American Science Fiction #41 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a _. You're someone I met once, ‘ That _. beard confuses me.” - He waited for me to answer, I had loves it. All Armstrong’s men _ need- ed now was time. They were at the -_._ doorstep. of Atlantic University.” _ Chetzisky wrinkled his forehead. _ “We met about four years ago en route to the St. Louis convention.” .. “Yes,” he said slowly as if the re- | collection _ was gradually unfolding itself. “Yes, 1 remember you now. In fact, very well. We had a most in- teresting chat; do you recall it?” _. “Something about making — the - world peaceful, wasn’t it?” : “That’s correct,” Chetzisky com- mented with approval, “It was just _ my dream then. Now it’s real, thanks to the unfortunate Doctor MacRob- _ erts. You saw that incline outside. At its top is ‘a drum filled with crude _Yadioactive ore that MacRoberts dis- three milligrams of the new purified _ radioactive element. It was extreme- ly easy to isolate. A simple precipi- tation process involving some hot tion of cuprous chloride .., ” _ He stopped abruptly as ce detected a slight forward motion on my part. - I threw hima question to dissolve the tension. “What is the name of the new ele- ment?” . call. it ‘MacRobertium.’ Besides, it hasn’t the scientific flavour,” he said with an amused smile. “The Scots . weren’t meant for scientists. I call it ae simply ‘“MCR’.” _- He motioned me to fall back a few steps and then went on. is its diffusion: rate, something like two centimeters a minute, assuming a specific gravity of 2.7 for the medi- um. MacRoberts traced a vein con- taining MCR ore to this point and for the past two months I’ve been impregnating it with refined MCR, reactor.” te The Doctor was warbied up now, STOPWATCH * ON THE’ WORLD ’ _ to keep him talking; the paranoic “I'm Doctor Arnold Bailey covered. The whole is charged With — ethyl iodide and a 0.1 Normal solu-. “You must admit it is difficult to “The remarkable property of MCR ‘Converting it into” a slow, controlled - 2 a and I didn’t dare interrupt for fear — of bringing him out of his paranoic trance. Armstrong might arrive any minute. I hoped, . “When the time comes,” he con- tinued, “and I believe it is now, I will remove the moderator bar from the drum at the top of the incline and release it. It will strike a nay ger mechanism which will catapu it into the face of the vein of M RK ore. The critical mass will be ex- ceeded and a planetary atom bomb will have been born.” . His eyes were shining now with the madness of his dream. “The chain’ reaction will proceed through the earth’s plastic mantle and down iato the liquid core.” - He paused to enjoy the pleasure of his speculations. “Then within ten hours I calculate the earth will exist no more. It will become a mush- rooming cloud of cosmic dust It deserves no bettet,” he added bitter-’ ly; “I tried to give it peace.” OMEONE entered the room. It ~ was the Indian reporting that the soldiers had penetrated into the cra- ter. “Watch this man,” Chetzisky com-: manded, “Shoot him if necessary.” He left the room. I heard the cab- in door shut and its sound echoed like a sentence of doom. In the long strained silence that followed [| thought frantically. Then the silence was ‘broken. The. cabin door opened. again, dragging footsteps approached the room. Eyes bloodshot, one hand holding his head in evident pain, the Indian I had beat down with the butt of the .45. appeared in the doorway. He glared at’ me in sudden recog. , nition and with the roar of an en-— raged bull lunged at me. The other | Indian tried to hold him back. That one moment was my opportunity; I picked up one of the home-made chairs and crashed it down on their heads. While they stumbled about groggily, I dashed out of the cabin | after Chetzisky. — He was standing at the head ps the Tramp, working what appeared to be “ eommlichooks.conn ’ -