Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

THE TORCH. Now I know! wil and listen to our plans? You are a spy—a sneaking, lying spy. denounce you—now.” Fortune merely laughed, and his laugh served the purpose of disarming Kinst. “By all means, go ahead,” he invited. “Tell them what you please—they know all about me already.” ““ Then—then—” Kinst stammered un- certainly. ‘‘I am no traitor to my kind,” he protested nervously. “ You cannot buy me—no, not even with—with Anna. In pity’s name, tell me again she is safe. Tell me!”’ .Kinst raised his trembling hands in sup- plication. “Safe for a few days at least,” said Fortune coldly. “Ill not promise she’ll be safe long—unless you do my errand.” “And how do I know you'll keep your promise—why should I credit you?” ‘You have my word: I-do not break my word to any man.’ “No.” Kinst shook his head token ly. ‘‘ It’s some sort of treachery. I'l not do it.” “Very well, you’ll never see the woman again. When I return to Manhattan [’ll give her to my soldiers.” Fortune turned away. “ Wait, wait—”’ him eagerly. Fortune secretly breathed a huge sigh of relief. He had found the way! In his note to Alda, he told her as much as he thought necessary to appeal to her self-interest in bringing about his rescue and no more. Since he had decided defi- nitely against the Comrades and the revo- lution, he was determined to play his own game for all that was in it. He realized that if he could escape from the island he possessed a secret that might be valuable. Alda already had hinted that she planned some stroke against the Comp- troller’s power, a plan, Fortune guessed, designed to make her secure in her father’s place. While the Directorate, which consisted of the various administrators of government, followed the formality of electing its Great Towerman, he knew it was influenced by whoever held a balance of power. Freder- ‘ Kinst started to follow ‘some day 245 ick was the logical successor to Wolff if he could not be checkmated. On_ second thought Fortune wondered why he had not cast his lot with the mighty Comptroller who had so cleverly used his position as administrator of the community wealth to rise higher than any man in government. But his distrust of Frederick was in- stinctive. Frederick was a man who played a solitary game, but Alda was a woman, and with all her cleverness she must de- pend upon men to carry out many of her plans. It was his intention to make the best possible bargain with Alda and sell her the information about the brewing. revolution. She would know best what to do with the secret. The optimistic young man saw himself rising to a position of enviable power— perhaps the command of the army of the Tower People; perhaps something even more glittering. To be quite frank, he had never forgotten the old children’s song about “ Fortune the White.” His ambition was boundless, and he was sure of himself with the sureness of youth. Might he not ‘“ rule in might,” as the old rhyme predicted? Certainly he could hope for a richer re- ward from Alda than from anything that depended on the caprice of the Folk. ~As Alda’s consort in government he could see himself a successor to Wolff! The dream was a rosy one, and he thought noth- ing at all of the misery that would pay for his rise to power. Only, there was no word from Kinst! A thousand times a day in those drag- ging three days of awful waiting he decided . bitterly that the little gold-worker had be- trayed him. As often he renewed his hope in his messenger, sure that Kinst’s desire to regain Anna would keep him discreet. The afternoon of the third day found him desperate. He had risked everything on a single turn of the dice, and the dice delayed their throw until the last second of the last minute—or else already had turned against him. It was the first day of the month of June, a day that blessed the scarred old earth with the warmth of a lover’s kiss, J COPMICGLOOOKS GO