the sun.

Some of them were only a few miles in diameter, and the largest measured but 485 miles. An electromobile, running at the slow rate of 60 miles an hour could circle such a tiny planet in 24 hours!

The larger planetoids had a superb vegetation, and as the gravity on these bodies was only a fraction of that on the Earth, the trees and shrubs were gigantic, while colossal fruits and vegetables grew in abundance. These plants helped to create a dense atmosphere, in spite of the small gravity, and life, on one of these little planets, was, in many respects, far more comfortable and pleasant than on Earth or Mars.

---- ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF RALPH

* WHERE RALPH OVERTOOK FERNAND

-.-.-. NEW COURSE OF RALPH IN PURSUIT OF LLYSANORH'

® WHERE MARS WOULD BE AT END OF LLYSANORH'S JOURNEY

--- COURSE OF LLYSANORH'

O POSITION OF LLYSANORH' WHEN RALPH OVERTOOK FERNAND

1 WHERE VENUS WOULD HAVE BEEN MET IF FERNAND HAD CONTINUED HIS JOURNEY

x WHERE LLYSANORH' ABDUCTED ALICE]

Now began the hardest part of the chase for Ralph. There was nothing more to do than he had already done. From now on he must wait with what patience he could summon to his aid, until such time as his machine should catch up with that of the Martian. He could force his own no further, and he was very sure that Llysanorh' was also flying at his utmost speed.

At work, he had not had much time for thought.

Now, with time hanging heavily on his hands, his conjectures as to the fate of his sweetheart drove him, at times, nearly to madness.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 10: Up to 1911 over 650 Asteroids had been discovered.]

13

ALICE OBJECTS

Alice, on being aroused to consciousness by the ministrations of Lylette, the maid, and Fernand, and finding herself a prisoner on board a space flyer at the mercy of the latter, was overwhelmed with fury. This cool abduction of herself provoked her to such a passionate outburst that Fernand had actually retreated before it.

"You coward," she blazed, "how dare you keep me here! Turn around and take me back at once--at once, do you hear?"

Fernand, in the act of opening her door and going back to his laboratory, paused smilingly.

"My dear girl," he said mockingly, "ask of me anything and I will grant it--except that. You have a temper that delights me. Your smiles will be all the sweeter, later."

Her answer was to fly at him with such passion that he involuntarily took a step backwards. In a flash she had run by him, was down the stairs and tugging at the fastening of the door that led outward. Fernand bounded after her calling to Lylette as he ran, and in a moment they were both struggling with the girl, who had indeed become a veritable wildcat. She had both hands fastened around the great bar that held the door and fought madly to unfasten it. Let that door be opened the fraction of an inch and all three would instantly have been blown to pieces. Fernand wrenched at her hands in real fear that she would succeed in her purpose, which was evidently their destruction.

She was a strong athletic girl, and at the moment her desperation gave her added vigor. But the combined strength, and by no means gentle handling of Fernand and Lylette, who herself was a large and powerfully built woman, forced Alice to relinquish her hold, and she was dragged, struggling, back to her room, and left there, with the door double-locked.

Alone, she passed from the high exaltation of anger to a state of nervous apprehension. Another woman in her place might have wept, have begged piteously for mercy where there was no mercy, but this girl was made of sterner stuff. She might be frightened but Fernand should never guess it.

Dry-eyed, with lips set in a firm line, lest they tremble and betray her, she sat facing the door, gripping in her small hands the only weapon she had been able to find--a small metal vase, having a round, and fairly thick base.

Knowing that Fernand would come back, prepared as she was for his return, she was unable to repress a start of genuine terror when she heard someone unbolting the door. She clutched the vase more tightly, white-faced, but courageous.

Fernand entered alone, carefully closing the door behind him. He wore his customary, rather bland smile, and his voice was suave to the point of oiliness.

"All over our little fit of temper?" he asked.

Alice stared at him, disdainfully, unanswering. Then her eyes fell upon something in his hand--manacles of glistening steelonium!

The horror she felt was depicted in her face, for he said, holding them out for her to see, "A pair of bracelets for you, sweetheart. Just as a precautionary measure. You are rather too quick with those hands of yours. But I am not unkind, my dear. You need not wear them if you will only give me your word not to repeat your recent performance."

Beyond the door she saw Lylette standing in readiness, and she knew that physical resistance would be ineffectual. Far better to give her promise and be free than to be bound and helpless. Besides, there was the laboratory. In it there were many roads to freedom--there were poisons that killed instantly and painlessly. Unmanacled she might reach them eventually. Bound, even that way would be closed.

Coldly, clearly, she gave her promise, but inwardly she offered up a prayer of thankfulness when he turned and handed the handcuffs to Lylette.

"You can lay down your weapon, Alice," he said, still with his mocking smile. "I can assure you that you have no need of it. You will find me a gentle lover, and one who is willing to wait for his lady's favors." He stopped suddenly, and turning his head in the direction of the stairs, listened intently.

From the laboratory, came the insistent ringing of the radio calling apparatus.

With a muttered order to Lylette, he was gone.

What was happening, Alice did not know. She could not read radio messages, but she knew that only something of grave import could have made Fernand rush like that to the radio. She strained her ears, but heard nothing.

Her hopes rose with a great bound with the thought that perhaps Ralph was on his way to her. Perhaps it was he signalling. She had been sure that he would follow her as soon as possible, and now her dark eyes brightened with hope.

At this moment Lylette, without a glance in her direction, closed the door, and Alice was once more alone and a prisoner behind bolted doors.

It was then that she gave way to her loneliness and despair. She knew that if it had been Ralph signalling, Fernand would at once, having received the news that the scientist was in pursuit, set about making plans to elude him. She knew that Fernand was desperate, that his life, under the law, was forfeit for this crime he had committed. He would stop at nothing. Instinctively, she felt that he would destroy her and himself, rather than be taken. Certainly, he would not hesitate to murder Ralph if the opportunity presented itself.

She flung herself upon the couch, and burst into tears of agony, and terror. Suddenly she sprang to her feet, still sobbing, wide-eyed with dread of what she knew not.

The space flyer had stopped. The throb of the machinery had stilled and the flyer was hanging motionless in space.

Standing in the middle of the room, rigid with suspense, Alice waited with beating heart. Suddenly she heard the sound of rapid steps on the stairs. Now they halted at the door, and someone fumbled at the bolts and locks.

The next instant the door was flung wide open, and Llysanorh' the Martian stood upon the threshold!

14

THE TERROR OF THE COMET

During the next few days Ralph passed midway between Earth and Venus. This was the spectacle that at times greatly increased the transport space flyer travel between Earth and Mars, many of the inhabitants of both planets making the long journey simply to get a view of the beautiful planet Venus.

Ralph ran almost parallel for a time with the two planets (see diagram), Venus to his left, Earth to his right. Although he was quite near the former he could hardly see it, as the bright rays of the sun precluded detailed observation. A few days later, however, it had swung sufficiently far enough to the left to afford him occasional glimpses of its beauties.

Ralph worked almost continuously in his laboratory in the conning tower. In the course of the week since he had left the Earth, he had only catnapped for about two hours, since sleep was impossible.

He constructed several new pieces of apparatus, which he considered might be useful in case of a possible encounter with Llysanorh'. He knew that Llysanorh' could not be as easily subdued or caught as Fernand. This tall Martian was an inventor himself and knew much about handling modern death-dealing weapons. It would be useless to try the Radioperforer as he probably would carry a Silonium armor, proof against all Radium emanations.

One of the first things he had done was to lead wires from the steering apparatus up to the conning tower. On the floor of the tower he arranged contacts in such a manner that he could press them together with his feet. The control was similar to the foot pedals of an organ. He then practised for some days until he could steer the flyer wholly with his feet. Thus his hands were free to control any apparatus he would need for attack or defense. With his feet he could so control the machine as to avoid projectiles if necessary.

As the days rolled by, however, Ralph became more and more disturbed. He now took observations hourly, his eyes glued to the indicator. With a sinking heart he saw that he was not gaining on the Martian. The latter had his machine well tuned up and was covering almost 90,000 miles an hour. At this rate Ralph could never catch up with Llysanorh'. It was maddening. The days became a long, drawn-out agony. Ralph had done everything in his power to accelerate the speed of his flyer and to strain the machinery further meant inviting certain death. Within eight days Llysanorh' would land on Mars--his course now plainly showed that he was headed for the planet. At best Ralph would be ten hours behind--time enough for the Martian to accomplish his purpose. And he, Ralph 124C 41+, the greatest inventor the world had ever produced, was powerless.

Again he took observations, and again the results were the same. A weariness of the spirit swept over him. The dark waters of despair seemed to inundate his very soul. To have been physically exhausted would have been a relief. To know the blessedness of but an hour's sound sleep, to be free from this terrible tension--

He sank down upon a seat and buried his head in his hands, and as he sat, striving to quiet his worn and troubled mind there came to him an idea--nay, more than an idea, an inspiration, by which he would overcome the formidable difficulties that beset him.

An idea, so simple that, having once formulated it, it seemed ridiculous not to have thought of it before.

His soul-weariness fell from him like a discarded garment. He sprang to his feet, once more the scientist, the man of action, triumphant, dominant.

His marvelous ingenuity saw the way out. His mind would again triumph over time and space. He would achieve the impossible, surmount the insurmountable.

The battle was not lost--it had but begun!

He knew he could not overhaul Llysanorh'. Neither could he intercept him. A wireless decoy message was futile. Llysanorh' would never be caught by such a flimsy trick. But he must do something to prevent Llysanorh' from reaching Mars.

How could it be accomplished? By sending a message to the Martian authorities? A futile thought. Even if the distance could be bridged, which was doubtful, Llysanorh' would, in all likelihood, intercept the message with his recorder. He would simply send a message to his friend to board a space flyer and to rush to him at top speed. The marriage ceremony could then be performed out in space.

No, Llysanorh' must not know that he was pursued and still he must be prevented from landing.

Ralph would literally move the heavens. He would threaten Mars with a comet! Llysanorh's patriotism could be depended upon to make an effort to divert the comet from its course, to avoid the imminent collision with Mars. This, Llysanorh' could do without danger to himself, simply by steering his flyer close to the head of the comet--within a few hundred kilometers. The gravitational action of his machine on the comet would deflect the course of the latter enough--even a few degrees would be sufficient to change the path of the meteor.

But where was the comet to come from? To Ralph this was simplicity itself. He did not need to "catch" a comet--_he would manufacture one for himself_--a comet more unique than ever rushed through space.

He knew that comets had been reproduced artificially on a small scale, centuries ago;[11] however, no one had ever tried to make a real comet. He also knew that the largest comets have a very small mass, and that the tail is composed mainly of gas and dust, which is so thin that the stars may be readily observed through the tail of almost any comet.[12]

Ralph thus became the first human being to _create_ a heavenly body. As comets are composed mainly of hydrogen gas and dust, the creating of Ralph's artificial comet was absurdly simple to the scientist.

By means of scraps of zinc and iron filings, over which sulphuric acid was poured, Ralph produced a great quantity of hydrogen. This he filled in tanks and when he had generated enough of the gas he connected the tanks with a large metal stop cock in the wall of the space flyer. As soon as the stop cock was opened the hydrogen rushed out into the open with a roar.

Immediately Ralph connected his high frequency apparatus with the outside aerials of the space flyer and the expected phenomenon took place.